Antarctic exploration

You may know that I've been fascinated by Antarctica for many years, having grown up hearing tales about the race to the pole, and having been born not very far away from where the ship "Discovery" was built. I haven't yet visited the continent (although I have travelled to some of NZ's subantarctic islands), but I do look out for connections to Antarctica when I can!

Dundee, Scotland

The ship "Discovery" was built in Dundee - she was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in Britain. Her first voyage was in 1901, when she sailed to Antarctica with Robert Falcon Scott's British National Antarctic expedition. In 1986 she returned to Dundee, to the River Tay, where she is now the star attraction of the Discovery Point Museum.

A few penguins were obviously stowaways on the ship though, and can be seen here escaping from the city!

Byrd Memorial, Dunedin, New Zealand

In 1928 Rear Admiral Richard Byrd sailed to Antarctica from Dunedin. This was the first expedition to explore Antarctica by air. The statue in Unity Park was donated by the National Geographical Society. Apparently the bust of Byrd is identical to the one at McMurdo station.

Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand

Memorials to some of the early explorers who died - Robert Falcon Scott, Captain Oates and Charles Bonner. The latter is less well known - he was an able seaman who died in 1901 when he fell from the mainmast as " Discovery" left Lyttelton.

Akaroa, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand

Hobart, Tasmania

Plaque outside Hobart Post Office commemorating the telegram Amundsen sent from there 3 months after he reached the South Pole.

Amundsen bust outside the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (part of the University of Tasmania)

Statues with Antarctic connections at Hobart docks

Adelaide, South Australia - links with Douglas Mawson

Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch holds an Antarctic Festival regularly. These were 2 yearly until 2014, a "mini Icefest" is being held in 2016, and normal full Icefest activities will resume in 2017.

www.icefest.co.nz

I took these photos during the 2014 festival, which mainly took place in Cathedral Square. Central Christchurch was badly damaged by the earthquake on 22 February 2011 - the ruined Anglican cathedral is in the background. Street art has grown in popularity subsequently: my favourite mural (shown above) is in Worcester Street. It was completed prior to the 2014 Antarctic Festival, and features melting penguins (courtesy of global warming!).

Lyttleton, Canterbury, New Zealand

In 2016 this bronze statue was unveiled in Lyttleton to celebrate the contribution of sled dogs to Antarctic exploration. It was created by Mark Whyte, a local artist, and was donated by the Canterbury branch of the NZ Antarctic society. Lyttleton was the port from which Scott and other early explorers headed to the Southern Ocean. Working dogs featured in these early Antarctic expeditions (the "heroic age"), but have not been used at Scott Base since 1994.

The dogs and horses which were used on Scott's and Shackleton's exhibitions were quarantined on Otamahua (Quail Island), an island in Lyttleton harbour. This now uninhabited island was also used in the early twentieth century to quarantine human beings when they had diseases like smallpox, leprosy or influenza. There are pictures of the original jetty, and of reconstructions of the kennels and stables, below: