Sunday, 23rd December, 2012
Touch down in Antarctica (Geoff)
John has already written about our flight out of Christchurch, so I will just add a few photos here.
1:00am, an hour before our scheduled departure, waiting in good spirits to be transferred to the A-319 for our flight to Antarctica. Notice how Daniel isn't wearing his lucky hat? This time we attribute our good fortune to Abe's lucky hat.
The landscape under the wing was constantly changing: dark skies & Milky Way (no aurora, though); twilight; sunrise*; sea ice; ice bergs; mountains; and ice. *The Sun didn't really rise because of the Earth's rotation; it was merely coming into view because had ventured far enough South, into the region which, at this time of year, is constantly bathed in sunlight. In fact, from this point on, the Sun won't set until we return to Christchurch in 3+ weeks time.
John Storey, ecstatic as he returns to the Ice for the 12th time.
First view of Antarctica, as passengers walk toward "Ivan the Terror Bus" to be transported to McMurdo.
Inside Ivan.
Arrival in McMurdo.
Wandering off to our dorm rooms.
Touring the Crary science lab, this is the Antarctic Toothfish tank.
-- Geoff
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South Pole Diaries 2012/13