Antarctic Peninsula 2019

INSPIRING EXPLORERS™ 2019

Antarctic Peninsula 2019

The Trust’s expedition team travelled to the Antarctic Peninsula aboard a One Ocean Expeditions vessel where they experienced the challenges and rewards of kayaking through pristine playgrounds of whales and seals, navigating between icebergs, and exploring glaciers, penguin colonies and historic explorer bases, including those the Trust is helping its sister trust, UKAHT, to restore.

This expedition offered the young explorers a chance to push themselves, to connect with experts, and learn about Antarctica’s history, science, wildlife, and environment, as well as the legacy of exploration in Antarctica. Participants pushed their own limits and experienced that same spirit of exploration of the early polar explorers—a remarkable legacy the Trust cares for on behalf of all humanity.

New Zealand Olympic kayaker Mike Dawson joined the team as a kayaking mentor and Sir Edmund Hillary’s grandson was also part of the expedition.

Two students and a teacher joined the expedition from Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate, in Auckland, New Zealand as part of a new partnership with the Trust.

The Trust also initiated its Inspiring Explorers™ Official Supporters’ Expedition which saw some of the Trust’s close supporters join the ship as full fare paying passengers and be part of the Inspiring Explorers experience.

Explorer Interviews

Latest Inspiring Explorers™ Updates

Mele & Lana on Fanimals

After arriving back home from the Inspiring Explorers' Expedition 2019, Mele and Lana were excited to…

July 15, 2019/by Comms

Drake Lake

Relatively calm waters on the Drake Passage today – as on our way to Antarctica, we’ve been fortunate to experience mild weather that is closer to the Drake Lake than the wild Drake Shake.

March 14, 2019/by Comms

Taking the Plunge

We have just explored an Antarctic volcano on Deception Island. This morning we paddled around the coast of the island, including through a choppy passage between a cliff and a high rock. The waves arose from all angles, making for such an exhilarating ride we did it twice.

March 12, 2019/by Comms

Penguin Post

Today we stepped back in time by visiting Port Lockroy, a historic site maintained by Antarctic Heritage Trust's sister Trust, the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. We explored the station here, Base A, which was established in 1944.

March 12, 2019/by Comms

Olympic kayaker Mike Dawson

Meet Mike…

Antarctic Heritage Trust was thrilled to partner with Olympic kayaker Mike Dawson, who joined the Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ as a kayaking mentor.

Mike Dawson was born in Tauranga in 1986. After taking up kayaking at a young age, the sport quickly became his main focus. During his career he competed in two Olympic Games, has achieved silver and bronze medals in extreme kayaking championships, and has participated in kayaking expeditions in Chile, Uganda, Pakistan and beyond…

Meet the 2019 Inspiring Explorers™

They are accomplished photographer Alexander Hillary (Sir Edmund Hillary’s grandson); living kidney donor and freelance camera operator Leah Stewart; Wellington communications specialist and mum Rosanna Price; Christchurch learning advisor Georgina Archibald; and photographer and sound specialist Marco de Kretser, from Auckland.

The group will join two students, Lana Kiddie-Vai and Mele Fetu’u, and a teacher, Caragh Doherty, from Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate on the expedition in March.