Antarctica’s heritage under the Trust’s care for current and future generations globally
The world’s greatest polar exploration stories
Young people to explore the physical world to educate and inspire them
Sustain and grow the Trust’s programmes, while caring for people and the planet
Thanks to supporters like you, we are celebrating 10 years of the Inspiring Explorers™ programme.
From the classroom to polar expeditions, over 15,000 young people have directly participated in this programme. They’ve grown their ‘Explorer Mindset’ and stepped out of their comfort zone. Through outreach initiatives they have created a ripple effect in their communities, connecting with hundreds of thousands of people to share their experiences and the stories of the Antarctic explorers you admire. We need your help to fund the next five years of this programme.
By giving to our annual appeal you help bring this programme to thousands more young people across New Zealand and the world!
Antarctic virtual reality is coming to the UK in April and May!
NZAHT is partnering with sister heritage organisation UK Antarctic Heritage Trust to tour the UK with our fully immersive virtual reality experiences.
We will be showcasing our VR experience of Scott’s ‘Discovery’ hut, the first expedition base built on Antarctica’s Ross Island in 1902. UKAHT’s VR ‘A Frozen Night’ features Base E on Stonington Island, a pivotal dog sledging outpost established in 1946.
The teams will be visiting schools, Antarctic organisations, and public venues, giving participants the opportunity to step inside historic huts, come face to face with penguins, ride on a sledge towed by huskies, meet early explorers, and hear incredible tales of resilience, teamwork and innovation on the Ice.
You can join us on tour to experience Scott’s Discovery hut VR, click the buttons below to book at the following venues.
NZAHT is proud to partner with UK Antarctic Heritage Trust on this tour of the UK, showcasing cutting-edge virtual reality experiences and bringing Antarctica’s remarkable historic sites to life using state-of-the-art immersive technology.
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.
Our team have boarded Heritage Adventurer and departed the Port of Bluff (NZ), beginning their voyage through the Subantarctic Islands to Antarctica’s Ross Sea region.
We’ll be posting regular expedition updates to our website and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X) throughout their journey, so you can follow along as they head towards some of the most historically significant sites linked to the legacy of Antarctic exploration.
Thanks to our Inspiring Explorers™ Fund donors including Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Partner Heritage Expeditions, and supporter Cheshire Architects for making this journey possible.
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.
The Trust’s latest documentary film, about the 2022 Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to the South Pole, is now available for you to watch for free.
Polheim tells the story of three young explorers given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; to ski across Antarctica in celebration of 150 years since the birth of Roald Amundsen, the first person to reach the South Pole.
Not only did these explorers have the physical challenge of ‘man-hauling’ sleds nearly 1000km in extreme weather conditions, but they also faced internal battles – 50 days of isolation in the most remote environment on the planet, with team members who were essentially strangers.
The Trust is delighted to announce that our new Board Chair is The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae GNZM QSO KStJ. Sir Jerry joined the Trust as an Independent Trustee in 2023 and has stepped into the Chair’s role following long-term Chair Mark Stewart’s tenure finishing in September 2024.
Sir Jerry Mateparae served as the 20th Governor-General of New Zealand from 2011–2016 and subsequently as the 27th New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2017–2020. With an impressive background in public service, New Zealand Defence Force leadership, and community involvement, Sir Jerry brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Trust.
Sir Jerry accompanied the Trust’s former Patron Sir Edmund Hillary on his last visit to Antarctica, and understands the Trust’s mission well.
“I’m rapt to follow Datuk Mark Stewart and to be a part of a Trust that preserves our past, the heritage of the heroic era, and engenders the same qualities of the likes of Scott, Shackleton and latterly Hillary in inspiring young explorers,” said Sir Jerry.
Antarctic Heritage Trust is proud to announce the launch of Scott’s Discovery Hut Virtual Reality Experience.
Developed in collaboration with Auckland-based virtual reality tech company StaplesVR, it is the first-ever educational virtual reality experience of Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery Hut and we’re bringing it to schools and communities across Aotearoa.
By donning the VR headset and holding the controllers, you can explore Scott’s Discovery Hut, come face to face with penguins, feed huskies, and even take a ride in a hydrogen balloon. Discovery Hut is significant in that it was the first expedition base built on Antarctica’s Ross Island. Scott led the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904 and the hut was built in 1902, making it over 121 years old.
Antarctic Heritage Trust’s new virtual reality experience allows participants to explore Scott’s ‘Discovery’ hut on Ross Island, Antarctica. © AHT/Alasdair Turner
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Antarctic Heritage Trust
7 Ron Guthrey Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
Private Bag 4745, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
Antarctic Heritage Trust
7 Ron Guthrey Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand
Private Bag 4745, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
