Ambassador Tidy Kiwi

Hi,

I'm Tidy Kiwi and I love helping out, I dislike rubbish and mess. I've been on only one holiday which was three years ago (a cruise). So I'm really looking forward to my Antarctic adventure. I am a bit worried about being away as I keep thinking of the children at Morrinsville School. I wonder if they will keep the school grounds free of litter while I'm away?

Talk soon,

Tidy Kiwi.

Tuesday 13th November

Kia ora,

I was so excited about going to Antarctica that I didn’t sleep at all last night. Luckily our flight left on time and we all settled in for the long, five-hour journey to the ice. C17 aircraft aren’t really built for comfort. We had to sit along the side of the plane as cargo filled most of the aircraft. The plane only has a couple of windows at the front and back. We all took turns to walk to one of the tiny windows to look out. Eventually we caught our first glimpse of sea ice. Later we could see miles of mountains poking up out of the Antarctic ice.

It was such an amazing feeling to leave the plane and walk out across the ice. Everything looked white. I couldn’t see where the ice ended, and the sky began. We are now making ourselves at home at Scott Base and will begin our field training tomorrow.

See you then,

Tidy Kiwi.

Wednesday 14th November

Kia ora,

Today we learned everything we need to know to stay safe in Antarctica. I also put my first aid skills to the test and helped save a patient who had (pretend) crashed their skidoo. Unfortunately, we will not be using the skidoos because they are all booked out. Instead we learned how to drive a Pisten Bully which is a really cool vehicle that runs on tracks like a bulldozer. I am slowly getting to know my way around Scott Base and have made lots of friends with the people who work here. They love that I am helping to keep everything clean and tidy.

Tomorrow we are off to Cape Evans, see you then.

Tidy Kiwi.

Thursday 15th November

Kia ora koutou,

After successfully completing our field training yesterday we were ready to head out to Cape Evans. It was such a good feeling to leave Scott Base behind and explore the real Antarctica. I was surprised at how bumpy the ride across the sea ice was. Snow builds up on the ice, blown by the wind. Other vehicles also use the same marked routed and leave big ruts in the snow. It was nice to meet some members of the K043 team and see how they had set up their field camp. I can’t wait to help them with their science. I think I will also have to help them to keep their camp tidy. I can’t wait to camp out with the team tomorrow night.

See you then,

Tidy Kiwi.

Friday 16th November

Kia ora,

We headed back out to Cape Evans to help the scientists set up experiments. I learned how to snow garden. We shovelled different amounts of snow on to the sea ice, so the scientists could see how it affected the algae that grows beneath. It was hard work but it stopped me from getting cold. I also learned how to pitch a different type of tent. It took a bit of problem solving with five different poles to arrange but we got there in the end. Now I’m looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

See you tomorrow,

Tidy Kiwi.

Monday 19th November

Kia ora,

I survived my first night out camping in Antarctica. It was hard to sleep with the bright sunlight, but I managed eventually. We spent the weekend back at Scott Base and headed back out to Cape Evans on Monday. The scientists had decided to drill a new hole in the sea ice and we helped them out. This got really boring really quickly but then we got distracted with the arrival of 6 emperor penguins. They were so cool. They waddled all around our camp and came really close to us. It was the highlight of the trip! Well, I’m heading off to bed so that I’m full of energy tomorrow and can make the most of our last day in Antarctica.

Bye for now,

Tidy Kiwi.

Tuesday 20th November

Kia ora koutou,

We spent one last day out at Cape Evans and saw some of the equipment that the scientists are using to study sea ice algae. I even saw some algae under the microscope. We ended the day with a midnight wander around the pressure ridges outside Scott Base. These ridges are formed where the sea ice meets the Ross Ice Shelf. I have had a wonderful time down here in Antarctica but I’m looking forward to getting home to see you all.

See you soon,

Tidy Kiwi.