Te Tiri o te Moana | Antarctica

These stories give a small taste of Ōhinehou Lyttelton's significant role as a gateway to the icy expanse of Antarctica. It was the crucial ship refit and supply port for some of the daring forays to the southernmost continent during the early 1900s known as the ‘Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration’. Intrepid explorers such as Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, backed by nationalistic fervour and driven by the spirit of discovery and the pursuit of scientific knowledge, led expeditions which laid the groundwork for today’s understanding of Antarctica. That era was characterised by remarkable feats of endurance and bravery in the face of the harshest conditions on Earth. Later, Lyttelton port served as a base for US-ledUS led expeditions through the 1950s-1990s under Operation Deep Freeze, and continues its legacy as a host and departure point for Antarctic research activities today.