‘What on earth are you doing here?’ asked a surprised friend of mine who arrived at Port Lockroy as a tourship safety guide, and bumped into me in the hallway of Bransfield House.
It seems like the more time you spend observing wildlife, the more there is to observe and the more interesting you find them.
Working for hours at a time in sub-zero temperatures when you are cataloguing means you move very little.
My experience of the Antarctic Expedition ships we travelled on, is that they go to great lengths to keep their guests happy and healthy. The hospitality on board from the crew is often exceptional, and I was struck by the enjoyment and creativity they brought to their work.
Sometimes getting to Antarctica is as simple as getting on a plane in New Zealand and stepping off 5 hours later into sub zero temperatures. This year’s work expedition to Port Lockroy, (the British base on the Antarctic Peninsula managed by the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust) was a whole other story.
The Last 36 was filmed by James Blake, and follows the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition to South Georgia to mark the centenary of the first crossing of the island.
The last 36
The expedition retraced Shackleton, Frank Worsley, and Tom Crean’s heroic journey to get help for the crew of the ill-fated ship, ‘Endurance’. This remains one of the most remarkable survival stories in history.
James Blake was one of three young people chosen for the crossing, alongside Sinéad Hunt from Ireland and Tom MacTavish from New Zealand. The three were selected to honour the nationalities of the original explorers; Shackleton from England, Crean from Ireland and Worsley from Akaroa, New Zealand.
Antarctic Heritage Trust (AHT) Executive Director Nigel Watson completed the journey with the three young explorers and two professional guides from One Ocean Expeditions in late 2015.
“It was an eye-opening journey. Even with all of our modern equipment we were up against the elements. It certainly gave us a tiny insight into that last chapter in Shackleton’s remarkable journey.”
Nigel Watson says Inspiring Explorers’ Expeditions are part of the Trust’s efforts to engage young people with the spirit of exploration, something he believes is still critical in the 21st century. He hopes the release of The Last 36 will support this.
“Sharing this short film, which is beautifully shot and wonderfully edited, is a great way to inspire people with one of the world’s greatest polar exploration stories. Each of our Inspiring Explorers is asked to go out and share their story in the hope they will encourage people to step out and explore the world around them.”
Here’s some background on our 2015 Inspiring Explorers…
James Blake
We are delighted to officially release this short film ‘Mt Scott – An Expedition to the Antarctic Peninsula’ made by Inspiring Explorer Simon Lucas.
Inspiring Explorers aims to connect young people with Antarctica’s history and the spirit of exploration. Simon’s film shares the story of four young Kiwi explorers who travel to Antarctica to attempt a guided ascent of Mt Scott – named for early polar explorer Robert Falcon Scott. Simon, along with William Pike, Sylvie Admore and Isobel Ewing all faced their own challenges in their quest to reach the summit. The team travelled with partner One Ocean Expeditions.
Simon Lucas has a Science degree (Zoology) and a Post-graduate diploma in Wildlife Management from the University of Otago. He was part of a team that made a 1500km canoe trip through the Canadian and Alaskan wilderness, which resulted in an award-winning documentary ‘Paddle for the North’. This short film won five international awards and was a part of three international film tours. Simon has skills in shooting film, editing and promotion, especially in the digital space. He is experienced in the alpine environment with hunting and hiking and is a qualified dive master. Simon has travelled extensively through Europe, North America and South America and recently returned from a trip to the Zambesi River in Africa on which he is making a documentary about the threats it faces.
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