Teddy's Journey to the Falkland Islands: A Travel Adventure with a Brave Bear

1. 1. Teddy packing his suitcase for the 8118-mile (13,065km) journey

2. 2. Here is Teddy in the departure lounge at RAF Brize Norton. It is warm in the lounge so he is saving his scarf to wear in the colder climate of The Falkland Islands.

3. 2a. The boarding card showing the destination MPA Mount Pleasant International Airport.

4. 3. This is Wideawake Airfield on Ascension Island which is just south of the equator in the South Atlantic Ocean. Planes travelling to and from Britain to the Falkland Islands have to refuel here. The airfield is jointly owned and run by the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force.

5. 4. The location of Ascension Island means it is always warm but this photo shows how it can also be wet and windy at the same time.

6. 5. This picture was taken on the same day as picture 4 but now it is cloudy, warm, dry and still.

7. 6. Usually there is only a 2 hour refuelling stop on Ascension Island. On this day, however, the weather conditions in the South Atlantic meant there was a 24 hour delay. This picture is, therefore, unusual in that it is part of the island not normally seen by visitors. It is a village called Two Boats Village.

8. 7. The journey consists of two 9 hour flights. Films and music are provided on the plane. This is Teddy listening to some music.

9. 7a. The co-ordinates for The Falkland Islands are printed onto shopping bags for sale in the Tourist Information shop.

10. 8. This is a map of The Falkland Islands showing illustrations of the main attractions.

11. 9. Stanley is the capital of the Falkland Islands. In the last census (2012) the population of the islands was 2932 of which 85% live in Stanley.

12. 10. A map of Stanley showing visitor amenities such as accommodation, shops, hospitals, sights, roads.

13. 11. The Governor’s House. This is the residence of the Governor of the islands.

14. 12. The welcome sign at the end of the jetty. The Falkland Islands can now take cruise ships in the harbour and this is the first thing the visitors from the ships will see.

15. 13. The Falkland Islands is a fairly new tourist destination and has only just begun to develop it’s tourist industry. This is the logo for the Tourist Board. In 2014 The Falkland Islands won the ‘Best Destination for Wildlife and Nature” in the UK Travel Agents Choice Awards.

16. 14. Christ Church Cathedral. The world’s most southerly cathedral (Anglican) The whalebone arch explains in some way the towns twinning with Whitby in North Yorkshire.

17. 15. The island’s own newspaper “Penguin News”. It is written and printed in this building.

18. 16. A view from the old dockyard in Stanley. Despite the blue sky and sunshine the temperature was below 10 degrees Centigrade (50 degrees Farenheit).

19. 17. Teddy sitting on the wall at the old dockyard… note his scarf is firmly in place.

20. 18. A typical street view. Note the colours of the roofs. Many houses have corrugated metal roofs which are painted bright colours. Look back at picture 11. The locals call them ‘wriggly tin’.

21. 19. The Infant and Junior School. Again, painted bright colours. Primary age children living ‘in camp’ (living elsewhere on the island other than Stanley) are served by a radio link to lessons. Children of secondary school age board in the School hostel in Stanley during the week. The English school system is followed on the islands.

22. 20. The main seafront Ross Road showing typical Falkland Island housing.

23. 21. A view overlooking Stanley Harbour facing East. Look very closely and you can see a boat on the jetty in the distance.

24. 22. This is a second view overlooking Stanley Harbour facing West. Both picture 21 and 22 were taken on the same day. The weather can change very rapidly as you can see from these two pictures. The second one is the beginning of a snowstorm.

25. 23. The Liberation Monument was built to commemorate the Liberation of the islands following the Argentinian Invasion in 1982. The Government building is in the background.

26. 24a. Teddy posing for a picture on the jetty where the big ships arrive and depart. Seconds after this picture was taken a gust of wind blew him off into the harbour.

27. 24b. As he was being rescued from the freezing waters a native Southern Sea Lion jumped onto the jetty.

28. 24c. Teddy had to be dried out in the sun. He was very careful for the rest of the holiday!

29. 25. This Totem Pole is on the eastern outskirts of Stanley. Any visitor can add their pointer to the telegraph pole.

30. 26. The pointers should all be facing in the direction of home.

31. 27. People from all over the world have added their pointers.

32. 28. This visitor has written their pointer in their local dialect.

33. 29. Some people have put how far they are away from home.

34. 30. Some have been there a very long time.

35. 31. Here’s Teddy enjoying the view of the harbour back in the safety of his hotel room.

36. 32. Teddy is writing a postcard to his family.

37. 33. It was a long and busy day. Dreaming about his brave and daring adventures.

38. 34. A 4x4 was used to travel round the island. Other than in Stanley there are no surfaced roads on the islands, only gravel tracks.

39. 35. Argentina invaded The Falkland Islands in 1982. Goose Green was the site of a famous battle.

40. 36. This is Goose Green Settlement with the battlefield in the foreground.

41. 37. These are Argentinian graves at Goose Green.

42. 37a. A memorial to crew members of HMS Glamorgan.

43. 38. A short drive from Goose Green is the settlement of Darwin. It is named after Charles Darwin, who explored the islands during his second voyage on “The Beagle”.

44. 39. Everyone enjoyed afternoon tea in Darwin. The locals call afternoon tea “Smoko”. All the food was homemade.

45. 40. After afternoon tea Teddy enjoyed the view from the hotel window. He is looking north east towards Mount Usborne.

46. 41. To reach this view from the top of Mount Kent you need to drive up a steep and winding gravel track. The land and climate make it hard for vegetation to grow on many parts of The Falkland Islands.

47. 42. Some things from the 1982 war still affect life on the islands today. Even today, some parts of the island are too dangerous to visit.

48. 43. Picnic at Bluff Cove. Even though it is a sunny cloudless day it was too cold to eat outside.

49. 43a. As well as being cold it is almost always windy, making it feel even colder. This tree shows how windy it is.

50. 44. The cliffs at Fitzroy are high and make good nesting ground for Cormorants. This is the view looking down from the top of the cliffs.