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Archive for category: Antarctic Blog

Antarctic Field Training

November 21, 2017 - Antarctic Blog, News Story

Antarctic Heritage Trust Conservation Ambassador Diana McCormack shares her experience of Antarctic Field Training.

Everyone who comes here has to complete Antarctic Field Training, which means spending a night camping out on the ice and learning how to cope with the conditions outside of the base.  We have just finished our training before heading into the field to work at the historic huts.  Now I have been camping before, but this was camping and then some…

Field trainingDiana McCormack

Mt Erebus in the background during Antarctic field training.

First of all the location is pretty hard to beat, with a stunning view of Mount Erebus just outside the tent flap.  The tents we used were the Scott polar type, and it’s amazing to think that the design of these tents hasn’t changed for a hundred years, but then they are pretty good tents!  It was really very handy to be able to stand up in the tent to get all the extreme weather clothing on.

Testing the clothing and getting used to the cold was another factor of the training.  Trying to keep track of exactly which of your 37 pockets you have stashed your gloves in is a challenge, and one I still haven’t mastered.

We built ourselves a shelter by cutting blocks out of the compacted sea ice and making a wall, which may not look like much, but made all the difference in getting us out of the wind.  Without the wind chill factor we were at -10 Celsius, which surprisingly can feel really quite pleasant with a cup of tea, good company and an amazing view.  Can’t wait to put all this training to use in the field next!

Diana McCormack

Ice shelter – Antarctic field training.


Diana McCormack

Setting up tent during Antarctic field training.


Diana McCormack

Mt Erebus in the background during Antarctic field training.

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Introducing Chris Ansin!

November 10, 2017 - Antarctic Blog, News Story

Hello! Welcome to the adventures of the 2017 Sir Peter Blake Antarctic Youth Ambassador! My name is Chris Ansin and I am absolutely ecstatic about joining the team going to Antarctica this year, something which I have been dreaming of since I was a kid.

Chris & Diana

Chris & Diana

Antarctica? How does one even get to go to Antarctica? Thankfully for me, through The Sir Peter Blake Trust, an incredible youth Blake Ambassador programme to encourage young people to explore and bring awareness of the world that we live in. The Trust partners with organisations such as Antarctic Heritage Trust, Antarctica New Zealand, Department of Conservation, and NIWA, to give once in a lifetime opportunities to young people wanting to learn more and experience our environment. I cannot thank The Sir Peter Blake Trust, Antarctic Heritage Trust and Antarctica New Zealand enough for this amazing experience and the generosity and support they have all shown me.

Here is a short and sweet background to who I am and how I came to be here. I am a 25 year old process engineer who grew up in the deep south of Dunedin, a city based off Edinburgh with a personality to match.  I studied in Christchurch and have spent the last two years in New Plymouth before moving to Auckland to explore the winterless north.

I have spent the past few days being inducted into Antarctic life- learning about the immense history of the historic huts and meeting the great team that I will be working with.  This includes Diana (pictured above) as the conservation ambassador, and Antarctic Heritage Trust staff Lizzie Meek (Programme Manager – Artefacts), and Al Fastier (Programme Manager). We spent two hours fitting out our clothes! If puffer jackets got their name from being puffy, then these things should be called mellow puffs, they are seriously warm!

I am several nights away from flying and already I cannot sleep thinking about this trip! If my job description is anything to go by then I will have my work cut out for me. I can’t wait to share my journey, and I hope you enjoy coming with me on this life-changing experience.

Written by Chris Ansin, Antarctic Heritage Trust and Sir Peter Blake Trust Antarctic Youth Ambassador

Diana and Chris on the plane down to Antarctica!Antarctic Heritage Trust

Diana and Chris on the plane down to Antarctica!

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From Armagh to Adare, And Back Again

July 6, 2017 - Antarctic Blog

Cape Adare in Antarctica is one of the most isolated locations in the world and in 1898 the British Antarctic Expedition made it their home as the first team, led by Carsten Borchgrevink, to live and explore on the great unknown seventh continent.

