Latest News

Winter-Over Team Return

In October 2022 our winter conservation team of four conservators – Jane Hamill, Shannah Rhynard-Geil, Belinda Hager, and Conor Tulloch returned from the Ice.

December 19, 2022/by Comms

Antarctic Conservation Update – Summer Conservation Season 2022-23

The Trust’s On-Ice conservation team deployed to Ross Island, Antarctica in late November.

December 19, 2022/by Comms

Letter from Executive Director Nigel Watson

In February 2023 Nigel Watson will finish as the Trust’s Executive Director.

December 19, 2022/by Comms

First Impressions

Lachie Cromar heads to Antarctica for the first time as part of our Summer conservation team

December 13, 2022/by Comms

Annual Report 2021-2022

November 17, 2022/by Anna Clare

Shackleton’s Peas

Antarctic Heritage Trust winter conservator, Belinda Hager discusses treatment of tinned food cans from Shackleton's Nimrod hut at Cape Royds

October 3, 2022/by Comms

The Explorer September 2022

The Explorer Newsletter June 2022

September 28, 2022/by Comms

Young Inspiring Explorers™ Summit – June 2022

The Trust’s Young Inspiring Explorers™ Summit in June 2022 saw a group of 20 students, aged 11-14, from around New Zealand spend an action-packed weekend in Christchurch with the Trust and Inspiring Explorer William Pike.

September 28, 2022/by Comms

Shackleton’s Whisky Anniversary

The Trust would like to extend our sincere thanks to Whyte & Mackay on the 10-year anniversary of their ongoing support for the Trust through whisky sales

September 28, 2022/by Comms

Antarctic Conservation Update – September 2022

In a first since 2014, our winter conservation team of four conservators – Jane Hamill, Shannah Rhynard-Geil, Belinda Hager, and Conor Tulloch have wintered-over in Antarctica.

September 28, 2022/by Comms

Summer 2022-23 Conservation Season

To support the ongoing conservation of the Ross Island explorer bases, this summer the Trust will have a team of five on-Ice led by Collections Conservation Manager Lizzie Meek, including a heritage carpenter, two artefact conservators, and a building conservation support person.

September 28, 2022/by Comms

New Patron-in-Chief

The Trust is delighted to announce that New Zealand’s Governor-General the Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro GNZM QSO has accepted the role of Patron-in- Chief of the Antarctic Heritage Trust, continuing unbroken Vice Regal patronage of 35 years.

September 28, 2022/by Comms

New Partnership: Corporate Leadership Programme

The Trust has developed an exciting partnership with Australasian human resource and training consultancy, Generator Talent Group, working together to design a corporate leadership programme drawing on the leadership lessons from the heroic-era of Antarctic Exploration.

September 28, 2022/by Comms

Alumni News September 2022

A round up of Alumni News from our September Explorer newsletter.

September 28, 2022/by Comms

In Memorium – Peter Macdonald

The Trust offers our deepest condolences to the family, friends and community following the news of Peter Macdonald’s passing.

September 28, 2022/by Comms

Young change-makers channel the spirit of polar exploration

A team of six young New Zealanders have completed a gruelling 50km journey on skis through the Harris Mountains between Treble Cone and Coronet Peak.

September 5, 2022/by Comms

Antarctic artefacts return home after 60 years in the USA

Two historic Antarctic artefacts are on their way home after more than 60 years and a trip around the globe.

August 23, 2022/by Comms

Desalination Treatment of Iron Artefacts

Antarctic Heritage Trust winter conservator, Jane Hamill discusses desalination treatment of iron artefacts

August 17, 2022/by Comms

Initial Reaction – Connecting with Heroic Age Artefacts

Artefacts that close the gap between the conservation lab and the distant idea of the heroic age of exploration

August 8, 2022/by Comms

Air Abrasive Units

Antarctic Heritage Trust winter conservation laboratory at Scott Base

August 8, 2022/by Comms

Mouse Rounds

Mouse Rounds at Scott Base

August 8, 2022/by Comms

Midwinter Celebrated at Scott Base

Our 2022 On Ice Winter Conservation Team Celebrate Midwinter at Scott Base

August 8, 2022/by Comms

ANZAC Day Marked at Scott Base

Our 2022 On Ice Winter Conservation Team Celebrate ANZAC Day at Scott Base

August 8, 2022/by Comms

Announcing the Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ South Pole Team

The Inspiring Explorers ExpeditionTM team will leave in November 2022 and people can follow their journey online at nzaht.org.

