Primary school kids explore Antarctica – without the cold
A group of Canterbury children are exploring Antarctica this December, thanks to the wonders of virtual reality.
The Antarctic Heritage Trust is ending its educational road trip in Christchurch, teaching students about Aotearoa’s first Antarctic expedition led by Sir Edmund Hillary.
More than 300 West Rolleston pupils will explore the hut Hillary built in 1957, now the oldest building at Scott Base, viewing the hundreds of artefacts within using virtual reality headsets.
The experience teaches how Hillary’s 23-strong team survived the extreme environment, with archival audio of the man himself and historic images of life at the time.
The Antarctic Heritage Trust’s chief operations officer, Francesca Eathorne, said the project was designed to “inspire the next generation of explorers”.
“Most people will never get the chance to visit Antarctica so virtual reality is a fantastic way to give people a glimpse of what it would be like to visit this special place,” she said.
“Sir Ed’s hut is part of the rich history of Antarctic exploration and we are excited to bring this experience to as many people around New Zealand as we can.”
The hut and four other historic expedition bases are cared for by the trust, which also has more than 20,000 artefacts, such as 114-year-old whisky, a century-old fruit cake, and an 118-year-old watercolour.
It’s all part of the trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project, the largest heritage project ever undertaken in the polar regions.
It will continue its educational tour in 2024, sharing the experience with more schools and public venues.