Arrival in New Zealand

I’m currently in Christchurch, New Zealand, after a 35-hour airline trip from home. Today we get outfitted for our extreme cold weather wear and briefed for our trip to McMurdo Station, Antarctica, tomorrow. I have attached our itinerary and some information about the National Science Foundation science stations in Antarctica.

Temperatures at McMurdo (latitude 77 degrees south) range between 4–21 degrees Fahrenheit, not much different from Chicago in January or February. However, we will spend much of February 10 at the South Pole (90 degrees south), where the high is about -23 degrees Fahrenheit.  October is the beginning of “summer” in Antarctica.

Regards,
John