August 1, 2022/by Comms

Life at the South Pole today gives perspective on Antarctica’s heroic-era explorers

Life at the South Pole today gives perspective on Antarctica’s heroic-era explorers, by Sarah Bouckoms

July 25, 2022/by Comms

Calling all intrepid explorers, the South Pole is waiting!

July 11, 2022/by Comms

Greenstone Production: “The Explorer Club”

The Trust has collaborated with Greenstone TV on a new children’s television series The Explorer Club. The series introduces iconic New Zealand explorers to kids through hands-on adventures of their own.

June 23, 2022/by Comms

Pony Snowshoes

Our tenth blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

June 13, 2022/by Comms

Antarctic Conservation Season Update June 2022

The 2021-22 summer Antarctic season saw a seven-person conservation team spend nearly two months working on an extended monitoring and maintenance programme at the Ross Island explorer bases of Robert Falcon Scott at Cape Evans and Hut Point, Sir Ernest Shackleton’s base at Cape Royds, and Sir Edmund Hillary’s hut at Pram Point.

June 7, 2022/by Comms

In Memorium – Vernon Gerard

In Memorium - Vernon Gerard

June 7, 2022/by Comms

In Memorium – John Nankervis

John Nankervis and Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand at his investiture into the New Zealand Order of Merit. © Government House

June 7, 2022/by Comms

The Explorer June 2022

The Explorer Newsletter June 2022

June 1, 2022/by Comms

Summit Reached In the Footsteps of Hillary

In February 2022, three young people from South Auckland, New Zealand summited their first mountain on the Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ In the Footsteps of Hillary, and their exploits were filmed for a children’s television show.

May 31, 2022/by Comms

Farewell to Chris Cochran

After 34 years of valued service to the Trust, Chris has taken the decision to step down from the Conservation Design Team in June 2022.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Online Database Update

Over the last five months the Trust’s team of four specialists have processed an incredible 45,000 images from the Trust’s archives.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Alumni News June 2022

A roundup of Antarctic Heritage Trust alumni news June 2022

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Education Manager Joins Trust

The Trust is delighted Dr Gabriela Roldan has joined as Education Manager for 2022.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Explore More in Sir Ed’s Antarctic Hut

The Trust is excited to announce the release of a new version of the Hillary’s Hut – Antarctica Virtual Reality (VR) Experience.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Endurance Found

The discovery of historic Antarctic artefacts at Cape Evans is one of the highlights of the season for the Trust.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Historic Antarctic Artefacts Discovered

The discovery of historic Antarctic artefacts at Cape Evans is one of the highlights of the season for the Trust.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Year-Round Conservation Programme

For the first time since 2014, we have a team of four wintering over in Antarctica.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Protecting and Repatriating Artefacts at Scott’s ‘Terra Nova’ hut

A key project, in addition to maintenance and monitoring work at Scott’s Terra Nova hut at Cape Evans work was to reduce the dust levels from the scoria in the stables and western annex.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Preventing Blubber Ooze at Scott’s ‘Discovery’ Hut

At Scott’s Discovery hut at Hut Point, a stack of seal blubber within the hut has been oozing oil onto the adjacent floorboards during the warm summer months.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Conserving Shackleton’s Venesta Cases

The largest and most challenging task this 2021/22 season was at Shackleton’s Nimrod hut at Cape Royds.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

Rt Hon Helen Clark Joins Trust

The Trust is delighted to welcome Rt Hon Helen Clark ONZ as a Patron of the Trust.

