Perched on the ragged southern edge of Argentina, where the snow-capped Andes fall away into the churning sea, Ushuaia has a frontier town feel to it, and serves as the base for expeditions into the icy waters of Antarctica.

Icy and remote, the South Shetland Islands are situated about 100 miles north of the Antarctic peninsula. The archipelago is home to a scattering of research stations, along with thousands of penguins, seals and sea lions, and you can still see the remains of Ernest Shackleton’s ship the ‘Endurance’ on the south west shore of Elephant Island.

Antarctica is the world’s last great wilderness, an alien landscape of snow-covered mountains, jagged icebergs and extraordinary wildlife. February is a great time to spot whales, with species including humpback, sperm and orca, and you still have a chance of seeing penguin chicks. Fur seals are also abundant at this time of year. Expedition trips will spend time exploring the Antarctic Peninsula, making several landings at various sites and cruising through scenic channels.

The Lemaire Channel runs between Booth Island and the Antarctic Peninsula, a passage of water so photogenic that it has been nicknamed the ‘Kodak Gap’. The water here is eerily still, hemmed in by steep cliffs and filled with icebergs which sometimes prevent ships from sailing through it.

Ross Island is formed from four volcanoes, including towering Mount Erebus, the southernmost active volcano on earth. The US and New Zealand both have research stations on the island, and there are reminders of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration, including Scott’s hut at Cape Evans.

The waters of Terra Nova Bay remain mostly ice-free, even during winter, thanks to katabatic winds blowing down off the mountains of Antarctica. The bay, on the western side of the Ross Sea, was first discovered by Captain Scott’s Discovery expedition, and named after one of the expedition’s relief ships.

Cape Adare was an important base during the early days of Antarctic exploration, and you can still visit the huts built by Norwegian polar pioneer Carsten Borchgrevink, which were later used by Captain Scott. Cape Adare is also home to the world's largest colony of Adélie penguins.

Macquarie Island lies far to the south of mainland Australia, a bizarrely shaped subantarctic island that is home to unique flora and spectacular wildlife. The island is best known for its huge penguin rookeries, with thousands upon thousands of royal, king, southern rockhopper and gentoo penguins.

Campbell Island is one of the most southerly of New Zealand’s subantarctic islands, a windswept and seemingly inhospitable place that sustains a surprising diversity of large, colourful plants known as ‘megaherbs’. The island is also home to six different species of albatross and three species of penguin.

The Snares Islands are the northernmost of New Zealand’s subantarctic islands, renowned for their incredible birdlife. Endemic species include the Snares penguin, Snares snipe and Snares tomtit, and some three million sooty shearwaters come here to breed during the austral summer.

A garden city where punts glide down the Avon River, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were still in the UK when arriving into Christchurch, New Zealand’s most English of cities. Lyttelton is just over 7 miles away; originally established as a landing point for Christchurch-bound seafarers, it serves the same purpose for visitors today.