To the ends of the earth

A rusting mobile soup kitchen used to supply the Argentine forces, the remains of a Chinook helicopter and discarded toothpaste tubes lie silently on the ground. Although much of the land is impassable because the mines have not been cleared and may never be, it's possible to cross by Land Rover and visit the memorials to the Scots and Welsh Guards and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

Bluff Cove and Tumbledown Mountain are names we shall never forget. The Falklands, 400 miles off the south-eastern tip of South America, comprise more than 740 islands. The conflict – locally never referred to as "war" – between Britain and Argentina in 1982 brought the land to global prominence. The battlefield sites – such as Mount Harriet and Two Sisters – bring those days back to life. Crossing the hazardous terrain of the East Falklands, British forces fought battles in conditions reminiscent of the First World War.

The Falklanders are fiercely patriotic and won't welcome Argentina's latest claims to the territorial waters and oil reserves. A tin roof painted in Union Jack colours is just one of the bright sights upon arriving in the capital, Stanley – home to 2,100 of the 2,500 population. It lies on the same 51 degree latitude as London.

Stanley is twinned with Whitby and both towns display magnificent whale bones. In Stanley's case, they stand close to the most southerly cathedral in the world, Christ Church, which was consecrated

in 1892.

In local restaurants, you can enjoy some of the finest seafood. Depending on the season, calamari, mussels, oysters, kingclip and Patagonian toothfish vie with tender local lamb, beef and upland goose pate.

Inland, visits are organised to local farms. At Long Island, demonstrations of traditional methods of peat cutting, sheep shearing, sheep dog training and horsegearing are given. The wool is shipped for sale in Bradford. My tea of scones with diddle-dee jam (made from local gorse fruit) and lashings of cream was fantastic.

Not far away, I came across my first penguins. On a nature trail, Magellanic penguins were nesting in burrows close to the shore. Within days it would be easy to identify the different species.

Wildlife is abundant on the Falklands. The ship's experts, including several from Cambridge University and its renowned Scott Polar Research Institute, guided identification of cobb's wren, the steamer duck, black-throated finch and splendid black-browed albatross among several hundred species.

One of the most amusing sights was Southern Giant petrels flying close to the shoreline, keeping up with cars being driven along the front road of Stanley past the gaily-painted timber-framed houses.

Then it was time to depart for the most pristine wilderness on earth, Antarctica. This land of snow and ice is breathtakingly beautiful. Spirit of Adventure, guided by an ice pilot, would cruise past magnificent glaciers and ghostly icebergs that had formed into strange sculptures.

Keeping passenger numbers below 200 meant there was no restriction on the sites that could be visited. International treaty agreements mean larger numbers are forbidden from landing. The captain, ice pilot and expedition leader would plan landings on a daily basis depending on the weather and ice conditions.

Both to protect the Antarctic environment and to make sure you get as close as possible to its unique wildlife, we went ashore using Zodiac inflatable landing craft. This all added to the special nature of the expedition. The Zodiac drivers were specially trained and safety was paramount. For Sheila Walton from Harrogate, a retired deputy head teacher from York, a trip to Antarctica had always been an ambition. Following the RSPB's long campaign to save the albatross, Sheila was delighted to see several species from the Northern Royal and Black-browed to the quaintly named light-mantled Sooty. The setting to see so much of this wildlife was dramatic.

Paradise Harbour lies between the Antarctic mainland and Bryde and Lemaire Islands and was named by early 20th century whalers who succumbed to its charms. Indeed, it presented a panorama of sheer mountains, 100ft high glaciers, sparkling blue sea and jumbled icebergs.

Here seals lazed on the ice, Antarctic shags were breeding on the cliffs and we saw our first whales – minke and humpback. One of the few temporary settlements was found on Waterboat Point. This was a Chilean base, originally opened in 1951 and today housing a museum and selling a few tasteful souvenirs. Skuas, kelp gulls and snowy sheathbills were nesting.

Then it was time to cruise through the Lemaire Channel, the continent's best known fjord, where the icebergs provided a resting platform for leopard and crabeater seals.

Port Lockroy on Goudier Island proved to be a highlight. Not only was there a large colony of gentoo penguins, who are so friendly they even come over to you, but a post office from where about 70,000 cards are mailed to more than 100 countries each year. This is the globe's most southerly postal station but mail still only took five to six weeks to reach Yorkshire. The ship provided not only robust jackets and water-resistant trousers but also boots, all of which could be taken home. This cut the wind-chill factor enormously. Staff were well trained to clean all footwear to ensure no contamination between sites.

The site was constructed in 1944 as part of the secret Operation Tabarin.

British troops occupied strategic Antarctic locations to report on any German naval presence but none was detected. Scientific work followed

and today the buildings are part of a heritage trust.

Cruising on, it was possible occasionally to see the ghostly remains of a whaling station – huge oil tanks, crude wooden huts and water barges long since abandoned.

Antarctic historian Dr Beau Riffenburgh gave an insight into the bravery and determination of early pioneers. He has written the definitive book on Nimrod, Ernest Shackleton's ship which the explorer used in 1908 and from where he made several scientific discoveries.

Several times that most elusive of mammals, the killer whale, was spotted but I saw the largest shoal – numbering 19 – one evening just before we were setting course away from the white continent.

Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina was our final port. This had a small, old-world charm with a wonderful nature reserve close by. A flight to Buenos Aires and a day or two discovering Argentina's capital proved a fascinating contrast to a truly remarkable modern-day adventure.

In the footsteps of the great explorers

Few have the chance to visit the Falkland Islands and to discover an amazing people and environment. When combined with a voyage towards the South Pole, this is a true modern-day adventure. The trip – in the footsteps of Scott and Shackleton would be tricky without expert help. Spirit of Adventure is a cruise liner which provides this opportunity, with the accent on "adventure". It is a chance to experience unusual destinations, guided by experts in their field.

Spirit of Adventure, 0800 300 432.