Celebrating Frank Worsley
The Young Inspiring Explorers™ programme encourages and empowers young, modern-day explorers to meet the challenges of life head-on by connecting them with the inspiring feats of early Antarctic exploration.
The Trust held the inaugural Young Inspiring Explorers™ Worsley Weekend in November in Canterbury, New Zealand to celebrate Antarctic explorer and Kiwi hero, Frank Worsley. Worsley captained Shackleton’s Endurance. He undertook ‘the greatest small boat journey of all time’ and one of the greatest ever feats of navigation aboard the James Caird from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island to help save the crew of Endurance.
Worsley Weekend students ready to take on the high ropes course.
Sasha Harwood climbs with confidence.
Twenty students aged 11 to 13, from around Canterbury, travelled to Worsley’s home town of Akaroa, in New Zealand’s South Island. They were challenged to step out of their comfort zones as they learned some of the skills needed to be a legendary explorer like Worsley. Activities they took part in included a walking tour of Akaroa visiting Worley’s bust, the house where he was born, and hearing from Worsley historian and author Wendy Dunlop while visiting a Worsley exhibition at Akaroa Museum.
The students also went on a bush walk to the site of Worsley’s family home, challenged themselves and fostered team work on a high ropes course, learned about search and rescue and survival skills in the outdoors, tried out traditional navigation techniques with a sextant, and developed map reading skills though orienteering.
One very special part of the weekend was hearing from three of Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorer alumni. The students were enthralled to learn about Tom MacTavish’s crossing of South Georgia Island as part of the Trust’s inaugural Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ in 2015 to mark the centenary of Shackleton’s famous expedition. William Pike and Anzac Gallate also talked about their Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™ to Antarctica in 2017 and 2020.
Learning about Frank Worsley.
Worsley Weekend students ready to take on the high ropes course.
Young Inspiring Explorer Nico Blundell said, “If I had to pick just one highlight from the weekend, and trust me, there were lots of them, it was the presentation by William Pike. It was inspiring, and it proved to me that even if something goes wrong you can build up on the little things that went right and step further out of your comfort zone. I think this is a really important thing to remember in life.”
Emily Tipper said the high ropes course helped develop teamwork, “You’re relying on the people at the bottom holding you, and another girl, Erin, helped me get to the top of the ladder because I wasn’t tall enough to achieve this on my own.”
Having completed the Worsley Weekend, the students shared their experiences at an outreach event, where they were welcomed into the Trust’s Alumni Programme.
The Trust would like to thank Worsley Weekend sponsors ChristchurchNZ and Christchurch Antarctic Office, and supporters Akaroa Museum and William Pike Challenge.
Abby Wilson and Connor Sands enjoy a bush walk to the site of Frank Worsley’s family home.
