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Christchurch (Lyttelton), New Zealand

Writer's picture: Peter AntonucciPeter Antonucci

Tuesday | February 7, 2017


We woke early and headed off the ship for our first tour since December.

On the way into town, we saw one of the massive rugby stadiums that had not been devastated by the earthquake of 2011.

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Rugby is the major sport here and if one wants to get under the skin of the Aussies, all one has to do is mention New Zealand’s superior rugby team.


But the highlight of the morning came when we visited the Canterbury Museum which is famous for its massive collection of artifacts retrieved from Antarctica, and from the huts inhabited by Robert Falcon Scott, Rauld Amundsen, and Ernest Shackleton, over 100 years ago. And this was not just a tour – this part of the museum was only open to us, and we were in a group of only five people.


This was one of the motorized sledges brought to Antarctica by Shackleton.

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Here are some of Robert Falcon Scott’s military dress ecoutrements.

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The museum was replete with items from Shackleton’s ill-fated expedition.

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The goggles demonstrate the small slits that were the only available way for the men to see through the blizzards that harassed them every day.

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This was one of the tractors used by Sir Edmund Hillary in his mad rush to the South Pole in 1958, being the first man there since Scott in 1912.

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Upstairs, we were witness to the actual pants and other items worn by Shackleton and his team.

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They had some leftover food.

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And we saw the small stoves they carried and cooked with.

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These were the chains, and collar, used on the dogs.

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We saw the dogs’ sledding blankets.

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One needs spices, so these were Scott’s.

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Downstairs, we spent time with a particular curator who was fascinated with his restoration of the various items from the Antarctic expeditions. He showed us these pennants that were flown on the sledges, and later on the Pole visits.

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These were the medals Shackleton received as a result of his famous expedition and saving all the men of his party.

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This museum was also involved in the preservation of other items. For example, this full-size blue whale is being restored, bone by bone and vertebra by vertebra.

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Back on the ship, we relaxed for much of the day since we returned by noon and had nothing to do till later in the afternoon. At one point, I want upstairs to hit golf balls, but we did not do much more than that.

Later in the day, we attended a terrific wine tasting event in Quantum hosted by famous New Zealand vintner Hans Herzog and his wife; she did most of the talking. They are a fascinating couple, originally from Switzerland, who came to New Zealand in 1994 and have been making some of the best wines in New Zealand since that time. Most of their wines are totally biodynamic and I have been a fan of their Chardonnay for years. Today, we sampled sauvignon blancs, pinot noirs, and vigoniers. It was all quite interesting, with easy comparisons to be drawn among the different vintages.

One of the most fascinating things about the presentation was the number of varietals – I believe it was 27 – they grow on their property.


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