 

Antarctic Heritage Trust - Borchgrevink's hutsAntarctic Heritage Trust

Borchgrevink’s huts at Cape Adare.

This epic journey of exploration was for the intention of widening knowledge of the natural world. The goal of the expedition included an element of scientific study, such as meteorological study.

Understanding the weather of the Antarctic continent is as important today as it was for the first explorers in the region. One tool used to measure the wind speed was an anemometer, an example of which was found at Cape Adare, minus one of its 4 cups. The damage the anemometer suffered hints at the extreme winds that frequently scour the landscape.

This style of anemometer was invented by Dr John Thomas Romney Robinson, of Armagh Observatory in 1846. It is a fitting coincidence that this would be one of the final artefacts to have come across my bench in my final days working on the project. As the anemometer will return along with the other conserved artefacts to Cape Adare, I have come to the end of my involvement in the conservation project and prepare to return to Armagh. I will leave with the experiences I have had, the friends I have made and the knowledge that I have played my part in preserving the incredible history of Cape Adare and an inspiring story of human courage, endurance and exploration.

Written by Ciarán Lavelle, AHT Conservator.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Anemometer – before treatment. From Cape Adare site.

 

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Anemometer – after treatment. From Cape Adare site.

 

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Borchgrevink’s huts at Cape Adare.

 

Antarctic Heritage Trust

The Trust employs a team of specialist conservators from around the world to assist on conservation projects.
Left to right: Josefin Bergmark-Jiménez, Sue Bassett, Nicola Dunn-Stewart and Ciarán Larvelle.

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A Sticky Business for Jammy Conservator

June 21, 2017 - Antarctic Blog

The tins are from a box that was found under a bed at Cape Adare and came from Borchgrevink’s expedition.

Before we opened the wooden box the label on the top and the stenciled information on the sides told us much of what we needed to know about the history of the case and what it contained – six dozen tins of jam.

Antarctic Heritage Trust - jamsAntarctic Heritage Trust

The box had been found under a bed at Cape Adare and came from Borchgrevink’s 1898-1900 British Antarctic Expedition. Borchgrevink is named on the lid in bold stenciling, as is Sir George Newnes, the wealthy magazine publisher who donated funds for the expedition.

The box had never been opened but as it was oozing sticky, sugary syrup conservator Martin took the lid off and we were astonished to see that it looked as if the tins had been wrapped and packed in sawdust only the week before! Even the sawdust smelt fresh and piney.

Underneath their wrappers many of the tins were in very good condition, almost like new, and have a beautiful iridescent, blue hand-painted lacquer coating contrasting with the decorative red and gold labels – we all wished we still had tins like this.

Unpacking and counting the tins we noted the eight flavours  – raspberry, gooseberry, cherry and currant, plum, apricot, raspberry and currant, strawberry and my favourite, black currant. Just visible on the paper label on the box lid was a hand-written record of the contents including 9 raspberry and 12 gooseberry, and indeed the tins inside tallied exactly with the list.

We opened those that were leaking and emptied out the jam, keeping samples for future research, before treating the tins. All the jams looked new, smelt sweet and delicious, and were gorgeous colours. The strawberry and black currant even had little berries in them. But no, however tempting they looked, we didn’t try them!

All the Heroic Era Antarctic expeditions had to take huge quantities of food supplies with them, and we know that Borchgrevink took enough to last him three years including a ton of marmalade, a ton of Irish butter, and five tons of bread. Their daily menus appear to have been quite repetitive and in his diary Borchgrevink notes that every day their lunch would include cocoa, cabin biscuits, jam and marmalade.

As with much of Borchgrevink’s supplies the jam came from The Military Equipment Stores and Tortoise Tents Company but unfortunately the company no longer exists.

