Air NZ Blog #3 - Darryn

The week started out with a visit to the Terra Nova Hut at Cape Evans, where Scott and his team stayed during their final Antarctica expedition. It was from this hut that Scott and some of his team departed in hope of reaching the South Pole, but never returned. The hut was built in 1911 and served Scott's Expedition team for several years. Somehow, up to 25 men lived in this small building and survived winters down here (having experienced some of the cold summer, I have no idea how they lasted a winter).

The hut was also used by Shackleton's party during their 1915-1917 expedition, and has been meticulously restored by the New Zealand Antarctica Heritage Trust so that it appears in exactly the same condition today it was when abandoned by Shackleton's men in 1917. A lot of the old artefacts that were left by both the Scott and Shackleton expedition teams remain on the ground outside where they were abandoned almost 100 years ago. Due to the historic significance of the hut, only 200 people per year are permitted to visit the hut and go inside.

Later in the week, I headed back out to Pegasus Airfield to drop off and pick up some Antarctica New Zealand staff. While I was there, I had the chance to watch one of Antarctica New Zealand's leased helicopters be unloaded from the USAF C17 and then assist with the reassembling of the rotor blades before watching it depart. It was truly an amazing thing to see.

I also got to see the sun set for the last time this year in Antarctica and we now officially have 24 hours of daylight. At approximately 0030 on Friday morning the sun dropped below the horizon only to appear again at around 0230 on its way back up. Since then, darkness has ceased to exist.

On Saturday I was sent out to Williams Field, the airfield used by aircraft fitted with skis for landing on snow and ice. I assisted with loading an old modified DC3 operated by a Canadian company, which is completely loaded by hand. The aircraft is affectionately known to all as a Bassler. Over the past 15 days I have been working with both a scientific group and the New Zealand Antarctica Heritage Trust, readying equipment to be flown to Cape Adare. This is quite a significant event due to the distance required to move the equipment – approximately 750km northwest from Scott base. Cape Adare is significant for two reasons: It is home to the largest rookery of Adelie Penguins in the world and it is also the first recorded point of landing on the Antarctica continent. This occurred in 1895 by a Norwegian explorer named Carsten Borchgrevink.

The Cape Adare Project is something Air New Zealand is involved with through Antarctica New Zealand and the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute.