Today, we started our morning with a trip to the International Antarctic Centre, which is an amazing hands-on and interactive educational museum all about Antarctica. We went into a cold weather simulation room (practically a large walk-in-freezer with snow and ice on the ground). For an added experience, they used industrial fans and loud wind audio recordings to simulate a white out condition that ended up with a -20F windchill. While we weren't outfitted in our ECW's during the simulation, the cold air really does take your breath away. We also went in a 4D journey via Ice boat to Antarctica complete with gusty winds, sea spray, and boat-rocking ice breaking ride. We saw some blue penguins in a man-made habitat, learned all about Antarctica expedition history, and really had a great time exploring our way through the museum!
After that, we adventured on to Center City, which was loaded with hip pop-up shops in cargo shipping containers, since the earthquake devastation is still most present in the downtown area, this was their make-shift revitalization. Next, we took a walk through the Botanic Gardens and journeyed on to the Ice Festival, both in Hagley Park. The park was so incredible with so many gorgeous plants of vibrant colors. It would cheer anyone's mood just by walking through the park! The Ice Fest celebrates Antarctic culture and brings an interactive week-long festival to New Zealand. The highlights that we saw were ice skating, a photographic image gallery, and a look into Scott's Hut. There were several events during the Ice Fest timeline that we have already missed, but it was a great way to spend the afternoon regardless.
All in all, we learned a ton about Antarctica and experienced a simulation environment similar to what we should expect once we get off the plane.
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