Homebound: leaving Pegasus Airfield, McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

First thing this morning Cornelia gave me two thumbs up. It was all go; I would be getting home today. It was going to be a loaded plane, full of US personnel, a medevac patient, Naomi and me. Naomi is a kiwi that has been in Antarctica for around two months on a media scholarship administered by Antarctica New Zealand (read more here www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/research/7224 and www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/downloads/mediarelease/PR_IPY_Scholar3Oct08.pdf.).

There were varying reports as to when ‘Ivan’ the Terra Bus was coming to pick us up. I hurried… and I waited… and then somehow ended up being late. Unfortunately, there was no time for good byes!

I bumbled onto the Terra Bus into an intimidating sea of Americans dressed in red. Smokey, the bus driver greeted me as an old friend. He was classic. He took so much pride in his job and even remembered me and the date I’d arrived at the ice. During our traverse of the ice shelf, Smokey was graciously taking advice on how to drive ‘Ivan’ from a girl about a third his age. I’m not sure what her role was… maybe four eyes were deemed better than two due to the flat light. It was quite hilarious though.

Naomi and I were not looking forward to the flight much. Firstly, because it meant we were going home and secondly because we expected it to be long, loud and cramped. As it turned out, the flight was fine. We possibly had better seating than I’d had last time and having the medevac patient on board was a reality check. We also had the most amazing in-flight steward. He was a Nuiean-kiwi from the Royal New Zealand Airforce, who I swear must’ve been a steward for Air New Zealand in a past life. He kept everyone very happy passing out hot mince and cheese pies (complete with Wattie’s tomato sauce), biscuits and drinks. He was not required to do any of this, but took pride in doing so. It was fantastic and the Americans were in stitches!

I’ve heard that when you get back from the ice, you almost need to be re-integrated into society. It was even likened to getting out of jail by the kiwi pilot of our herc. I guess he must have flown some pretty strange characters from the ice in his time. I don’t think a nine day stint qualifies me. I hope. One Scott Base staff member (not mentioning names), who has spent many long periods in Antarctica, animatedly recounted his worst post-Antarctic experience to me yesterday. He felt supermarkets had to be the most frightening environment to launch oneself into straight away. He talked vividly about his experience trying to buy jam. There was too much selection, strangers trying to help… sounded normal to me… I wondered how long he had been on the ice this time…

The other more widely mentioned oddity on return is humidity. When you are in Antarctica, you don’t realize how dry it is until you leave. Some of you may know that intense feeling of transition between a dry and humid atmosphere from stepping out of plane in tropical country, or even out of a heavily air-conditioned shop in parts of Australia. I’d mentioned to a few people that I was straight back to work in Northland once I got back, which was met by ‘oooh… Northland… sticky’ and a wince. Lucky me!

I remember I was most affected by darkness last time I got back to New Zealand from Antarctica. It was like there was a ‘shut down’ switch that automatically kicked in as soon as darkness fell. Unfortunately for me, and those I was with, this happened at an extended family get-together. I was not much good for conversation.

When I hopped on the herc today, I wasn’t sure what was happening at the other end, but trusted that Woody would have it under control. Once landed, we hopped off the plane, went through international arrivals, collected our bags and in the arrival lounge Woody was waiting. First thing he asked me, ‘You right to catch a flight in twenty minutes up to Auckland?’. It was the fastest undress/redress, unpack/pack I have ever done. It’s fair to say I was feeling the heat and humidity too! But I got there.

Darkness fell while I was flying between Christchurch and Auckland. Luckily there was no one trying to make conversation with me. It might have been the tired and glum look on my face that stopped them. There is still so much of Antarctica to discover! I was very sad to leave, but I also realize how privileged I have been to even get there.

'Ivan' the Terra Bus and the sea of red (Americans in their Extreme Cold Weather clothing)

Our ride home, a Royal New Zealand Airforce Hercules

My last view of Mount Discovery for a while!

A little history to Scott Base

People were a little slow around base today. Along with rugby niggles, there may have been a bit too much celebration last night. To cap it off there were many disappointed people whose flights out of McMurdo Sound were once again delayed. Including mine! I’m not too disappointed though. The difference being that I would be going back to New Zealand, where as the scientists are all headed to either the Darwin Glacier or into the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Much more exciting.

The Hercules I was to be boarding on Tuesday morning did not leave Christchurch today due to bad landing weather down here. The RNZAF Hercules generally fly in one day and leave the next, as they require an eight hour turn around time. Although the weather feels mild down here at the moment, snowfall has reduced visibility, making it unsafe to fly.

