This is the day I start to head home. I hung around Summer Camp lounge waiting for the plane to appear, to get some good shots. But I was a little late – it arrived sooner than I expected.
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| My plane arrives – Click to enlarge | My plane arrives – Click to enlarge |
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| My plane arrives – Click to enlarge | My plane arrives – Click to enlarge |
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| My plane arrives – Click to enlarge | About to board – Click to enlarge |
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| Onboard the LC130 – Click to enlarge | My plane arrives at Williams Field – Click to enlarge |
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| Chapel at McMurdo – Click to enlarge | Coastguard ship in the ice – Click to enlarge |
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| McMurdo from Hut Point – Click to enlarge | |
The flight wasn't until mid afternoon, so we had an easy time of it. We were taken up to Pegasus, where we had to wait in the cold for several hours, first the for plane to arrive, and then for the passengers and cargo to be taken off. Finally we boarded and were off back to New Zealand.
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| C141 after landing. Mount Erebus behind – Click to enlarge |
Once again it was a great relief to get back to Christchurch. Once I found my way out of the airport I wheeled my trolley back to the CDC. We all had to wait a while because there wasn't a staff member authorized to sign us off on our kit. But in the end they relented.
Back to the Heritage again. Bit of a small room for once, but any room with a bath is luxury!
My flight wasn't till the afternoon, so I could take it easy. I requested a shuttle to the airport, but told them I wasn't in any hurry, so I saw some more of Christchurch. I lunched at the Antarctic Centre, after a bit of shopping there.
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| Air New Zealand planes – Click to enlarge |
There was a delay at Aukland, but it didn't make any difference. I had enough time in hand.
We crossed the international date line, so it's Wednesday again. I transited through LAX easily enoguh – no hexapod to drag around this time.
I just missed a train at Paddington, but still it wasn't that late when I arrived at Cardiff, where Helen and Jamie were waiting to pick me up.
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| Cardiff Central – Click to enlarge |
So that ends my second trip to the South Pole. Maybe I'll go again one day, but I don't suppose it's very likely. My next telescope is going to go to the Atacama Desert in Chile. If I go back to the ice, it's more likely to be Dome C.