Likewise, the manufacturer of the jam tins, C&E Morton, who specialized in preserved foods closed its last factory in Lowestoft in 1988. But in 1897 it had factories in Aberdeen, Falmouth and Millwall; and left a sporting legacy as it was the Morton’s tinsmiths who, in 1885, established the Millwall Football Club.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Jams from Cape Adare hut – there are seven varieties.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Jams in their original packaging found in the Cape Adare hut artefacts.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Examples of the jams found at Cape Adare hut.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Conserved box of jams.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Lid of the box.

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Life Comes Full Circle

April 5, 2017 - Antarctic Blog

Conservator Ciarán shares his story about coming full circle on his conservation journey with tins of Fry’s Pure Cocoa.

It was during my conservation training at Cardiff University in 2008-9 that I first heard about Antarctic Heritage Trust and the conservation work they were doing on the historic huts of Scott and Shackleton.

However, it was not until the winter of 2010 that I got my hands on an artefact – an artefact that may have been part of that epic journey south undertaken by Scott and his teams. This artefact was a wooden box containing seven pristine tins of Fry’s Pure Cocoa. According to one account of the history of the tins they were part of the provisions for one of Scott’s expeditions, but this could not be verified. Nevertheless it was a breath of possibility that hung around the artefact.

At the time I was a free-lance conservator working to prepare a wide variety of objects for display at the soon-to-be-opened Museum of Bristol. Despite the hundreds of artefacts that passed my hands at that time they stuck in my mind due to the journey they represented. One was also opened so I do have memories of sneaking sniffs of the sweet smell of 100-year-old cocoa (even though I’m not a hot chocolate fan).

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Fry’s cocoa tins on display at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

Now, almost six years later, I find myself living in Christchurch, New Zealand, working for Antarctic Heritage Trust on the artefacts from the lesser known but vitally important historic hut at Cape Adare.

I have conserved many artefacts (around 650!) during my time here so far but it wasn’t until March that I started conserving seven tins of Fry’s Pure Cocoa, reminding me of my experience at Bristol and creating a sense of things coming full circle.

Now these seven tins of Fry’s Cocoa are conserved and are ready to return to their century-old home in Cape Adare where they will hopefully continue to inspire the imagination of history lovers in the years to come, like they have for me.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Fry’s cocoa tins from Cape Adare hut after conservation.

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The Great Antarctic Bake Off – Ancient Recipes Retrieved from the Ice

April 3, 2017 - Antarctic Blog

Among the snow melters and assorted polar paraphernalia, several tins of baking powder have lent an unusual touch of domesticity. The tins are handsome, wrapped in pale green paper with printed representations of prize medals won at different world exhibitions and detailed instructions on how to make several baked goods.

And for anyone interested in turn-of-the-century baking, the instructions are very polite, if not always too helpful. Bakers are recommended to use, for bread: ‘…a tea-spoonful heaped of the powder and the usual amount of salt’. How much the ‘usual amount’ actually is, it doesn’t say.

Further, the bread should be mixed dry before adding about half a pint of cold water, kneaded as little as possible and put into a previously warmed tin. ‘It is desirable that it should be put into the oven with as little delay as possible, but should the time exceed twenty minutes it is most important that the oven should be sufficiently hot. It is recommended that parties should not try large loaves until they have first accustomed themselves to small ones or tea cakes.’

Have you lost your grandmammy’s recipe for Norfolk Dumplings, or perhaps like me have never heard of them? Never fear, C & E Morton Baking Powder is here to help. According to the label : ‘Prepare as for bread, put into boiling water immediately, and boil twenty minutes without taking the lid off.’

Antarctic Heritage Trust
Antarctic Heritage Trust - baking powderAntarctic Heritage Trust

Baking powder

Antarctic Heritage Trust - baking powderAntarctic Heritage Trust

Baking powder

Antarctic Heritage Trust - baking powderAntarctic Heritage Trust

Baking powder

And for anyone who thought self-raising flour was some sort of modern new- fangled thing to be viewed with deep suspicion, we have a crate of Limmer’s Self-Raising Flour tins from depots at Butter Point, left there in 1910 by Scott’s Northern Party.

