Christchurch...
After, two flights, four bus rides and a walk, Jason and I made it to Christchurch, NZ. It was warm and dark! Our flights were not as bad as we'd feared, but I think it was because our hopes were so low. We left the South Pole at about 12:30pm after watching the cargo crew unload an enormous dewar of liquid helium from the LC-130 that came in from McMurdo. The dewar filled the cargo bay and it was quite a sight to see it emerge from the plane. It is rented, so after the helium is emptied into various smaller containers it'll be flown back to McMurdo and returned to the States. I hope they get the security deposit back. Our Hercules flight from the Pole was almost comfortable. We had plenty of space and some great scenery. When we landed at McMurdo it was a balmy +15F. You could tell who the "Polies" were as we were all walking around with jackets off, no gloves, etc. We only spent about 45 minutes on the ice shelf near McMurdo, before boarding the crowded C-141. Luckily, Jason and I were near the back of the plane so there was a bit more room to move around. Five and a half hours later we landed in Christchurch. The 130 Antarctic travelers wearing various amounts of ECW gear got some strange looks from the other passengers while waiting at customs. It's strangely satisfying though, when asked where you're coming from to say "the South Pole...." I know both Jason and I left wanting more. With luck we'll be back next season to upgrade our successful system.

cheers,
Doug
posted by Doug Caldwell at 6:55 PM