In this first episode of the series, Marcus Lush flies to Antarctica to begin his voyage of discovery about the driest continent on Earth. He takes the survival course, learns how to dig a snow cave, and considers how the technology we take for granted today compares with what was available to those early pioneers who first challenged the terrain. He meets some of the scientists who contribute their observations and analysis to a global body of knowledge, and discovers the secrets that lie locked in the ice which reveal a past, present and possible future view of planet Earth.
Marcus goes to help on the restoration of Shackletons Hut; keeps bar on New Years Eve at Scott Base and explores a Shackleton connection in Christchurch. In this episode, Marcus looks at how things move slowly on the ice. Sometimes things move so slowly that the biggest battle isn't dealing with the conditions themselves which are daunting at the best of times. The bigger challenge is dealing with boredom and filling in the endless hours of 24 hour sunlight... so endless that it can confuse the human mind.
Marcus discovers some of the wildlife and mammals who call Antarctica home. It is a real treat being able to see the rich mammal life and the fragile environment they survive in. Marcus takes us up close to penguins and whales - as close as you can get anyway and fills us in on the animal protocols in place to manage the contact between people and animals in this tough environment. We also hear stories about the animals bought to the Antarctica by the early explorers and the legendary tale of adventuring cat Mrs Chippy.This episode explores how sledge dogs have been replaced by machines and also the measure in place to minimize the risk of viruses being transmitted from visitors to the ice on to the wild animals.Seals, penguins, dogs and skuas; and the cutest damn man-cat love story in history.
For many people, Antarctica was a one way trip - in this episode Marcus explores (in a cheerful and thoughtful way) the tragedy that has often been Antarctica. In this episode, Marcus Lush helps paint a picture of what life is like for those who have tried to live in Antarctica. He outlines the history of Scott Base and tells of Scott's fatal expedition to the South Pole. Marcus explores what it means to be part of an Antarctic expedition back then and how these adventures dealt with the tough climate, the freezing surroundings, the close quarters with their team mates and how vital their animals were to their survival.We get to see active volcano, Mt Erebus and are reminded of the fatal flight on the evening of 28 November 1979 when the "radio went silent" after a sightseeing plane crashed into the side of the mountain.
The end of Marcus' month in Antarctica, we meet two modern day heroes who walked to the pole and Marcus gets his skidoo license!
