Drive to save Hillary’s Antarctic legacy pushes south

Media Release for immediate use Tuesday 6 September 2016

Drive to save Sir Edmund Hillary’s Antarctic legacy pushes south

Expedition South, the small intrepid team on a 2012-kilometre tractor journey to help raise $1 million to save Sir Edmund Hillary’s hut in Antarctica, is about to cross Cook Strait.

The team set off on three tractors – two of them vintage TE20 Fergusons – from Piha Beach on 28 August. They will cross Cook Strait, thanks to Bluebridge Ferry, on Wednesday 7 September (details in the accompanying advisory).

Their final destination will (hopefully!) be Aoraki Mount Cook though expedition leader Al Fastier says it will be a big effort to get there.

“We have so far travelled close to 1,000 kilometres through some atrocious weather, we have had more than one mechanical failure and are accutely aware the most difficult stages are still to come,” says Al.

The total distance they will travel, 2012-kilometres, is the same as Sir Ed’s team drove from Scott Base to the South Pole on their historic expedition in 1957-8. The TE20 tractors are the same as those Sir Ed rode, the third tractor on Expedition South is a modern Antarctica 2 Massey Ferguson tractor.

Al Fastier says it’s good to have that support.

“The little 60 year old Fergies are the real heroes here, but there is still a long way to go!"

So far the Antarctic Heritage Trust has raised nearly $590,000 of the $1 million dollars it needs to save Sir Edmund Hillary’s hut in Antarctica, along with the artefacts inside it, and preserve them for 25 years.

The Trust’s Executive Director Nigel Watson says they’re hopeful the South Island stage of the expedition will attract even more donations.

“The reception on the road so far has been amazing – people tooting, waving and putting $5 notes into the collection box. We’re delighted that the donations have been coming in online too with our givealittle page raising more than $8,000."

The easiest way for the public to donate online is via givealittle.co.nz or expeditionsouth.nz.

“We are hoping that even more kiwis will chip in and donate via givealittle to help us save this important slice of kiwi history,” concludes Nigel Watson.

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