We were scheduled to fly to McMurdo Station this morning, but yesterday afternoon we got the disappointing email informing us that our flight had been pushed back a day. Delays are very typical of Antarctic travel, so we were hardly surprised. Besides, everything else has gone perfectly up to this point, so maybe we were owed a little inconvenience.
Our first few days in Christchurch have been very busy, so I am feeling a little grateful for the respite. We began our travels from the US on October 31. My itinerary was Portland to San Francisco to Auckland to Christchurch, a bit over 24 hours. I met up with the other 3 team members coming from the west coast in San Francisco, and then the whole crew (all 10 of us!) found each other in Auckland. When we finally arrived in Christchurch on November 2 (November 1 never happened for us, thanks to crossing the International Date Line), we were greeted by a woman in a red vest from the United States Antarctic Program, who gave us our welcome letters detailing our schedule for the next few days.
Nothing was expected of us on arrival day, thank goodness. We spent some time wandering around the city and hanging out together.
There are many beautiful murals in Christchurch
Gateway to Antarctica!
On the next day, Monday, we had to complete some required online trainings. For some of us, this was our third time doing Bystander Intervention Training in the last month. (We are going to be the best bystanders who ever stood by! Wait, that doesn’t sound right…) That afternoon was free, so the whole team went on a beautiful but very vertical hike over the Port Hills.
Pro tip: never trust field scientists who invite you on an “easy hike.” It is ALWAYS uphill…
…but the view is always worth it.
Tuesday, November 4, was the day we went to the Clothing Distribution Center (aka the CDC) to be issued our Extreme Cold Weather gear (our ECW - they sure do love acronyms here). For those of us deploying for the first time, this was VERY EXCITING! Receiving a huge red parka (called, of course, the Big Red) with the USAP logo and your name makes everything suddenly feel very, very real. We spent some time trying everything on and making sure it fit with all of the other layers we’ll be wearing underneath. The USAP personnel working there were wonderful - they were very patient and made sure we got everything we needed, encouraging us to try on multiple sizes if there was any doubt. In addition to the Big Red, we were also issued insulated Carhartt overalls and huge boots, plus a fleece jacket, hat, balaclava, goggles, gloves, and mittens. You are required to wear most of this gear on your flight to Antarctica.
My Big Red!
A display of all of the ECW issued by the CDC
Then we were sent on our way, back to our hotel to repack and do some last minute shopping for essentials for our trip, like high quality fleece jackets (pro tip: outdoor stores in Christchurch give a nice discount to people heading to Antarctica!), hand cream, and chocolate.
New Zealand is the only place I’ve ever been where I don’t have to tell people how to spell my last name.
But a couple of hours later, we got the email. We would not be heading to Antarctica the next day after all. The flight was delayed until the following morning.
A little extra time in Christchurch is no terrible thing. This morning I found a great bookstore and walked out of there suffused with the warm glow of having purchased a stack of staff picks, tempered only a little bit by the worry that this indulgence might put my bags over the weight limit. Then I spent a leisurely couple of hours wandering around the Christchurch Botanic Gardens - a must-see for anyone visiting here.
The iconic Silver Fern - just one of the many beautiful plants I saw at the Botanic Gardens
As I am writing this, we just received confirmation that tomorrow morning’s flight is a go. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way!