May 29, 2022/by Comms

I Must Visit This Place

A blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 Digital Collections Team

May 9, 2022/by Comms

“Thrilling and ground-breaking” – Antarctic Heritage Trust reacts to Endurance discovery

March 10, 2022/by Anna Clare

A typical day in the field

Our ninth blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

February 7, 2022/by Comms

Conserving Venesta cases and their contents at Cape Royds

Our eighth blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

February 7, 2022/by Comms

It’s a Blubbery Time!

Our seventh blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

February 7, 2022/by Comms

Clearing the dust

Our sixth blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

January 31, 2022/by Comms

Christmas on the Ice

Our fifth blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

January 20, 2022/by Comms

Arrival to Shackleton’s Hut

Our fourt blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

January 20, 2022/by Comms

Field Supplies

Our third blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

January 20, 2022/by Comms

Cape Adare buildings Antarctic’s most significant

In this blog, learn about Carsten Borchgrevink and his Southern Cross expedition (1898-1900), during which the first ever base in Antarctica was established.

December 20, 2021/by Comms

Inspiring Explorers™ live up to their name

Inspiring the spirit of exploration in the next generation is one of the primary goals of the My Explorer Journal experience on the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s new AR app.

December 20, 2021/by Comms

AFT – A Frozen Terrain

Our second blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

December 20, 2021/by Comms

The Explorer December 2021

December 20, 2021/by Anna Clare

Paddling in Worsley’s Wake

In November, the Trust brought together twenty students from around Canterbury, New Zealand had the opportunity to follow in Frank Worsley’s footsteps.

December 19, 2021/by Comms

Visit Cape Evans via Podcast

The Trust has published a podcast featuring a series of short interviews captured on location in Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s Terra Nova hut during the 2019 Antarctic season by Francesca Eathorne, Trust Chief OperationsOfficer.

December 19, 2021/by Comms

Kiwis Visit Sir Ed’s Hut through Virtual Reality

Over the last year the Trust has been touring our fully immersive virtual reality experience of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Antarctic hut around New Zealand.

December 19, 2021/by Comms

Expedition Team Prepare

Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ Mahu Whenua Traverse team met in Queenstown, New Zealand in September to prepare for the expedition they will undertake in winter 2022.

December 19, 2021/by Comms

Meet the Conservation Team

Following a mandatory two-week period of isolation, the Trust’s On-Ice conservation team deployed to Ross Island, Antarctica in early December.

December 19, 2021/by Comms

Antarctic Journey – The Beginning

Our first blog as part of a series written by our 2021/22 On Ice Conservation Team

December 13, 2021/by Comms

Annual Report 2020-2021

October 29, 2021/by Comms

VR Inspires Antarctic Gateway City Visit

Michelle Oleary, a high school teacher from rural community Waimate, in New Zealand, loved that we brought Hillary’s Hut - Antarctica Virtual Reality experience directly into her classroom.

October 4, 2021/by Comms

Alumnus Returns to Antarctica with VR

As soon as Gus Anning heard that the Trust’s virtual reality experience had been launched, he registered on the website for the VR to visit his children’s school.

October 4, 2021/by Comms

The forgotten explorer and his incredible legacy

In this blog, learn about Carsten Borchgrevink and his Southern Cross expedition (1898-1900), during which the first ever base in Antarctica was established.

October 4, 2021/by Comms

The Creation of My Explorer Journal

In this blog, we hear from Anzac Gallate, a member of the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s 2020 Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to the Antarctic Peninsula, who is the creative visionary behind My Explorer Journal.

September 20, 2021/by Comms

Two Weeks at Cape Adare

In this blog, learn about artefact conservation projects inside an historic hut at one of the most remote places on Earth

September 13, 2021/by Comms

My Explorer Journal brings the Antarctic to life

In this blog, check out some of the wonders of Antarctica that are captivating primary school children throughout New Zealand as they embark on a unique, virtual expedition.

September 6, 2021/by Comms

Bringing the Past to Life

In this blog, we look at how world-leading technology in the Trust’s new augmented reality (AR) app is bringing historic artefacts from the Antarctic to life in a thoroughly modern way.