All of a sudden a little pressure was off me. I did not have to rush to do everything I wanted in just one day. So I ended up spending most of the day in the Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE) hut which was a real change of pace. At present the TAE hut offers a quiet area for Scott Base staff that is detached from the main Scott Base complex (beware: intercom messages still come through loud and clear and can give you a massive fright). The stand-alone hut has the feel of a kiwi bach and is full of all sorts of information from newspaper cuttings to scientific publications. It is an unofficial recent history museum, complete with food and clothing relicts from 1957 to present.

Up until 1989 the TAE hut was used as a mess and as additional accommodation, but there is much more history surrounding this little hut. On January 20 1957, Able Seaman Tito, the youngest and a maori member of the expedition on HMNZS Endeavor raised the New Zealand flag to open the TAE hut, the founding of Scott Base. The low rocky promontory on the southeast tip of Hut Point Peninsula was chosen for its almost level land surface, its clear access over sea ice and because it is suitable for meteorological observations, upper atmospheric physics and seismic recording. This was important, as the base was set up for two major events: to support science for the International Geophysical Year (IGY, 1957-1958) and to provide a base for the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition (TAE, 1955-1958) jointly led by Dr. Vivian Fuchs (UK) and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Following the conquest of the South Pole by Amundsen, the next obvious challenge was to cross the entire continent. Shackleton was the first to attempt a trans-Antarctic crossing in 1914. He set out with a sledge party from the Weddell Sea, traveling toward the Ross Sea. Although there is an amazing and heroic survival story surrounding this expedition, Shackleton was not successful in his attempt. Dr. Vivian Fuchs, a British scientist, was the next to initiate a trans-Antarctic venture. Fuchs was experienced in Antarctica and qualified to supervise the extensive scientific investigation to be made alongside the crossing. In a planning document for the expedition, he writes:

‘Shackleton’s attempt to make a trans-antarctic journey in 1914 was frustrated by the loss of his ship the ‘Endurance’. Since that time such a journey has been constantly in the minds of polar travelers. Today the interest of many nations in the Antarctic brings competition into the field. For varying reasons it may be expected that some nations (e.g. United States, Argentina, Chile, France) will initiate such a venture. Success will bring world-wide prestige.

A trans-continental journey made wholly within territory claimed by the British Commonwealth, and with an exploratory and scientific programme as indicated below, would gain prestige and at the same time contribute to the solidarity of Commonwealth interests. At the present time we have the men and the experience required to make certain of success. Other nations competing in the Antarctic are not yet in so a favourable position to make a journey of comparable importance. Now, therefore, is the time to seize the opportunity.’

The planned route was from Vahsel Bay in the Weddell Sea, to the Ross Sea. The Commonwealth TAE had two parties: the crossing party led by Fuchs, and the Ross Sea party, led by Sir Ed. The Ross Sea party supported the crossing party by building Scott Base, laying supply depots and establishing a vehicle route from the Polar Plateau through the western mountains back to Ross Island. Sir Ed and his team of four men (a.k.a. the Southern Tractor party) left Scott Base on October 14, 1957, in three Ferguson tractors and a weasel (tracked vehicle) towing ten tonnes of cargo. The men reached the South Pole on January 4, 1958, and were met by the crossing party at the Pole on January 19. The complete Commonwealth TAE team returned to Scott Base victorious on March 2, 1958.

The secondary aim of the TAE was science contributing to the IGY. Its scientific objectives included meteorology, geology, gravimetric work, seismic sounding of the polar ice sheet, and (most interestingly I think) the geography of Antarctica’s interior. Fuchs writes, ‘the transcontinental journey will also show whether the polar plateau is or is not interrupted by mountain ranges south of latitude 80 degrees South…the route through Victoria Land will pass over unexplored areas and will delimit the western margin of the Victoria Land mountains. The eastern limits of these mountains are known from the work of Scott and Shackleton's expeditions’. It surprises me that at this late stage, there really had been no further advance in our understanding of Antarctica’s geography since Scott and Shackleton’s time.

Whilst the two main parties were off traversing the continent, a New Zealand scientific party based at Scott Base also contributed to the IGY and managed to explore 103 600 square kilometers of unchartered continent. The objective of the IGY was to learn more about the earth, in particular about the upper atmosphere and its response to solar influence. Many countries were involved in the initiative including the US, UK, Soviet Union, Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, Japan, Norway and South Africa. This marked New Zealand’s first active involvement in scientific research in Antarctica. New Zealand’s IGY leader was Trevor Hatherton… and I’m sitting in the Hatherton Lab of Scott Base right now. The success of the IGY for New Zealand and globally, illustrated the value of Scott Base as a scientific observation laboratory. From initial plans for its removal after three years, Scott Base became permanent.

I just received word that I may not even fly home on Wednesday! The US has apparently over booked the plane and I may be bumped, and flown on Friday. Provided I’m okay with that. I am pretty okay with that. Life could be much worse.



The TAE hut right on the shore with sea ice beyond

A poster found in the TAE hut depicting the New Zealand trans-Antarctic expedition party

A diagram of Scott Base from 1970-71. There is still one linking corridor along the complete length of the base (~500 metres). You really can’t evade anyone, they WILL find you! ‘B’ is still the science/computer area (Hatherton Lab), ‘Q’ is where I sleep and ‘A’ is bathrooms etc. so there has been a little change. I thought the snippets of advice were great - they haven’t changed much!


A weddell seal, just to keep you interested! We see these beasts from Scott Base out on the sea ice at the moment. They hang around open cracks and holes and are very territorial. This photo was taken of in Terra Nova Bay in 2006 where I was doing research.

The big travel day

We are here! I’m sitting in my bunk and feeling very at home. Scott Base has such a warm, friendly feel to it. There are a lot of faces I recognise, one being Brian, my camp manager from last time. He had been expecting me! The base is apparently at full capacity with just over one hundred people, but it doesn’t feel it. Everyone is relaxed and happy, keen to have a chat and get to know your story.

There were forty five excited Antarctic goers on our flight today. Some were first timers and many had done several seasons on the ice. Some were Scott base staff, some scientists, some pilots from the US Airforce and some worked in construction. There were New Zealanders, an Australian, a Czech, an Austrian, a couple of Germans, a lot of Americans and probably a few other nationalities! All were more than happy to put on their ECWs (Extreme Cold Weather gear) on a hot Christchurch day to go and sit in the cargo nets of a Hercules for seven and a half hours in very noisy, cramped and HOT conditions. All to get to Antarctica. It seems the novelty of the continent doesn’t wear off, even for the most seasoned antarcticans.

The only issues that concerned people aboard the Herc were the primitive toilet or ‘honey pot’, what component of their packed lunch they should eat next and where to place their feet! In Antarctica everything is big. My feet are actually quite small, but once transformed into ‘Antarctic Libby’ who wears mukluk-like boots, I suddenly have trouble finding the space to place them anywhere! The heavy duty, heavy soled, knee high (on me anyhow) boots were constantly being reshuffled with persons sitting next to you, across from you and passing among you. We put up with this because we know these boots are brilliant (Chris said so), and all your space issues will melt away as soon as you step off the plane and onto the expansive ice shelf.

We landed on the ice at Pegasus in McMurdo Sound. Upon exiting the aircraft, I immediately gained a view of Erebus on Ross Island and back across to the Transantarctic Mountains of the continent. It is such a beautiful day! Clear blue sky and very mild (-5 degrees Celsius with little wind chill). We then jumped on the Terra bus, which is definitely not your average bus and serves both Scott Base and McMurdo Station. Rather than making a straight line course across McMurdo Sound toward Scott Base we followed the land more closely, making sure to stay on the ice shelf, rather than the sea ice. Last time I was down in Antarctica, sea ice travel was the norm, but being here so late in the summer means it is no longer safe. The ice shelf (~20-400 metres thick) on the other hand is quite safe. Ice shelf is made of ice that initially forms over the land, but has since flowed from the land with gravity and now sits over the sea permanently. Sea ice (up to ~6 metres thick) is usually a seasonal phenomenon; forming as the ocean freezes in winter, and breaking up in late summer. The weakened sea ice may not withstand the weight of the Terra bus and swimming in Antarctica is not very comfortable (I can vouch for that).

I am feeling incredibly tired and excited at the same time. Today was long and my body definitely feels that it is time to sleep, but my mind is distracted by the fact that there is a bright blue sky outside and all the potential that offers . . . I must close the black out shutters and try my hardest to pretend that Antarctica isn't still lit up.

Renee and I about to board the Royal New Zealand Air force Hercules

Inside the Hercules, conditions were hot, very noisy and cramped- but everyone was happy ECWs finally put to good use… in Antarctica!

Renee and I are standing on the airstrip at Pegasus. Looking over the ice you can see the bare ground (black) of Ross Island where McMurdo Station and Scott Base are located with Mount Erebus steaming in the background