Antarctic Heritage Trust - baking powderAntarctic Heritage Trust

As with the baking powder there are recipes for several baked goods on the back, from Fine Bread to Scones and Boiled Dumpling. Sadly as the tins have been stored in a crate, outside, in one of the harshest environments on the earth, they are somewhat difficult to read; but a recipe for plum cake can be made out by the eagle eyed: ‘To 1 lb. Self-Raising Flour and ¼ lb. best Butter, ¼ Sugar, ½ lb Currants, 1 oz. Candied Peel, ¼ oz. Mixed Spice together, mix lightly with a half-a-pint of Cold Water: add two eggs and bake at once in a moderate oven. For a superior Cake use Milk instead or water.’

Sound tempting? We recommend trying it with tinned Fry’s Cocoa powder, C & E Mortons Essence of Vanilla or Lemon and tinned Bird’s Egg Powder (not actually made from eggs).

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What’s in the Box?

March 16, 2017 - Antarctic Blog

While there is certainly nothing ordinary about a job that involves opening and conserving wooden crates of century old Antarctic expedition provisions left on the continent by the ‘heroic era’ explorers, it’s what we’re doing a lot of at the moment as part of our artefacts conservation programme and, to be honest, one day becomes much like the next.

Today it might be tins of Seville orange marmalade or sardines in olive oil, and tomorrow could be tins of self-raising flour and essence of beef – all wrapped, labelled and packed by their suppliers, and all requiring documentation, unwrapping, stabilisation, emptying (in some instances), rewrapping and repacking into their boxes.

But occasionally one comes along with just a little something extra to make the day even more interesting.

The box in question is a plywood box stamped on the outside, like most, with LYTELLTON (the New Zealand port where the provisions were loaded) and SHORE PARTY (to indicate it would be offloaded on arrival in Antarctica).

 

 

It was loaded aboard Captain Scott’s ship ‘Terra Nova’ in 1910, sailing south on the ill-fated expedition from which Scott would not return. The box still has its lid and most of its contents, having been prised open at some time.

Inside are paper-wrapped tins stamped LYLE’S GOLDEN SYRUP, and outside, on close inspection of the plywood wall, is some still-legible pencilled handwriting in a style clearly not from our times reading: ‘Lyle’s Syrup’. That’s it.

Oh, and also that the tins are in amazing condition!

 

Antarctic Heritage Trust
Antarctic Heritage Trust
Antarctic Heritage Trust

 

Antarctic Heritage Trust

 

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The Great Unwashed

February 12, 2017 - Antarctic Blog

Preparations for all polar explorations must be meticulous and there are a very few things that you can forget to pack for a major expedition to Antarctica and think: “Oh well, I’m sure we will get on without it.”

Soap, while not necessary for survival, is still not one of them; but it was in fact what happened to the Borchgrevink Southern Cross expedition.

According to Hugh Blackwell Evans’ account the expedition found, once installed in Cape Adare and when the Southern Cross had departed, that apart from a few bars for washing and shaving that the expedition members had packed privately, there was no soap to be found. Ten men were to live together in a space measuring 15ft x 15ft for a year without soap.

The expedition members pictured just before spending the first winter on the Antarctic continent, 1899.Canterbury Museum

Borchgrevink’s Southern Cross Expedition 1898-1900 The expedition members pictured just before spending the first winter on the Antarctic continent, 1899.

Apart from the obvious discomfort this might seem trivial but judging by the amount of personal grooming objects, beard comb, tooth brush and hair brush, which were found in the hut, personal hygiene was not something taken lightly and cleanliness was considered an aspect of moral character. During Scott’s Terra Nova expedition cleanliness was considered, however erroneously, as a cure against scurvy.

It was not until spring that a cake of dog soap was discovered, to great joy of the hut’s by now smelly inhabitants.  “… without this important necessity you can imagine what a frightful state the house and clothing generally got.” They had coped with the lack of soap by only washing once a week on Sundays, and then with as little soap as possible. Evans also mentions that they could not wash their clothes, both for lack of soap and water. This may or may not be connected to Borchgrevink’s cryptic comment in his account about turning their shirts in celebration of the New Year.

