In 2023, 22 young New Zealanders were selected for the Trust’s ninth Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ which journeyed to South Georgia Island. The expedition honoured the centenary year of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s final expedition (Quest 1921-1922) to South Georgia Island, marking the end of the heroic era of Antarctic exploration.
Across the Atlantic, directed by Inspiring Explorer Te Aroha Devon, follows climber Sam West as he prepares for a guided attempt to climb Mount Worsley with a small team of Inspiring Explorers™, and data scientist Jenny Sahng, part of the science outreach team tasked with capturing weather and ocean data and observations using both historic-era methods and MetSevice’s world-leading technology.
This expedition and short film were made possible thanks to the generous support of Inspiring Explorers™ Fund donors, and Inspiring Explorers™ Programme Partners MetService and Royal Society Te Apārangi. Special thanks to Jon Kroll and Christopher Sibley for supporting the production of this short film.
Polheim tells the story of three young explorers given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; to ski across Antarctica to the South Pole, in celebration of 150 years since the birth of Roald Amundsen, the first person to reach the bottom of the world. Not only did these explorers have the physical challenge of ‘man-hauling’ sleds nearly 1000km in extreme weather conditions, they also faced internal battles – 50 days of isolation in the most remote environment on the planet, with team members who were essentially strangers.
After the world premiere at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) on 26 February 2024, the film went on to win the Spirit of Adventure Award at the 2024 New Zealand Mountain Film Festival.
Polheim’is a feature length documentary stunningly shot by Inspiring Explorer Mike Dawson and Directed by Simon Waterhouse and Liddy Whiteman, with thanks to Expedition Photographic Partner Canon.
The Trust thanks our Inspiring Explorers™ Fund donors, Antarctic Explorer members, as well as Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ South Pole partner Ousland Explorers, Clothing Partner Norrøna, and Photographic Partner Canon New Zealand. We are also grateful for the support of Roald Amundsen’s House Uranienborg Brynje of Norway, Fjellpulken, Helsport, Åsnes, and Track Me New Zealand.
Mt Scott 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. Filmmaker Simon Lucas, along with William Pike, Sylvie Admore and Isobel Ewing all faced their own challenges in their quest to reach the summit. This was the Trust’s second Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition.
The team traveled with partner One Ocean Expeditions.
Director: Simon Lucas (Inspiring Explorer)
Producer: Simon Lucas
Executive Producer: Antarctic Heritage Trust
The Last 36 tells the story of Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorers’ Expedition to retrace the epic journey of Shackleton, Worsley and Crean, as they crossed South Georgia for the first time in a desperate bid to save the lives of their stranded Endurance crew mates.
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.
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.
Director: James Blake (Inspiring Explorer)
Producer: Belmont Productions
Executive Producer: Antarctic Heritage Trust
With thanks to partner One Ocean Expeditions and to technical gear sponsors Southern Approach.
In 2018 Antarctic Heritage Trust took four young explorers 560km across the Greenland ice cap, in an epic expedition honouring Fridtjof Nansen’s first crossing 130 years ago. The explorers included a record-setting trailblazer, a New Zealand endurance athlete, a respected international videographer and an intrepid Australian adventurer (who once slept for nearly three months to overcome a head injury). The team took 28 days to ski across the ice cap dragging sleds behind them. They faced unprecedented levels of snow, Arctic hurricanes and sickness, in a season where only a handful of teams made it across the ice successfully. In Nansen’s Footsteps documents this journey and is the Trust’s third Inspiring Explorers’ film.
Director: Keith Parsons (Inspiring Explorer) and Rick Harvie (Belmont Productions)
Producer: Belmont Productions
Executive Producer: Antarctic Heritage Trust
With thanks to expedition partners Kathmandu and Ousland Explorers and Lumix and Rode for technical gear.
Hosted by Trust Emeritus Executive Director, Nigel Watson, this interview engages distinguished climate scientist George Denton in a conversation about the remarkable scientific legacy left behind by early polar explorers like Scott and Shackleton. Discover how the pioneering data they recorded continues to inform climate science and shed light on the intricate relationship between Antarctica and climate change.
This enlightening conversation brings together history, science, and exploration to provide invaluable insights into our planet’s future.
We invite you to immerse yourself in this conversation and delve into the rich tapestry of history, science, and exploration that George Denton embodies.
Antarctic Heritage Trust invites you to watch A Musical Journey to Antarctica, featuring five compositions by Inspiring Explorer Ihlara McIndoe accompanied by stunning visuals of Antarctica captured by renowned Antarctic filmmaker and photographer Anthony Powell.
Ihlara was the NZSO National Youth Orchestra Composer-in-residence for 2021. Her beautiful compositions for flute, violin and viola, and full orchestra, were inspired by her participation in Antarctic Heritage Trust’s 2020 Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to Antarctica.
Performers at the concert include Mark Menzies, Professor of Music and Head of Performance at the University of Canterbury on viola and violin, UC performance students Rakuto Kurano on violin, and Marlene Cooper on flute, and Chris Everest from the New Zealand School of Music on guitar.
Inspiring Explorer Ihlara McIndoe’s composition, On Satin Waters, was inspired by her 2020 Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to Antarctica.
On Satin Waters was composed for violin, viola and pre-recorded electronics (composed of water and ice recordings taken during the expedition), and is performed by Nathaniel Otley and Mark Menzies.
“On Satin Waters is inspired by our final day kayaking in Antarctica, when it was particularly dark and foggy and the water was like a giant black sheet of satin, so still and reflective that the bright blue of the looming icebergs were mirrored in it. It was surreal and overwhelming,” said Ihlara.
Ihlara has been appointed as the NZSO National Youth Orchestra Composer in Residence for 2021, and after completing her music and law degrees at the University of Otago in 2020, Ihlara moved to Wellington in early 2021 to start a new role as a lawyer.
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