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GOLF 4-3-9 Antarctica Expedition 2010


Reports   

Location

Christchurch
New Zealand
Region: 
Southwest Pacific

Well, instead of being on an Airbus A319 on our way to Antarctica, Hubert, Brad and Roberto are still in Christchurch. Our first flight delay moved us from the 25th to the 26th. Our second reschedule, due to foggy conditions at McMurdo, moved us to the 27th. Whilst the fog may not be an issue at your typical airport, it definitely is in Antarctica, where they don’t have sophisticated equipment on the ground to help planes land in difficult conditions. Fog can also simulate a “whiteout”, a condition where you can’t tell which way is up, down or wherever. That is because the fog is white and so is the ground, so it gets tricky to work out which is which! The current weather at McMurdo is frequently updated at http://www.wunderground.com/ where you just type “McMurdo” into the Search box at the top of the page. If you want to see what McMurdo looks like, check out http://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/mcmwebcam.cfm. At the moment it looks depressingly blank because of the fog. Let’s hope it clears so we can finally depart tomorrow!

Whenever the flight occurs, we’ll be well “suited up” for the cold. On the 24th of October we went to the RPSC CDC to get our USAP-issued ECW gear (OK, OK, we went to the Raytheon Polar Sciences Clothing Distribution Centre to get our United States Antarctic Program issued Extreme Cold Weather gear). Can you tell that the USAP likes using acronyms (or should that be CYTTTUSAPLUA)? More on abbreviations can be found in the piece by Hubert on this website. Each of us were issued a whole range of clothing to protect us from the harsh Antarctic weather, which is life-threatening if faced without protection. The pictures show the gear that is issued, what we need to be wearing when we land at McMurdo, and Hubert and Brad trying on their clothing.

Following our clothing issue, we felt one of the bigger (magnitude 4.6-4.8) of the literally thousands of aftershocks that have shaken Christchurch since their recent big 7.0 earthquake. It only lasted a few seconds, but that is all that is required to remind one of how incredibly powerful nature is, and how insignificant we are. Damage from the 7.0 ‘quake is still visible all around town, but only seems to be present in brick and masonry buildings.

Yesterday (the 25th of October) was basically a free day. To begin our immersion in all things Antarctic, we went to see an exhibition at the nearby Canterbury Museum called “The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography.” The Britons Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton figure prominently in the so-called “Heroic Era” of Antarctic exploration when pioneer explorers forged into the heart of the continent, with the ultimate goal to be the first to reach the South Pole. Shackleton almost made it in 1909, coming within 97 miles, but wisely chose to turn back rather than risk the death of his party. Scott did reach the Pole in 1912, only to find that the Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had beaten him to the goal. Sadly, Scott and his 4 companions perished on the trip home, whilst only 11 miles from a food depot. One of the coolest parts of the exhibition were the British flags that both Shackleton and Scott took with them on their Antarctic journeys.

After seeing the exhibition, we posed in front of the statue of Scott that is in the center of town (see picture). Fingers crossed that, like Scott, we finally get to experience Antarctica tomorrow!

Roberto Anitori (Romeo Alpha) in Christchurch