The dog soap mentioned is likely to be carbolic soap, derived from coal tar and intended for killing fleas as previously dogs had been washed with household lye soap.

However, in spite of forgetting the basic necessity of soap there are a few simply delightful bottles of Norwegian Eau de Cologne, which someone did have the foresight to bring along.

The bottles are in transparent glass with a long thin neck and a geometric shaped body, and what remains of the labels shows printed text on a decorative background of flowers.  Only one of the bottles has a stopper, bulbous cork which appears to have been whittled by knife. It is not known if they were packed as part of the expedition by an individual member, but five bottles of cologne is a plentiful supply for just one person. Although surrounded by penguins and unwashed men it might just have come in handy.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Eau de Cologne bottle produced by Frode Lieungh in Oslo.

Antarctic Heritage Trust

Note the elaborately decorated label.

 

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Old News is Good News

December 13, 2016 - Antarctic Blog

In this fractious modern world it can be comforting to know that things have ever been much the same. Or at the very least, the world revealed by these pages of the 1910 Lyttelton Times and The West Australian, is startlingly familiar. The pages were found in a stack of paper in the Cape Adare hut, piled onto the bed slats of on one of the bunks in the main room. They consist of a front page and a few connected pages of the Lyttelton Times from 3rd November 1910 and fragments of the West Australian from October 12th the same year.

Josefin Jimenez AHT

Front page of the Lyttelton Times

Advertisements and World News are all much the same as today, from the thrilling (plot to overthrow the French Government!) to the depressing (the disappearance of Ethel Harris).

Conspiracy Unearthed, Plot to overthrow the French Government.

Girl’s Disappearance, The Search for Ethel Harris.

The big shock is the house prices which might seem somewhat different as a mansion of eleven rooms could be bought for a piffling £935 (this was before the New Zealand Dollar was introduced).  But alas as soon as inflation is considered the price starts to look more familiar (approximately around 2 million NZD today, however it is worth noting however that comparing to house prices in London at the same time, this is practically a steal).

A house in the city, eleven rooms.

And, as a lover of fiction, of course the serial novel in The West Australian stands out to me; “Love’s Privilege” by Stella M During. The content seems to fulfil the premise as reading a summary of the plot reveals it to be a mystery tale of foiled love, miscommunication and murder! Our young hero is suspected by his new wife of the murder of a rival while his lofty principles forbid him to clear his name and tell her that he in turn suspects his own sister who the dastardly rival has also paid his attentions to. It all turns out well in the end and I sincerely hope no polar explorer ever lost sleep pondering the outcome. Previous blog posts here have noted that they were curiously fond of romance fiction though so of course one can’t be certain.

Love’s Privilege by Stella M During in The West Australian.

These newspapers would have come to Cape Adare with the five members of Scott’s Northern Party, who split off from the main expedition at Cape Evans to explore Cape Adare, and who spent months there before their difficult trek back through Inexpressible Island. The newspaper would not necessarily have been brought along as reading but as material for insulation of the hut and as wrapping paper for various objects.

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Antarctic Field Training (AFT)

October 26, 2016 - Antarctic Blog

By Doug Henderson

All new arrivals at Scott Base are required to attend Antarctic Field Training.  Some of the returning AHT team having done AFT over the past two years only had to do a refresher.  However, Doug (NZ), Geoff (UK) – both Heritage Carpenters along with Sue (AUS) and Ciaran  (Ire) – both Conservators for the 2016-17 season had to attend the full course.  We had briefings on local weather, hazard identification, how to choose and use appropriate clothing – basically how to keep safe in the Antarctic environment.

Ciaran, Sue, Field trainer Mike and Geoff enjoy a brew in the field training ‘kitchen’.Antarctic Heritage Trust

Ciaran, Sue, Field trainer Mike and Geoff enjoy a brew in the field training ‘kitchen’.

