Monday 7 November 2016

Three weeks to go!

My departure date is getting closer and I now have a full itinerary, which is pretty exciting.

The first thing on it (apart from flying to Christchurch) is heading over to the Antarctica NZ Clothing Warehouse to get kitted out with a vast array of Antarctic clothing.

And once in Antarctica (which still seems unbelievable), there are some fantastic opportunities which the Antarctica NZ team (thanks, guys!) have lined up for me. It’s all weather dependent, but it includes a trip to Discovery Hut with a hut guide. I’ve been secretly hoping for the chance to see one of the huts from the Heroic Age of Exploration, so this is wonderful.

There are a number of these huts near Scott Base, but Discovery Hut is the one that Captain Scott and his team used as their shore base on his first expedition in 1901-1904 (Discovery was the name of his ship). Everyone who visits it seems to find it a really powerful and moving experience, because many things inside remains just as they were when the expedition left. You can read a few accounts and see some photos here and here.

Scott's Discovery Hut, with McMurdo Station in the background;
©Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection [1982-1983]
 
Discovery Hut clothing and supplies; Photo by Nigel Roberts
©Antarctica New Zealand Pictorial Collection [1979-1980]




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