Australian icebreaker heading home

An Australian icebreaker carrying 52 passengers who were rescued from a ship stuck in Antarctic ice is headed home.

An Australian icebreaker that freed a Russian ship stuck in Antarctic ice is headed for Hobart. (AAP)

The Australian icebreaker carrying 52 Aussies and New Zealanders who were stranded on a Russian ship in the Antarctic over Christmas is heading home.

The Akademik Shokalskiy became stranded in heavy ice in the Antarctic on Christmas Eve. A rescue mission involving a helicopter from a Chinese icebreaker, the Xue Long, saw the 52 scientists and tourists transferred to the Aurora Australis on January 2.

The Aurora then continued on its planned mission to Casey research station in the Antarctic.

It departed Casey research station on Wednesday afternoon and its journey to Hobart is expected to take about eight days.