Rescuers completed transferring all 52 passengers from the ice-bound research vessel Akademik Shokalskiy to the Aurora Australis icebreaker.  It ends a two-week adventure that left the passengers stuck at the bottom of the world during the Holidays.

In a welcome display of international cooperation, the helicopter from the Chinese icebreaker Snow Dragon picked them up a dozen at a time, taking them to the Chinese vessel.  From there they were ferried to the Aussie ship, which will arrive back in Hobart within two weeks.

The Russian Akademik Shokalskiy was trapped on 24 December by by thick sheets of ice driven by strong winds, about 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart.  The 22-member crew is expected to remain on board to wait until the vessel becomes free. The vessel was being used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition to follow the route explorer Douglas Mawson traveled a century ago.

I“We’ve made it to the Aurora Australis safe & sound.  A huge thanks to the Chinese & @AusAntarctic for all their hard work!,” expedition leader Chris Turney tweeted.