The average temperature at present is around -23C so fairly cool.  As part of our course we camped out overnight near to Castle Rock – not that there is any night now as we had the last sunset of the summer on Saturday 22nd October.  We pitched our polar tents, organised our sleeping bags and built a field kitchen using snow blocks which we cut from the Ross Ice Shelf to provide some protection from the wind.  Freeze-dried Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb  Curry and Nasi Goreng were all on the menu – yum!!  Over dinner, sitting with water boiling on the camp stove our Trainer Mike suggested we throw a cup full of boiling water into the air – the result was a sudden crack and a puff of steam as it instantly vaporised with the sudden change in temperature – amazing!

 

Antarctic Heritage Trust - tents

The evening sunset colours on Mount Erebus and Terra Nova were stunning.  6:30am arrived all too soon and it was time to get up and break camp after breakfast – we had temperatures of -30C ambient overnight.  Some slept better than others but all in all a great experience was had by all!!

Antarctic Heritage Trust
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On arrival in the Antarctic Gateway City of Punta On arrival in the Antarctic Gateway City of Punta Arenas our Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ team went on a fascinating tour of sites with Antarctic significance led by our friends from the Antarctic Youth Coalition, @ayc_puq
Thank you for welcoming us to your wonderful home and sharing many special stories with us!
The team's next flight to the Falkland Islands has been delayed by two days, so they will be spending a little more time exploring Punta Arenas before joining their ship in the Falklands and sailing for South Georgia.

📸 Inspiring Explorers with our Antarctic Youth Coalition hosts. Kelly Davenport and Sasha Cheng with the bow of the 'Yelcho', the ship that rescued Shackleton's remaining men from Elephant Island. Clockwise Henry Conquer, Savannah de Vos, Porohu Hagai Noa, and Lily Green kiss the foot to ensure they return to this incredible region. Cole Yeoman points south to Antarctica. © AHT

Thanks to Inspiring Explorers™ Programme Partners, @metservicenz and @royalsocietynz . Logistics provided by @antarctica_21 .
#inspire #explore #discover #conserve #SouthGeorgia #inspiringexplorers #polar #adventure #Shackleton #thenandnow @sghtnews
So how did Shackleton end up in South Georgia? ❄ So how did Shackleton end up in South Georgia?
❄️During the Trans Antarctic Expedition, ‘Endurance’ became trapped in Weddell Sea ice for 10 months, eventually sinking in November 1915.
🛶 Shackleton and his crew found themselves stranded on ice floes for nearly six months, eventually boarding lifeboats and navigating rough conditions to reach Elephant Island.
The most remarkable part of their story was yet to come.
🌊Shackleton, ‘Endurance’ Captain Frank Worsley, and a team of four embarked on an 800-mile journey in the 'James Caird' lifeboat, braving the roughest ocean in the world, to reach South Georgia Island.
🏔 Overcoming treacherous terrain, Shackleton, Worsley, and Crean crossed the rugged, unexplored interior of the island in one arduous push, descending to safety and civilization at Stromness Whaling Station to raise the alarm.🔔
Read more about the 'Endurance' Expedition on the Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ website (link in bio).
Thanks to Inspiring Explorers™ Programme Partners, @MetServiceNZ and @RoyalSocietynz . Logistics provided by @antarctica_21 .
(Image credits in comments)
✈️ After a long flight our Inspiring Explorers ✈️ After a long flight our Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ team (and all their luggage - yay!) have arrived in Santiago, Chile. ✈️

Tomorrow the next leg of our journey will take the team to the Antarctic Gateway City of Punta Arenas, Chile. 🇨🇱

Thanks to Inspiring Explorers™ Programme Partners, @MetServiceNZ and @RoyalSocietynz . Logistics provided by @antarctica_21 .

📸 (L-R) South Georgia Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ team members Sasha Cheng, Te Aroha Devon, Rose Lasham, Jenny Sahng, Savannah de Vos, and Henry Conquer in Santiago, Chile © AHT

To keep up to date with all Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ updates, follow our socials or visit our website (link in bio).

