In November 2021, 20 students from around Canterbury, New Zealand had the opportunity to follow in Frank Worsley’s footsteps. They built rafts and paddled them in Akaroa Harbour and explored the bush near his home – just as Worsley did as a child while growing up in the small seaside town of Akaroa on Banks Peninsula.
The Young Inspiring Explorers™ Worsley Weekend gives year 7-9 students the opportunity to connect with the spirit of Antarctic exploration by learning about the life and exploits of Frank Worsley thorough a walking tour of Worsley’s home town. The students visited the house where he was born, his bust, and heard from Worsley historian and author Wendy Dunlop while visiting a Worsley exhibition at Akaroa Museum.
They were also challenged to step out of their comfort zones as they learned some of the skills needed to be an explorer like Worsley. They overcame fears and fostered team work on a high ropes course, tried out traditional navigation techniques with a sextant and developed map reading skills though orienteering.
Keira, aged 13, said, “It’s important to step outside your comfort zone to push yourself, lean new things about yourself, and develop qualities that you didn’t know you had. What I like about exploring is how good it makes you feel when you achieve something or get somewhere.”
One very special part of the weekend was hearing from two of the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorers™ alumni. The students were enthralled to learn about Anzac Gallate and Sadra Sultani’s Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to the Antarctica Peninsula in 2020, and to try out Anzac’s Augmented Reality activated My Explorer Journal, created to share this experience of Antarctica.
Having completed the Worsley Weekend, the students shared their experiences at a special morning tea, where they were welcomed into the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Alumni Programme.
The Young Inspiring Explorers™ Worsley Weekend was delivered in partnership with William Pike Challenge and supported by Christchurch NZ, The Christchurch Antarctic Office, and Akaroa Museum.
