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  • credit: Antarctic Heritage Trust
    Inspiring Explorers™ outside Borchgrevink's hut at Cape. ©AHT/Anna Clare
  • credit: Antarctic Heritage Trust
  • © Tim McPhee - credit: Tim McPhee
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Link to: Conserve
CONSERVE

Antarctica’s heritage under the Trust’s care for current and future generations globally

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SHARE

The world’s greatest polar exploration stories

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ENCOURAGE

Young people to explore the physical world to educate and inspire them

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Sustain and grow the Trust’s programmes, while caring for people and the planet

Our mission is to conserve, share and encourage the spirit of exploration

Mosese Faingamoevalu Puniani (left) and Rita Kirisome-Mahe (right) from Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate aboard the Spirit of Adventure tall ship. © AHT

South Auckland students set sail with Spirit of Antarctica

A new partnership between Antarctic Heritage Trust and Spirit of Adventure Trust will see South Auckland students embark on a journey of discovery, combining virtual Antarctic exploration with real-world adventure aboard a three-masted tall ship. 

The Spirit of Antarctica programme will give 150 students from 10 schools a chance to explore the icy continent through cutting-edge VR technology, before 15 students join a ten-day voyage with Spirit of Adventure Trust. 

Schools participating in the programme are part of the AIMHI network (Achievement in Multi-Cultural High Schools). Antarctic Heritage Trust has developed a broad long-term partnership with the network over the last seven years, collaborating to deliver New Zealand-based education and expedition programmes for a range of age groups.  

Read more about Spirit of Antarctica

Record-breaking solo-sailor Lisa Blair to join Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Antarctic Peninsula 2026

World-record-breaking solo sailor and environmental advocate Lisa Blair will join the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s next Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ as a mentor when the team sails to the Antarctic Peninsula in 2026 aboard the historic tall ship Bark EUROPA. 

The holder of eight world records, including being the fastest person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around Antarctica, Lisa will share her powerful story of resilience, exploration, and science-at-sea with the next generation of explorers to challenge and motivate the team to step out of their comfort zone and begin to develop their own ‘Explorer Mindset’.  

Read more about Lisa Blair joining the Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Antarctic Peninsula 2026
Lisa Blair prior to her 2022 record attempt, sailing solo non stop and unassisted around Antarctica. © Lisa Blair Sails the World/Corrina Ridgeway
📸 Patron of the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, HRH The Princess Royal, meets school children from Selborne Church of England Primary School at Gilbert White's House & Gardens to explore Antarctica through immersive virtual reality experiences (VR) as part of a nationwide tour by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust and New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, aimed at making Antarctica more accessible. © UKAHT/ HESTERPHOTO

Immersive Antarctica: Virtual reality tour brings Antarctic exploration to the UK

During April and May, charities New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust (NZAHT) and UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) joined forces to tour England and Scotland for the first time with two exciting immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences that use cutting-edge digital technologies to transform how the British public can learn about Antarctica’s rich history of science and exploration.

British expeditions played a significant role in shaping the course of Antarctic history from the heroic age through to the more recent scientific age on the continent.

Participants were able to take a unique step back in time by donning a VR headset and controllers, which will instantly transport them to Antarctica. They also had the chance to step inside and explore historic huts, come face to face with penguins, ride in a hydrogen balloon, feed huskies, meet early explorers and scientists and hear incredible tales of resilience, teamwork and innovation on the ice.

Read the full media release here

Explorers Inspire Christchurch Students

We were proud to host our first-ever Ōtautahi Christchurch Explorer Conference on Wednesday 18 June at Te Pae, welcoming 85 Year 12 students from 10 schools across the region.

The day was packed with energy as students heard from an inspiring line-up of speakers including keynote speaker and world record sailor Lisa Blair, inspirational speaker William Pike, and best-selling author Jake Bailey. The message was clear throughout the day: step outside your comfort zone.

