Sir Edmund Hillary Explorer Tour - Mon 17 Apr 2023

Instructions for our Day 3; 8:15 Board coaches for International Antartic Centre by the Christchurch Airport. First up after Meet and Greet, we were guided into the Penguin Encounter section.

Whilst wandering through the upper part of the viewing circuit, I saw Melissa pop into view from the lower level, with her camera ready to catch a suitable moment of action from the Penguins

One of the attractions at the centre is the Swedish-made Hägglunds dual-cab all-terrain vehicles used for transport on the ice. The vehicles at the International Antarctic Centre are similar to those used in Antarctic operations, but have been adapted for the visitor experience at the centre. The first Hägglunds arrived in 1999, and in the next 12 months, more than 27,000 people took a ride around the visitor centre in the vehicle. In 2001, a second Hägglunds all-terrain vehicle was added to the attraction, along with a mock 1.2 metres (3 ft 11 in) crevasse on the vehicle route. The centre reported that 40,000 people per year were taking a ride in the Hägglunds.
This was quite an adventure on the circuit that the driver gave a commentary on, with some teasing hints that 'you might want to hang on tight'. As we were tossed from side to side, determinedly hanging onto the straps above us - and generating much laughter and comment.

After the Hägglund experience we were led back inside to a simulated Ice Blast experience.

As Wikipedia explains, "In September 2003, the centre opened a new attraction: the Antarctic Storm. This provides visitors with a 3-minute exposure to a simulated Antarctic blizzard, with wind chill temperatures down to −25 °C (−13 °F)."

Then we were led to a video theatre where Joe, the dog handler was going to brief us on the history and current use of dogs (not all Husky) in Antarctica

From the Antarctic working dog briefing we were taken to a special theatre for a '4 D' experience. I voiced a thought that the 4th dimension might relate to the seating, getting back a hinting suggestion that yes, the seats may have something to do with what were about to experience. Sure enough there was rocking of the seats to match rough seas but also there were tiny

jets of water that lightly sprayed the audience to add to that feeling of being tossed around in a boat - and when a bird flying away from the camera opened up its 'after burner' that caused some involuntary lurching away motion from the audience.