Despite the inherent danger, Dunedin conservationist Libby Manning is champing at the bit to follow in the footsteps of heroic Antarctic explorers such as Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Roald Amundsen.
The 24-year-old Royal Albatross Centre guide and educator is one of eight New Zealanders selected to help crew the historic tall ship Barque Europa as part of the Antarctic Heritage Trust’s Inspiring Explorers Expedition from Ushuaia, Argentina, across the notorious Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula next month.
"It’s going to be exciting and terrifying — but in the best way.
"The conservationist in me is looking forward to seeing the albatross in their natural environment — seeing where they go and what they do when they’re not at Taiaroa Head.
"I’m not really a religious person, but in terms of the spiritual sense, there’s just something really powerful to me about albatross.
"I’m also really keen to get in that mindset of the early explorers who were completely out in the wilderness, so far away from home, and all they had was the seabirds and the wildlife as their confidant.
"There’s something really calming about the idea of sailing with them, even though it’s going to be a pretty rough sea.
"They make you feel like you’re not alone out there."
Miss Manning said she had been on boats a lot but had very little experience at sailing.
"It’s going to be a very steep learning curve for me.
"I’ve been on a few rocky boats out into the Southern Ocean, but I’m definitely going to be packing a pair of sea legs and oiling them and whatever else I can do to make sure I’m not the one being sick all over the ship."
The expedition was more than a voyage — it was a chance to live out a childhood dream and push beyond her comfort zone.
"Antarctica has always felt like a far-off dream.
"To experience such a raw, untouched landscape, and to do it the way early explorers did — by sea, as part of a team — feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
During the month-long expedition, she will learn to manually hoist sails, take the helm, and stand watch for icebergs and wildlife as part of a rotating system during the crossing.
Once in Antarctica, they will spend a week exploring icebergs, glaciers and snow-covered mountains, encounter wildlife such as whales, seals and penguins, and visit some of the huts of the early explorers.
She saw the expedition as a way to amplify advocacy and inspire others to care about the fragile environment there.
"Not many people get to see Antarctica first-hand.
"So, I think it’s incredibly important to have stories coming from these places where people might not be able to have one-on-one interaction ... [and get] people to care about it.
"If we can turn passion into action, that’s how we make a difference."
