Travelling to Antarctica is an expensive business, and lots of people want to go there. Most of them won't be able to.

People who want to travel to Antarctica as a tourist will need to pay twenty thousand dollars or more to travel on a cruise ship that sails around the coast line and gives people boat trips ashore to experience the landscape, and observe the seals and penguins. There is concern that too many tourists would harm the wildlife, and interfere with their lives too much.

Snow and ice on the beach.

 

Getting a job in Antarctica

You'd need to be really lucky to be chosen to work at Scott Base. Each year hundreds apply for the 24 positions as base staff. People need to be skilled workers at jobs like engineering, electricians or cooks. Perhaps a better bet seems to become a scientist and choose a field of study that might lead to Antarctic research. Each year there are about 200 New Zealanders who come here to work on science projects. People work on projects such as finding out more about the ozone layer, and the hole in it that appears over Antarctica each summer, letting in harmful radiation.

This is a snow cave that is being used as a science laboratory.

Transport to Antarctica

Scientists and workers usually fly down from Christchurch to the ice. Huge planes (which are very uncomfortable, and not at all like the usual passenger planes) carry people and equipment down to the ice regularly during the summer months. Inside the plane is quite dark, so it is quite a shock to see the glare of white snow when you get off. It is too dangerous to land the planes in winter, but sometimes supplies, like urgent medical supplies can be dropped by parachute. Fresh food, like fruit and vegetables is regularly flown in.