In Christchurch

After a bumpy overnight flight two days ago, I arrived in Christchurch, a town on the eastern coast of New Zealand’s South Island and the jumping off point for flights to Antarctica for the United States Antarctica Program (USAP). I’ve been staying at the Windsor B&B (pictured below) in the City Center. Christchurch is easy on the eyes—an attractive mix of contemporary and modernist architecture and historic weathered bungalows on a sunny and lush coastal plain. Christchurch is suggestive of other English colonial outposts with many parks and open spaces, and is situated within reach of the South Island’s famous mountain wilderness (see Lord of the Rings). Aside from being a bit more urban, it reminds me a lot of Victoria, British Columbia, on the southern end of Vancouver Island, another so-called “Garden City.”

I’ve been wandering around town, picking up last minute accessories for my camera and computer, in addition to a decent sunburn. I never thought I’d be taking cold showers the day before I left for Antarctica. It’s summer here and the outdoor cafes and bars are packed in the afternoons. When you’re at these places you can’t help but notice a boisterous group or contemplative individual, showing some sign of being on their way back home from working on the ice. Many of them are from the South Pole station where this season’s last flight out was a few days ago. How must that feel? I was lucky enough to catch artist An-My Lê and her assistant, photographer Daniel Benson, on their way home to the East Coast. They spent seven weeks on the ice shooting military subjects as part of An-My’s 2008 NSF artist grant (the extended season is so late I am already getting lapped by next year’s grantees). An-My has an upcoming show at Murray Guy in New York. And if you like Ari Gold from Entourage, read Dan Benson’s Trip to Antarctica, why not? for a journal of their experience and some great photos of things that most blogs miss.

Later this afternoon we head over to the Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) back at the airport to pick up our Extreme Cold Weather gear (ECW). The USAP loves their acronyms (see the Dictionary of Antarctic Slang). This will be in preparation for our flight to McMurdo tomorrow morning. This will also be the first time that some of us in the extended season field party will get to meet each other. Of the roughly two dozen members, some are here, some are on the ice already, and others are due to arrive in a week or so.