Christchurch: Gateway to the Antarctic

Three days ago, after about 25 hours of travel time, I arrived safely in Christchurch, a quaint and beautiful city of about 350,000. Dan and I have been busy familiarizing ourselves with the equipment we will be using in Antarctica, including three video cameras, four digital cameras and two laptops. Cold temperatures can limit the effectiveness of electronics (especially their batteries), so it is essential to learn the limitations of our equipment and be extra prepared with back-ups. In addition, bright sunlight and reflection from snow and ice will take some getting used to.

Christchurch, also known as 'The Garden City' and 'International Gateway to Antarctica' has played a significant role in the history of Antarctic exploration. In the late 1800's and early 1900's there was a race among nations to be the first to reach the South Pole. Two explorers from the UK -- Captain Robert F. Scott (pictured at right) and Ernest Shackleton -- used the Port of Lyttleton in Christchurch (pictured below) as the base for their expeditions. In 1911, Roald Amundsen from Norway became the first to reach the Pole, beating Scott by only one month. He, his crew, and nearly 100 sled dogs set up a small hut on the coast of Antarctica and journeyed inland to the Pole.

It is summer in the Southern Hemisphere, and very much summer here in Christchurch. We have lucked out with sunny to partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid to high 20's C (high 70's to low 80's F) so far. Today, we will meet the National Science Foundation representative and other journalists who will be joining us for the trip, as well as pick up our Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) clothing and do a bit of training (more on that in another post later today). Tomorrow morning, we depart Christchurch for McMurdo Station -- our first stop in Antarctica -- and much colder temperatures!