A love letter to Christchurch

A bad weather window interrupts our regularly scheduled programming. I write this now thinking about our last stop before we departed for the ice. A beautiful city full of wonderful people, good food, and green grass.

Paola and Sarai walk through the incredible botanical gardens

When most people think of Antarctica, few think of Christchurch... but they should! It is one of five Antarctic 'gateway cities' alongside Ushuaia (Argentina), Punta Arenas (Chile), Hobart (Australia), and Cape Town (South Africa). Gateway cities are defined by their close proximity to the Antarctic, along with incredible amounts of infrastructure and support to get materials, cargo, and people down to the Antarctic in the name of science.

An example of the infrastructure in Christchurch supporting Antarctic logistics: the air post office for the US Antarctic Program!

Christchurch's support for Antarctic expeditions goes back nearly as far as Antarctic expeditions have been happening! In fact, the explorer Robert Falcon Scott used Christchurch's closest port Lyttelton as his final port of call before his expeditions in both 1901 and 1910. The city has since constructed a statue in his honor.

Port Lyttelton from a distance: steeped in Antarctic history!

And on a personal note, I felt incredibly welcome in Christchurch, and met wonderfully nice people who had amassed a wealth of stories from those coming to and from the ice. The natural beauty was bountiful, including lush botanical gardens, hikes with blooming flowers, and day-old lambs on the outskirts of the city.

We happened to be there during lambing season. It was absolutely amazing to watch lambs spend their first few days on earth!

So to all those who live in Christchurch: thank you for sharing your home, your stories, and your time with those of us passing through. And I look forward to flying back your way in a few months!