The trip: East coast of Greenland

NAMES Tom and Christine Heeren, Frankston South, Vic

THE TRIP Greenland's east coast

THE ITINERARY To celebrate my 50th birthday, my wife and I took a two-week late summer Arctic cruise in among the fjords of the East Greenland National Park. The journey began from the northern Icelandic port town of Akureyri. The trip across the Denmark Strait was very rough (Beaufort scale 9-10), making moving about the ship a bit challenging, but fun. Many passengers felt quite ill, but this abated when we made our first stop on the Greenland coast. The plan was to land on shore, but the captain spotted a white shape on the move and we soon saw our first majestic polar bear. The bear moved from the beach to an overhanging ridge and lay down on the Arctic willows and birches, contemplating us floating on the water below – an amazing photo opportunity.

The cruise passed through many large fjord networks, giving us the opportunity to observe and explore the coastline, icebergs, ice sheets and glaciers by foot and inflatable zodiacs. Regular information sessions were held in the theatre that highlighted recent or forthcoming aspects of Arctic biology, botany, ornithology, geology and glaciology. Even without animal sightings, the amazing geological formations make this destination one not to miss.

We also visited the town of Ittoqqortoormiit with its colourful houses and friendly Inuit inhabitants. One of only two major settlements on the east coast, it shows how the human spirit of survival will overcome nature's harshest environments.

BEST BITS Exploring the National Park on foot and by Zodiac, the up-close and personal sighting of the polar bear and other animals, including musk oxen, whales, seals and seabirds, and the very knowledgeable guides on-board.

WORST BIT Crossing the Demark Strait! Bring seasickness medication, if required.

BEST TIP Make sure you bring a camera that can be used in a floating Zodiac. I used a compact travel camera that could be easily kept dry without the heartache of damaging a much more expensive SLR.

WHERE TO NEXT More adventures and animal spotting in Africa.