Eight young Kiwis have been selected for the trip of a lifetime – a month-long excursion to Antarctica.
They’ll be visiting the sites of some of history’s bravest explorers, including huts used by Antarctic greats Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton.
One of the expedition members is student Kitiona “Billy” Pelasio.
The 16-year-old told 1News he was “happy” and “excited” after he was selected for the trip.
“He told me not to tell anyone but… I ran back to class telling everyone,” he said.
Billy had never been to the South Island until last week.
But come January, he’ll be off on a month-long voyage to the frozen continent.
“I watched the movie Happy Feet. Have you ever seen Happy Feet? I was, like, curious about what snow felt like,” Billy said.
“I’m looking forward to making ice angels. I’m gonna sound like a girl. Ice angels – oh my gosh.”
They’ll be visiting bases used by Scott and Shackleton as part of an expedition organised by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.
“We want young people to identify with the legacy of Antarctic exploration and we hope that if they identify with it, they will value it and, in turn, be motivated to protect it,” Antarctic Heritage Trust communications and engagement manager Anna Clare said.
The expedition members also have a special mission – returning classic adventure novel The Count of Monte Cristo, used by Scott’s men in the early 1900s. The book was gifted to the trust by an anonymous donor.
“There’s sooty fingerprints all over it and dogeared pages. You can see that it’s been read potentially hundreds of times,” Clare said.
Along the way, they’ll be working as a team to make a podcast that captures the soundscape of Antarctica.
“These huts will have a sound as well. The way that it creaks in the wind and what the floorboards sound like when there’s a footstep – all things that these explorers would’ve been totally used to,” expedition member Calum Turner said.
While all of the adventurers are thrilled at the opportunity, perhaps none more so than Billy.
“It’s just history and we’re holding it within our hands,” Billy said.
“It’s a lot of pressure but it’s exciting.”
