Lincoln University Farm Educational Coordinator, Lauren Roberts, had a trip down to the Southern Ocean earlier this year, on a leadership scholarship.
Here is her account of her adventure
When I applied, and got, a scholarship to travel to the Sub-Antarctic Islands and Ross Sea I was fulfilling a dream. A trip in a Russian icebreaker with Heritage Expeditions to view phenomenal wildlife and landscapes. The added advantage of not having to do cooking or laundry made me wonder where the “expedition” came in. The answer was the Southern Ocean and seasickness. However, despite the discomfort, the journey south was well worth it, and I want to share some of my observations about a part of New Zealand rarely visited.
The Snares, Auckland, and Campbell Islands, are all part of New Zealand, as well as where we have succeeded in large-scale pest elimination. The result is majestic in the abundance of wildlife. It also makes you more aware of your environment, as there could be a sea lion or a one-tonne elephant seal lounging in the grass.
Penguins, albatross and parakeets go about their business there with little attention to visitors. Making space for wildlife and actively supporting biodiversity efforts would enrich our lives on the mainland. It made me think of the important research that Lincoln University does in Pest Management, and of how we are supporting New Zeeland’s 2050 Predator Free goal.
Macquarie Island (last stop before Antarctica) is Australian and home to the best scones, a passport stamp with a penguin, and lots of elephant seals that try to sneak past base fences.
Antarctica was enormous. It is a landscape of ice and rock cliffs on a massive scale, with a few key specialised species. You really don’t get bored of taking another picture of a penguin on ice or a whale fin. There was something special about having dessert and champagne on sea ice in the company of an emperor penguin. If you are patient often they will come up to you and investigate before moving on.
Due to the lack of decay there, three smells dominate in Antarctica: fresh cold air, penguin guano and the smell of the historic huts. The polar plunge was not that cold at 0 degrees C, with the smell of the guano and the potential run-off from the colony the bigger motivator to get out of the water.
It is really a unique and beautiful place, and it was a privilege to visit it in its current splendour. Through global warming it is changing, and even on the trip we had exceptionally good weather with the highest temperature ever recorded when we had just come back from Antarctica.
The continent has strong connections with the world and an amazing beauty. The ice is melting fast, Antarctica is eroding, and we need to share our world with other species. It is why the people at Lincoln University are so important. Those that study, research, and work to make positive change to the way we produce, manage, and live, help create a more sustainable future.
You can experience her month long journey in the film “Go Further South”, being aired tomorrow (10 April) on Prime TV. The 12-hour version starts at 7.30am or you could watch the condensed three-hour version that starts at 7.30pm
