So we just got to Christchurch and the USAP (U.S. Antarctic Program) representative who was there to greet us threw us a curve ball! We're leaving tonight for Antarctica, not tomorrow morning!
Our original plans called for us to go to the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) right now, go to our hotel for the night, and leave tomorrow morning for the ice. However, our new plans are to go to the CDC at 10 PM tonight then our flight to the ice is leaving at 10:30. There are 69 civilians going down on this flight. The reason they decided to leave tonight is because the ice runway is mushier than usual so they like to take advantage of the "night" hours to land when the runway is more firm. There really is no true night right now but the sun does dip low enough that the ice can freeze more.
Byron and I went to go walk around some of the Antarctic attractions here right next to the airport. Here are a few pictures from today
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| One of Antarctica New Zealand's old snow machines |
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| USAP Hangar, Christchurch International Airport, New Zealand |
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| Me driving a snow machine.... on grass? |
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| This is my ride to Antarctica! A Boeing C-17 Globemaster |
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| A Lockheed LC-130 plane equipped with skis. These are used between McMurdo and the South Pole. The plane to the left in the background is the Italian Antarctic Research Program's posh jet! |
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