A very special visitor: The PM comes to Camp K892
I've been fortunate to enjoy many unique opportunities as a result of being involved in Antarctic research. But the chance to give New Zealand's Prime Minister a hands-on experience of science at my containerised field camp is a pretty remarkable stand-out.
Our PM was 'treated' to the full Antarctic experience… her initial attempt to fly south on the NZDF C-130 Herc got part-way here but had to return to Christchurch on account of the conditions of weather and visibility here at Phoenix airfield – an Antarctic 'boomerang' flight. On the same day, the USAF C-17 had been able to land with a combination of cargo and personnel on board – including our very own Vanessa and Adam, as well as a couple of the PM's entourage.
So, after waiting for the night in Christchurch, Ms Adern did make it down the following day on the USAF C-17 with the remainder of her crew, including her partner Clarke Gayford and some of the AntNZ board members. She was then taken on a whirlwind tour by helicopter to some of the intrinsically fascinating locations that kiwis do their science here – I believe that the Dry Valleys and Marble Point were on the hit list. We had expected them to drop in to our camp on the return to Scott Base, but it got too late in the day, and their visit to the K892 camp was postponed by a day until Friday 28th October.
This turned out to be somewhat useful for us… very late on the evening prior, we finally took delivery of the remainder of our cargo. Johno and Kate came out from Scott Base in the PB300 – arriving ~10.30 pm – to clear the snow that had drifted around the camp, and dragging the sled laden with our sampling kit behind them. Craig set to work early the next morning in an effort to have the sampler to demonstrate. Alas, it was not to be – there was simply too much to do, and it's not a job that can be rushed. We decided to use videos and images from last year's field season to paint the picture of this ground-breaking capability instead.
At ~1300 we heard the call over the radio that Antony Powell was leaving Scott Base driving a Hagglunds bound for our camp. Thus we received ~20 minutes advance warning that there would be 11 visitors! On arrival, after an extensive round of introductions, the visitors proceeded to the kitchen container, where Ken and I gave them an overview of the science we are conducting here. I was genuinely impressed with the obvious and enthusiastic engagement with the science, the quality and perceptiveness of the questions, and the appreciation of the general scientific context for the work we are conducting.
Next, we showed them our labs – some came with me to see the hydroholes, with Greg and Nina operating the underwater live camera feed. The rest went with Ken to look at diatoms under the microscope in the biology lab with Jacqui and Svenja. This was another great session of delving down into the detail of what we're looking for, how the physics and biology fit together, and some very large-scale context.
It was lovely for me that Ms Adern sought me out of four separate occasions to have conversations on different aspects – and was happy to do so in front of Vanessa's camera for the doco. In fact, she'd already had a quiet word with Vanessa so that she could get a sense of what the doco was about especially so that she could bend some of the conversation in useful directions for the film. So, we shared our experiences of what it's like to be a busy mum needing to be away from children for work; discussed what is needed to secure the future of Antarctic science, and talked about the weight of climate change and the urgent need for society to respond in a real and relevant way. She assured me that I was not alone in being kept awake at night worrying about the future of the planet we're leaving for our children. And pointed out that, although there was a long way to go, it really wasn't so long ago that debate was still being had on whether climate change was even re
al… A
lot of societal and cultural progress has been made in the past couple of decades…
Finally, it was time for a round of selfies and promo photo ops. Ms Adern was very generous, allowing time for everyone in the K892 team to have a photo taken. She even grabbed me for a selfie on her own phone! Ken and I handed around the fresh scones, and then the group reluctantly allowed themselves to be herded back into the Hagglunds for the trip back to Scott Base. Their plan was to have dinner followed by a walk on the pressure ridges before heading out to the airfield for a (very) late flight back directly to Wellington on the NZ C-130 Herc.
Apparently, things also didn't go to plan there, and they were turned around enroute to the airfield with a further overnight delay at Scott Base. A rather hurried rearrangement of beds and bedrooms was required to accommodate the delegation, with Scott Base literally over-subscribed for the night (I'm told that some SB staff ended up sleeping on couches while others took the ~5 km trek out to the Square Frame hut to find a bed for the night!)
Reflecting on the visit, we were all struck by our PM's genuine interest in the science, her humility and grace, and her extraordinary ability to put us all at our ease. She was clearly highly skilled in engaging at all levels while remaining remarkably down-to-earth. The whole delegation was clearly delighted with their visit to our camp. For our part, it was an utter pleasure and privilege to host the group, and one that will be remembered for a very long time to come.
Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.
Our PM was 'treated' to the full Antarctic experience… her initial attempt to fly south on the NZDF C-130 Herc got part-way here but had to return to Christchurch on account of the conditions of weather and visibility here at Phoenix airfield – an Antarctic 'boomerang' flight. On the same day, the USAF C-17 had been able to land with a combination of cargo and personnel on board – including our very own Vanessa and Adam, as well as a couple of the PM's entourage.
So, after waiting for the night in Christchurch, Ms Adern did make it down the following day on the USAF C-17 with the remainder of her crew, including her partner Clarke Gayford and some of the AntNZ board members. She was then taken on a whirlwind tour by helicopter to some of the intrinsically fascinating locations that kiwis do their science here – I believe that the Dry Valleys and Marble Point were on the hit list. We had expected them to drop in to our camp on the return to Scott Base, but it got too late in the day, and their visit to the K892 camp was postponed by a day until Friday 28th October.
This turned out to be somewhat useful for us… very late on the evening prior, we finally took delivery of the remainder of our cargo. Johno and Kate came out from Scott Base in the PB300 – arriving ~10.30 pm – to clear the snow that had drifted around the camp, and dragging the sled laden with our sampling kit behind them. Craig set to work early the next morning in an effort to have the sampler to demonstrate. Alas, it was not to be – there was simply too much to do, and it's not a job that can be rushed. We decided to use videos and images from last year's field season to paint the picture of this ground-breaking capability instead.
At ~1300 we heard the call over the radio that Antony Powell was leaving Scott Base driving a Hagglunds bound for our camp. Thus we received ~20 minutes advance warning that there would be 11 visitors! On arrival, after an extensive round of introductions, the visitors proceeded to the kitchen container, where Ken and I gave them an overview of the science we are conducting here. I was genuinely impressed with the obvious and enthusiastic engagement with the science, the quality and perceptiveness of the questions, and the appreciation of the general scientific context for the work we are conducting.
Next, we showed them our labs – some came with me to see the hydroholes, with Greg and Nina operating the underwater live camera feed. The rest went with Ken to look at diatoms under the microscope in the biology lab with Jacqui and Svenja. This was another great session of delving down into the detail of what we're looking for, how the physics and biology fit together, and some very large-scale context.
It was lovely for me that Ms Adern sought me out of four separate occasions to have conversations on different aspects – and was happy to do so in front of Vanessa's camera for the doco. In fact, she'd already had a quiet word with Vanessa so that she could get a sense of what the doco was about especially so that she could bend some of the conversation in useful directions for the film. So, we shared our experiences of what it's like to be a busy mum needing to be away from children for work; discussed what is needed to secure the future of Antarctic science, and talked about the weight of climate change and the urgent need for society to respond in a real and relevant way. She assured me that I was not alone in being kept awake at night worrying about the future of the planet we're leaving for our children. And pointed out that, although there was a long way to go, it really wasn't so long ago that debate was still being had on whether climate change was even re
al… A
lot of societal and cultural progress has been made in the past couple of decades…
Finally, it was time for a round of selfies and promo photo ops. Ms Adern was very generous, allowing time for everyone in the K892 team to have a photo taken. She even grabbed me for a selfie on her own phone! Ken and I handed around the fresh scones, and then the group reluctantly allowed themselves to be herded back into the Hagglunds for the trip back to Scott Base. Their plan was to have dinner followed by a walk on the pressure ridges before heading out to the airfield for a (very) late flight back directly to Wellington on the NZ C-130 Herc.
Apparently, things also didn't go to plan there, and they were turned around enroute to the airfield with a further overnight delay at Scott Base. A rather hurried rearrangement of beds and bedrooms was required to accommodate the delegation, with Scott Base literally over-subscribed for the night (I'm told that some SB staff ended up sleeping on couches while others took the ~5 km trek out to the Square Frame hut to find a bed for the night!)
Reflecting on the visit, we were all struck by our PM's genuine interest in the science, her humility and grace, and her extraordinary ability to put us all at our ease. She was clearly highly skilled in engaging at all levels while remaining remarkably down-to-earth. The whole delegation was clearly delighted with their visit to our camp. For our part, it was an utter pleasure and privilege to host the group, and one that will be remembered for a very long time to come.
Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.
Evie would like to know if bunny met the PM too?? Hehe
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