#inspire #explore #discover #conserve #SouthGeorgia #inspiringexplorers #polar #adventure #Shackleton #thenandnow @sghtnews
🧊❄️ Days of Ice will illuminate �Tūranga 🧊❄️ Days of Ice will illuminate �Tūranga in Ōtautahi Christchurch, 2-8 October!

During this event, visitors will have the opportunity to embark on a captivating audio and visual journey through 'Aurora Waiata' an installation crafted by artist Jason O’Hara. Made possible by @antarctica.nz�, O'Hara's imaginative and poetic response to the Aurora Australis will bring the experience of the southern lights - Tahu-nui-ā Rangi, the great fires of ancestors whose canoes ventured far to the south - to the community, making it a highlight of the Days of Ice.

Every day during lunchtime, two remarkable films will be screening: 'Te Whakairo - Ngā Kī o Te Tai Ao - The Carvings Carry the Stories of the World' and 'Antarctica from Above' narrated by Lucy Lawless. The latter film explores Antarctica’s Ross Sea Coast and stunning Subantarctic islands in a visual symphony.�
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�And don't miss '�Explore Antarctica' on Saturday 7 October! Bring the kids along to participate in story time, penguin origami, face-painting, and meet the huskies on the Library Plaza.

��#discover #inspire #explore #conserve #daysofice #awesomeantarctia #exploreantarctia
“It is in our nature to explore, to reach out to “It is in our nature to explore, to reach out to the unknown” – Shackleton

🌟 Today, we bid farewell and wish the best of luck to our incredible team of 22 young New Zealanders embarking on a journey to honour the legacy of one of the greatest explorers, Sir Ernest Shackleton. 🌟

Their expedition will take them from New Zealand to Santiago (Chile), then to Punta Arenas in Southern Chile, and finally to the Falkland Islands. From there, they'll board Antarctica21’s Magellan Explorer and set sail to South Georgia, a land rich in history and natural wonders.

We are thrilled to be able to share this expedition with you, as we honour the centenary year of Shackleton’s final expedition (the 'Quest'). Join us in wishing the Inspiring Explorers™ team good luck for their incredible journey! 🐧

Thanks to Inspiring Explorers™ Programme Partners, @MetServiceNZ and @RoyalSocietynz . Logistics provided by @antarctica_21 .

📸 The Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ team ready to depart Auckland airport ©AHT

For South Georgia Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ updates, follow the link in our bio
We are proud to partner with MetService on our Ins We are proud to partner with MetService on our Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ South Georgia to create an extraordinary opportunity for our Inspiring Explorers™ to delve into scientific outreach projects that touch on a range of subjects including climate change, meteorology, marine science, and polar history.

MetService Meteorologist and Inspiring Explorer, Kelly Davenport, will lead a science programme utilising MetService’s world-leading technology, including Mangōpare Temperature Sensors which take sub-surface ocean temperature profiles, to gather data and help achieve a deeper understanding of the area’s weather and ocean conditions.

One particularly exciting aspect will see our Inspiring Explorers™ take weather observations and create their own short-term weather forecast predictions using both modern and heroic-age techniques.

Our partnership with MetService sees our team working at the intersection of innovation and exploration, offering our Inspiring Explorers™ an unparalleled opportunity to make a lasting impact. The story they tell will connect climate change effects in the Deep South to impacted ocean and atmospheric circulations that lead to increasingly-severe weather around the globe. Stay tuned for updates! 🚀🔬🌏

🎥 Inspiring Explorers™ Kelly Davenport and Lawrence Rothwell testing MetService’s Mangōpare Temperature Sensors in Wellington harbour. © Coastguard New Zealand

Thanks to Coastguard New Zealand for enabling our Inspiring Explorers™ to test MetService’s Mangōpare Temperature Sensors before departing for South Georgia Island.

