Callout for Kiwis to join expedition aboard historic tall ship
A group of young New Zealanders will have the chance of a lifetime to sail a century-old tall ship to the Antarctic Peninsula.
Applications have opened this week as part of the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s next Inspiring Explorers Expedition™.
The ship will set sail in January 2026 from Ushuaia, Argentina with a team of 18 to 30-year-old New Zealanders joining the crew of Bark EUROPA, a three-masted Dutch tall ship built in 1911, for a month-long journey to the Antarctic Peninsula.
The expedition is no luxury cruise. Bark EUROPA operates as a sail training vessel which means chosen participants will get the full heroic-era experience as they crew the ship, take the helm, set sails, and stand watch while crossing the notoriously rough Drake Passage and navigating the icy waters of Antarctica.
Once there, they’ll explore glaciers, icebergs, wildlife-rich coastlines, and heritage sites, while reflecting on the legacy of early explorers like Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton.
“This is a rare opportunity to step into the world of heroic-era exploration and the first time we’ve taken a group of young explorers on this historic tall ship,” says Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Executive Director Francesca Eathorne.
“We’re looking for people who want to challenge themselves and develop their ‘Explorer Mindset’ – leaning into developing qualities such as teamwork, curiosity, resilience, leadership and innovation. This expedition is an opportunity to embrace the same spirit of exploration that defined the early Antarctic explorers.”
Scott and Shackleton’s ships were central to the heroic era of Antarctic exploration.
“They weren’t just transport, they were the lifeline of the expedition, carrying men, dogs, ponies, even a cat, and serving as the place where the explorers began to develop the resilience and teamwork they’d need to thrive on the ice,” Eathorne says.
The Antarctic Peninsula is home to seals, whales and large penguin colonies. Landings and zodiac trips will take the group ashore for hikes and close-up encounters with the region’s wildlife and landscapes, and conditions permitting, visits to heritage sites cared for by the Trust’s sister organisation UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
Wildlife conservationist, artist, and Inspiring Explorer alumnus Charlie Thomas encourages people to apply.
“When I applied for the Inspiring ExplorersTM programme, I had no idea how much it would change me. My expedition to South Georgia in 2023 pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I couldn’t imagine, and that’s the point.”
Thomas is sharing his experience through his art which is featured in the exhibition Into Ocean and Ice at the New Zealand Maritime Museum in Auckland until 31 August.
“This exhibition is a way to connect others with Antarctica’s history and why it matters. That’s what the Inspiring Explorers™ programme is about: taking what you’ve learned in one of the most remote places on Earth and using it to inspire people back home,” Thomas says.
The expedition will take place from 10 January to 10 February 2026 and includes pre-departure training in Christchurch and a post-expedition outreach project.
No previous sailing experience is necessary, although there are requirements around physical fitness. The professional crew will teach participants how to sail and operate the ship. Applicants are encouraged to bring their own creative ideas for sharing the experience through writing, art, music, video, or other mediums as part of an outreach programme when they return home.
