In Scott's footsteps

By JENNY HAWORTH

When snow blankets the South Island and freezing winds roar in from the Southern Ocean, Christchurch people are reminded that the great white desert of Antarctica is closer than they might wish.

Christchurch's position as one of the major urban centres nearest the Ross Sea has made the city a centre for Antarctic exploration since the beginning of the 20th century.

The city's links with Antarctic exploration began when Robert Falcon Scott arrived on the Discovery in November 1901. One of his team members was Ernest Shackleton, who returned to lead his own expedition in November 1907.

Scott's final and fateful voyage was on the Terra Nova, which called at Lyttelton in November 1910. Such visits were made to take on provisions and to give the men a break. Scott and his officers were made very welcome by Christchurch society and the men were well served by the pubs of Lyttelton, most of which are still standing.

When Scott sailed south, the Discovery was loaded with presents, including a piano, which is still on the Discovery at its dry dock in Dundee. On his return to Christchurch in 1904, Scott left what he no longer wanted as gifts for the community, and the Canterbury Museum has an impressive collection.

The museum's Antarctic Gallery gives visitors an insight into the geology and ecology of the frozen continent as well as telling the story of the expeditions.

It's amazing how comparatively primitive much of the equipment was. Their clothing was awkward and heavy, their tents flimsy and their sleeping-bags cumbersome. Supplies were heavy because much of their food was canned. Hauling an enormous Nansen cooker on a sledge would have taken a lot of effort, but it was an essential piece of equipment. It resembled a large double-boiler mounted on a big primus. Ice was fed into an exterior chamber to melt. Stew was cooked in the inner compartment.

The museum's Antarctic Gallery has examples of the earliest motorised transport used on the ice. Among them is the Massey Fergusson tractor that Sir Edmund Hilary used to reach the South Pole in 1957.

Scott and his teams had little mechanical help. When exploring they relied on huskies and ponies. When the animals died, the men pulled the sledges - a scene the museum has recreated as a diorama.

The Lyttelton Museum also has a special Antarctic display.

All expeditions before World War I used animals, and Quail Island in Lyttelton harbour was the base where they were quarantined.

Shackleton relied on Manchurian ponies. Scott, on his final trip, had Manchurian ponies and huskies.

The savage dogs needed separate quarters on Quail Island to stop them fighting and some of their cages have been reconstructed. There is a ferry to the island, which is a popular place for a walk.

It wasn't only the dogs which were ferocious. On his last trip to New Zealand, Scott's wife Kathleen joined him, as did the wives of Lieutenant Evans and Captain Oates.

But New Zealand-born Hilda Evans was a beauty and received all the attention and Kathleen Scott became jealous.

The two women argued endlessly, leading to a fight at Cokers Hotel in Manchester St. Hair flew and blood was drawn. Oriana Oates had to separate them.

Later, Kathleen Scott, a sculptor, was given a commission of £1000 to complete a bronze statue of Scott for Christchurch. He was to be in polar gear and in heroic pose.

But it was by then wartime and bronze was impossible to find. So Kathleen Scott carved it in marble and asked for more money. The city refused to pay but the nearly complete statue was sent to New Zealand and erected on the banks of the Avon near the Worcester Boulevard bridge.

The International Antarctic Centre at Christchurch Airport will give you a good idea what conditions for the explorers were like.

One of the major attractions is the Antarctic Storm. To enter this you need to don a special jacket and overshoes.

Once inside the room you are warned that a storm is coming.

The light dims and wind starts to wail. It whips the snow and ice into your face and tears at your hair and body. In minutes it is all over, but it is a frightening reminder of what the explorers endured.

The centre has a great deal of information about scientific research being undertaken. There are studies of weather patterns, the ozone layer hole, and of Antarctic ecology. The displays are enhanced by interactive computer programs and audiovisuals.

There is also a chance to ride on the Hagglund, an amphibious craft which is now the main means of transport in Antarctica.

Christchurch has long been proud of its links with the early Antarctic explorers and the continued presence of Antarctic research bases is important.

The bases, which belong to New Zealand, the United States and Italy, are at the airport, where an Antarctic campus fosters the spirit of co-operation.

To add to Christchurch's links with the heroic age of Antarctic exploration there are special lodges for would-be explorers.

One of the best is the Charlotte Jane, which provides luxury accommodation in 19th-century elegance. The house was built for Captain Frederick Gibson in 1891 and is named after one of the first four ships, the Charlotte Jane.

Another is Dorothy's, a brick Gothic-style house built in 1916 and restored it to its Edwardian charm.

And there's the former home of Sir Heaton Rhodes in Tai Tapu, a late 19th-century mansion picked by Conde Nast Traveler magazine as one of the 100 best new hotels in the world.

Casenotes

Getting there

The best way to get to Christchurch is by air. If you book early you can often get a return ticket for as little as $200.

Accommodation

Charlotte Jane, 110 Papanui Rd, phone (03) 355 1028, or email

Dorothy's Hotel Restaurant and Bar, 2 Latimer Square, phone (03) 365 6034, or email.

Otahuna Lodge, Rhodes Rd, Tai Tapu, phone (03) 329 6333, fax 329 6336, or email.

Antarctic Information

Canterbury Museum

Christchurch sights

International Antarctic Centre