All the icy ordeal is one major step close to being over for passengers who were trapped on a ship off Antarctica for ten days.

All the passengers aboard that Russian stranded ship have been rescured by helicopter.

They are now on an Australia ice breaker.

22 crew members will stay on board the ship untill they can move again.

And this is a story that started on Christmas Eve after the ship got stuck in ten feet of ice.

Previous rescue attempts had to be abandoned because of treacherous conditions.

Now the 52 passengers are no longer stuck, but their journey home is really just beginning.

Mathew Chance has the latest.

This is the Chinese helicopter that finally plucked all 52 passengers off the stranded research vessel.

The helicopter to take us home. Thanks, everyone.

After more than a week, marooned in Antarctice pack ice, the team of scientists and tourists were airlifted to a nearby Australia ice breaker are now heading into open seas.

It's still expected to be mid-Janurary before they make dry land.

Since Christmas Eve, hopes were raised repeatedly that rescue of the ship, the Academic Shicaoski was imminent.

At least 3 attempts failed to cut a path through the sea ice.

But those on board kept their spirits high, bringing a brave faith on their ordeal, even continuing the scientific experiments on climate change they were there to conduct.

And it was the passengers you helped prepare the makeshift helipad stomping down the ice to smooth the landing zone.

The 22- member Russian crew of the Academic Shicaoski have decided to stay on board, rescue team say could be weeks before the melting pack ice set them and their vessel free.

Mattew Chance, CNN, London.