On to Antarctica...

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After too short a stay in New Zealand, (not even 3 days!) up at 4am for the ride to the airport. No aftershocks from the recent big quake here since yesterday, at least that I felt! We arrived at Christchurch Intl. Airport, at the joint US/NZ Antarctic terminal, dressed in our (ECW) Extreme Cold Weather clothing ) and waited for our USAF C-17 flight to Mcmurdo Station, some 5 hours and 2000 miles to the south. I walked around on the grounds at dawn, smelling the wet Nz grass, a bit chilly and contemplating the thought of going to another world, as it really is in many ways. And off we were, over the Southern Ocean and eventually landing at the sea ice runway at Mcmurdo Station.

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Photos

one big chunk of rock and ice!
Mcmurdo Station is located about where the southern tip of texas is.

polar gear...
all the stuff I will need to wear on the Ice, provided its red or orange or black!

C-17
somewhere over the Southern Ocean ....not exactly British Airways!

cockpit C-17
coming over the Antarctic continent...

Ice Airways
no freq flyer program, no movies, no first class but no baggage fees! take that Southwest....

over the Ice...
its like this for 2 thousand miles...!

welcome to Antarctica!
after landing on the ice runway(actually its a frozen ocean) we depart the C-17 (thank you USAF!) and head for a new way of living for a while--

your Terra-bus awaits you!
Actually I opted for the 'Terra-van', The Bus is too slow but fun the first time around!