Our Inspiring Explorers™ alumni led hands-on workshops exploring the ‘Explorer Mindset’ of resilience, leadership, curiosity, teamwork, and innovation. Students also had the chance to delve into Christchurch’s unique Antarctic heritage through visits to key historic sites.

Read the full media release here
Inspiring Explorer Sam West © AHT/Sasha Cheng

New Short Film: Across the Atlantic

Watch the new short film about the Trust’s ninth Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ which journeyed to South Georgia Island.

Across the Atlantic, directed by Inspiring Explorer Te Aroha Devon, follows climber Sam West as he prepares for a guided attempt to climb Mount Worsley with a small team of Inspiring Explorers™, and data scientist Jenny Sahng, part of the science outreach team tasked with capturing weather and ocean data and observations using both historic-era methods and MetSevice’s world-leading technology.

watch here

Ross Sea Party Tent Conservation Journey Begins

Donors and supporters across the world answered our call to enable an important conservation project which is now getting underway in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Ross Sea Party tent, an invaluable artefact from Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1914-17, is under scrutiny as three specialist conservators develop the most appropriate processes to conserve it.

In September 2024, metal conservator Emily Fryer and textile conservators Kate Blair and Sarah Clayton met to carefully look over this evocative piece of history. They are considering its current state, what conservation processes it needs and can withstand, and have taken samples for analysis to inform what happens next.

Click here to read the full story
L-R: Conservators Kate Blair, Emily Fryer, and Sarah Clayton examine the Ross Sea Party tent. © AHT/Yvonne Densem

Latest Inspiring Explorers™ News

South Auckland students set sail with Spirit of Antarctica

A new partnership between Antarctic Heritage Trust and Spirit of Adventure Trust will see students sail aboard a three-masted tall ship.
September 11, 2025/by Brittany Fox

Record-breaking solo-sailor Lisa Blair to join Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Antarctic Peninsula 2026

World-record-breaking solo sailor Lisa Blair will join the Trust’s next Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ as a mentor.
September 10, 2025/by Brittany Fox

Expedition Blog – Kitiona ‘Billy’ Pelasio, Ross Sea 2025

In this blog, Inspiring Explorer Kitiona shares his experience on the Trust's Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Ross Sea 2025.
September 4, 2025/by Brittany Fox
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Latest News

South Auckland students set sail with Spirit of Antarctica

A new partnership between Antarctic Heritage Trust and Spirit of Adventure Trust will see students sail aboard a three-masted tall ship.
September 11, 2025/by Brittany Fox

The Explorer August 2025

The Explorer Newsletter August 2025
August 29, 2025/by Brittany Fox

Callout for Kiwis to join expedition aboard historic tall ship

New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust (NZAHT) and UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) toured England and Scotland for the first time with two exciting immersive virtual reality (VR) experiences that use cutting-edge digital technologies to transform how the British public can learn about Antarctica’s rich history of science and exploration.
August 8, 2025/by Brittany Fox
Load more

antarcticheritage

Conserve, Share and Encourage the spirit of exploration

#OnThisDay in 1877, Norwegian polar explorer and d #OnThisDay in 1877, Norwegian polar explorer and dog sled driver Per John Savio was born at Sør-Varanger, Norway. He was a member of the British Antarctic 'Southern Cross' Expedition 1898-1900 led by Carsten Borchgrevink.

Despite being one of the youngest members of the 'Southern Cross', Savio along with Ole Must, were the most experienced in extreme cold climates and brought with them traditional Sami survival skills that had been developed over generations. Their job was to care for and train the dogs, and their skill in handling these half-wild animals was key to the expedition's survival.

The 'Southern Cross' arrived at Cape Adare 17 February 1899 whereby Savio and Must were sent ashore first, along with the 75 dogs. They became the first people to spend a night on the Antarctic Continent. Savio was also part of the sled team that was the first to travel on the Ross Ice Shelf, reaching a new Farthest South record of 78° 50′S.

