Hillary’s Hut Virtual Reality Reaches the Chatham Islands

In October, the Trust took its virtual reality experience of Hillary’s Hut to the remote community of Chatham Islands, located approximately 850km east of mainland New Zealand, marking an exciting milestone as one of the final two regions of Aotearoa New Zealand we were still to visit with our Inspiring Explorers Education™ programme.

Education Programme Lead Adelma Matthews worked with local schools and the Chatham Islands Museum to bring Antarctic exploration to life for more than 120 students and residents, giving them an opportunity to explore New Zealand’s first Antarctic base and learn about life on the Ice. Participants also explored 3D artefacts through our Augmented Reality App.

“Children from one family spent the evening searching for a five-dollar note, which features Sir Edmund Hillary, so they could tell their parents more about Sir Ed’s Antarctic journey, showing that our visit certainly left a lasting spark of curiosity,” said Adelma.