#inspire #explore #discover #conserve #SouthGeorgia #inspiringexplorers #polar #adventure #Shackleton #thenandnow @metservicenz @coastguardnz
❄️ Check out the first images of Scott's 'Terr ❄️ Check out the first images of Scott's 'Terra Nova' hut at Cape Evans on Ross Island after the long winter! We are very happy to learn that it is in great shape with no damage inside or out.

This is one of five historic Antarctic explorer expedition bases that Antarctic Heritage Trust is proud to care for and was used by Captain Robert Falcon Scott on his British Antarctic 'Terra Nova' Expedition 1910-1913. Our team of conservators is busy putting together the final plans to return to Antarctica for the summer season of monitoring and maintenance of these important historic sites.

We are grateful to @Antarctica.nz for their support and for capturing these first images of the hut.

📸 Scott's 'Terra Nova' Hut, September 2023. © Ed Anscombe/Antarctica New Zealand

#conserve #inspire #explore #discover
It’s almost time for the Inspiring Explorers Exp It’s almost time for the Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ – South Georgia to depart, so how are our Inspiring Explorers feeling about the upcoming expedition?

🌟 Lily Green shares her excitement, "As soon as the countdown hit 20 days, I realised it’s really going to happen, I’m about to set off on an adventure of a lifetime. I feel so grateful to have this opportunity and I can’t wait to take on every challenge, friendship, personal development, learning opportunity this trip throws at me."

🌿 Jenny Sahng adds her perspective, "Excited to be going straight from advocating for a safer climate future for New Zealand, to experiencing the ecosystems at the very front line of climate change - South Georgia! I feel energised to hear about how South Georgia's biodiversity was able to bounce back after decades of decimation due to whaling and sealing. Success stories like South Georgia are powerful for motivating the public to get involved in protecting the very environment that we all rely on. We can harness an explorer mindset to explore different ways of working together in local and global communities, in order to find collective, equitable solutions to the biggest challenge of the 21st century: climate change."

🌊 Kelly Davenport can't wait to get started on the science project, "I can't believe I'm heading to South Georgia so soon, it's really a trip of a lifetime! It's so exciting to be gathering ocean and meteorological data in such a remote and beautiful region. In our changing world we may not have the answers to the environmental concerns yet, however by gathering more data like what we are collecting in South Georgia we can gain a greater understanding of what is going on."

The Inspiring Explorers™ will participate together as a group, cruising in Zodiac boats, visiting king penguin rookeries, seal covered beaches, and the many important historic sites on the island, several of which are forever connected to the story of Sir Ernest Shackleton. They will live the explorer mindset, demonstrating curiosity, resilience, leadership, and teamwork along the way.

The team head away on their adventure in just two days!

(Image captions in comments)
Antarctic Heritage Trust is bringing our fully imm Antarctic Heritage Trust is bringing our fully immersive Virtual Reality experience of Sir Edmund Hillary's Antarctic Hut to HB Memorial Library in Gisborne 🙌

Explore Sir Ed's hut through this ground-breaking VR experience and celebrate New Zealand's first presence in Antarctica. Don't miss out!���
�
��Free for all ages 9 and up, no bookings required. Please allow 15 minutes for each VR session. See you there! 🌍🏔️❄️

10am to 4pm
Tuesday 26 - Friday 29 September
HB Williams Memorial Library, 34 Bright Street, Gisborne

��📸People experience VR ©AHT��

#hillaryshutvr #virtualreality #hillary #vr #heritage #conserve #inspire #explore #Antarctica #discover

@duluxnz @staples_vr @autuni @htcvive @antarctica.nz
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    Antarctic Heritage Trust

    Antarctic Heritage Trust
    Administration Building, International Antarctic Centre
    38 Orchard Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand

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    Administration Building, International Antarctic Centre
    38 Orchard Road, Christchurch 8053, New Zealand

    © Copyright 2023, Antarctic Heritage Trust – Registered Charity: CC24071
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    © Copyright 2023, Antarctic Heritage Trust
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