Welcome to Polar Research

Currently am sitting in a rather comfortable hotel room in Christchurch, New Zealand, waiting for word for when I will get to fly to McMurdo station, Antarctica. While the T-shirt weather is nice for a Canadian who is used to sweaters in January, I am more than anxious to get out onto the ice in the Antarctic. We were supposed to leave 2 days ago, and the current plan is to not leave for another 2 days. The runway in McMurdo was too slushy and soft for planes to land (lets wish for some cold weather!),  and there is a backlog of people that are waiting to get to the ice.

Upon letting Lyle (my PI)  know that I was still in New Zealand, and not the Antarctic as planned, I got a simple email: Welcome to polar research and travel, expect more of the same as the weather essentially dictates everything you will attempt to do. 

I am making the most of more delays as any naturalist would: checking out the calderas, hot springs, and hiking trails that New Zealand has to offer (this beats getting delayed at the airport!).

While I'm off exploring, check out this video from my lab about polar research and astrobiology in the Canadian High Arctic.  Searching for Life on Mars

Akaroa caldera