August 30, 2021/by Comms

Trust Supporter News

Trust supporter news

August 29, 2021/by Comms

Funding Update

We are looking to grow support for the Inspiring Explorers™ Fund and programme to engage and connect more youth with exploration.

August 29, 2021/by Comms

Antarctic Conservation Season Update June 2022

Covid-19 continues to have a major impact on people and programmes across the Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project (RSHRP).

August 29, 2021/by Comms

Students Upskill in Preparation for Expedition

In July, South Auckland high school students from Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate took their first steps in the Trust’s In the Footsteps of Hillary Inspiring Explorers Expedition™, which will culminate in an attempt to climb Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku (South Island, New Zealand).

August 29, 2021/by Comms

Explorer Conference Inspires

Antarctic Heritage Trust was excited to deliver our inaugural Explorer Conference in South Auckland, New Zealand, which was attended by 100 Year 12 students from local high schools.

August 29, 2021/by Comms

Alumni News September 2021

A roundup of Antarctic Heritage Trust alumni news September 2021

August 29, 2021/by Comms

The Explorer September 2021

August 29, 2021/by Comms

World-leading technology in new AR App

Krystal Paraone, Studio Manager at Staples VR, talks about the process of bringing this incredible piece of world-leading technology, to life.

July 8, 2021/by Anna Clare

Resilient, skilled, adventurous: the search for young explorers to open New Zealand’s new mountain traverse

AHT is searching for five young New Zealanders to be part of the first official expedition to cross the country’s new world-class ski route.

May 3, 2021/by Anna Clare

Augmented Reality Brings Antarctica to Life

Sadra Sultani was a member of the 2020 Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to the Antarctic Peninsula.

April 30, 2021/by Anna Clare

Take a Musical Trip to Antarctica

Supported by the Trust, our 2020 Inspiring Explorers are busy delivering their outreach programmes following their trip to Antarctica.

April 28, 2021/by Anna Clare

Alumni News April 2021

A roundup of Antarctic Heritage Trust alumni news April 202

April 28, 2021/by Comms

2021 Inspiring Explorers Expeditions™

Sadra Sultani was a member of the 2020 Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to the Antarctic Peninsula.

April 28, 2021/by Comms

Sadra’s Inspirational Outreach

Sadra Sultani was a member of the 2020 Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ to the Antarctic Peninsula.

April 28, 2021/by Comms

The Explorer April 2021

April 27, 2021/by Comms

University student helps make exploration of Antarctica possible – from anywhere in the world

Since Anzac's return from the Antarctic Peninsula he has spent a year creating an explorer journal.

April 9, 2021/by Anna Clare

Hillary’s Hut (TAE/IGY) Ice Melter gets the Deluxe Dulux Treatment

The Trust worked very closely with Dulux to research historic paint archives, and examine the multitude of different coloured interior and exterior paint samples from the hut itself.

December 23, 2020/by Comms

Frozen Rigging, Antarctica Bound

AHT discovered that a section of this cable had corroded through after more than 100 years, making the cable unfit for purpose.

December 23, 2020/by Comms

The Explorer December 2020

December 18, 2020/by Comms

Celebrating Frank Worsley

The Trust held the inaugural Young Inspiring Explorers™ Worsley Weekend in November

December 18, 2020/by Comms

Young Inspiring Explorers™ Summit

The Trust held the inaugural Young Inspiring Explorers™ Worsley Weekend in November

December 18, 2020/by Comms

Historic scales returned to Scott’s Discovery Hut in Antarctica

In November 2020 we were fortunate to repatriate a set of Salter scales to Scott’s Discovery Hut.

December 14, 2020/by Comms

Antarctic Conservation Season Update

Despite the ramifications of Covid-19, our conservation team have successfully completed the essential monitoring and maintenance programme at the Ross Island historic huts in November and December 2020, thanks to the support of Antarctica New Zealand, in what has been an extremely challenging year for their operations.

December 13, 2020/by Comms