Antarctic Heritage Trust is proud to care for Borchgrevink's hut at Cape Adare. The site is important not only for its role in the discovery of Antarctica but is also the only example left of humanity's first building on any continent.

📸 Per Savio and Ole Must. Public Domain

#OTD #inspire #explore #discover #conserve #Antarctica
#OnThisDay in 1885, intrepid photographer Frank Hu #OnThisDay in 1885, intrepid photographer Frank Hurley was born in Sydney, Australia.

Hurley began working as a professional photographer in 1904. Several years later, in 1911, Sir Douglas Mawson employed Hurley as official photographer for his first Antarctic expedition, the Australian Antarctic Expedition (1911-13) and later for the 'BANZARE' expedition in 1929. Hurley also joined Sir Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic 'Endurance' Expedition (1914-16) where his legacy lives on in the incredible images he captured of the fateful journey of the 'Endurance'. These images documented the ships slow destruction as it was trapped and crushed in surrounding sea ice. He wrote in his diary "We are not sorry to see the last of the wreck"... " an object of depression for all who turned their eyes in that direction".

📸 Frank Hurley, self portrait. Public Domain.

#OTD #inspire #explore #discover #conserve #Antarctica
#OnThisDay in 1958, Australian geologist and explo #OnThisDay in 1958, Australian geologist and explorer Sir Douglas Mawson died at 76 years of age in Brighton, South Australia.

Born 1882, in Shipley, Yorkshire, England, Sir Douglas Mawson was a key expedition leader during the heroic age of Antarctic exploration. Mawson received a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering from Sydney University in 1902, and while undertaking his doctorate at Sydney University, Mawson joined Ernest Shackleton’s British National Antarctic 'Nimrod' Expedition (1907-09) as a geologist. During this expedition, along with his mentor Professor T.W. Edgeworth David, Mawson completed the longest Antarctic man-hauling sledge journey of 122 days! Enduring hunger, hidden crevasses, frostbite and exhaustion, the men successfully reached the south magnetic pole on the high ice plateau of Victoria Land on 16 January 1909.

Mawson returned to Antarctica when he led the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-14) during which five men set up a base at Macquarie Island, while the remainder sailed on to the Antarctic continent to establish two bases: the Main Base at Commonwealth Bay led by Mawson, and the Western Base at Queen Mary Land led by Frank Wild. Mawson returned South again from 1929-31 when he directed the combined British, Australian, and New Zealand Antarctic Expedition (BANZARE). BANZARE did not use land bases to explore the continent, instead crucial work was successfully completed on voyages along much of the Antarctic coastline, and sub-Antarctic islands.

Mawson received great recognition in the scientific community. In 1923, he was made a fellow of the Royal Society of London as well as a foundation fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, and president of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science between the years 1935 to 1937.

📸 From left: Alistair Mackay, T.W. Edgeworth David and Douglas Mawson at the South Magnetic Pole. Alexander Turnbull Library.

#inspire #explore #discover #conserve #Antarctica
#OnThisDay in 1899, Southern Cross Expedition zool #OnThisDay in 1899, Southern Cross Expedition zoologist, Nicolai Hanson died in Antarctica. He is thought to be the first person to have died on the Antarctic continent, and is the first person to be buried there. On the voyage south Hansen had fallen ill and his condition deteriorated badly by winter. There was nothing more the expedition doctor, Dr Kløvstad, could do for Hanson.

Hanson was confined to his bunk but eager to see the Adelie penguins return to Cape Adare. On the day of his passing Evans brought the first bird of the season to him. Half an hour later, Hanson sadly passed away. His colleagues laboured for four days to prepare Hanson’s grave on a high ridge overlooking Cape Adare. They used dynamite to blast the rocks apart. After the Southern Cross expedition ended, the men carefully returned Hanson’s wedding ring to his widow and the daughter he never met.

📸 Nicolai Hanson, public domain

#OTD #inspire #explore #discover #conserve #Antarctica
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7 Ron Guthrey Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
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Private Bag 4745, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand

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