IXMJVUHOUJIHO A N E W S B U L L E T I N OiKtffi, '^ p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e ■ NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY JAPANESE ARRIVE AT SOUTH POLE. ; - ■ PMW< ISL'fl BvMHnKrvaY MARCH, 1969 "ANTARCTIC" is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Subscription for non-members of the Antarctic Society, $2.50. Apply to the Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, New Zealand. Out of Print: Very few left: Volume 1 numbers number 8 ^_^B£ 1, 2, 9 Volume 2, numbers number 8 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 Volume 3, number 7 number 5 Some other issues are in very short supply. Copies of available issues may be obtained from the Secretary of the Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, at a cost of 50c per copy meanwhile. Indexes for volumes, 1, 2 and 3 are also available, 30c each. Copies of our predecessor, the Antarctic News Bulletin, are available at 50c per copy, except for numbers 9 and 10. The copies of numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 17 and 18 are authorised reprints. The New Zealand Antarctic Society comprises New Zealanders and overseas friends, many of whom have seen Antarctica for themselves, and all of whom are vitally interested in some phase of Antarctic exploration, development, or research. The Society has taken an active part in restoring and main taining the historic huts in the Ross Dependency, and plans to co-operate in securing suitable locations as repositories of Polar material of unique interest. There are currently two branches of the Society and functions are arranged throughout the year. You are invited to become a member. South Island residents should contact the Canterbury secretary, North Islanders should contact the Wellington secretary, and overseas residents the secretary of the New Zealand Society. For addresses see below. The membership fee includes subscription to "Antarctic". New Zealand Secretary Mr. V. E. Donnelly, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington. Branch Secretaries Canterbury: Miss Helen Claydon. P.O. Box 404, Christchurch. Wellington: Mr. V. E. Donnelly, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington. , :Nf-»". i miiiiwiiiBsiracs^ (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") Vol. 5, No. 5 MARCH, 1969 Editor: A. S. Helm, M.B.E, M.A., 37 Worcester Street, Wellington, 5. New Zealand. Assistant Editor: Mrs R. H. Wheeler. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z. CONTENTS New Zealand Antarctic News Geodesic Dome for the Pole by Nicholas Turner Ordeal in the Shackleton Range by Nicholas Turner Australian Antarctic News American Antarctic News British Antarctic Survey News French Antarctic News Magnificent Japanese Journey to South Pole News of the Sub-Antarctic Islands The Weddell Seal by Ian Stirling Victoria University Visits to Skelton Neve and Boomerang Ranq* by Peter Webb The Reader Writes Society Notes Antarctic Bookshelf Obituary: Dr Paul Siple •i . -1.. ^jjrt ANTARCTIC March, 1969 NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC NEWS LATE SUPPLIES TO VANDA McMurdo Sound. A helicopter from the "Burton Island" was able to The sea ice highway from Scott land the cargo in the Bay of Sails, Base to Vanda Station has been alongside a New Zealand wanigan, broken until the sea north of the left there as a refugee hut during stranded moraines freezes over, later the summer. in the winter. The supplies included recorders A four-man party consisting of for the micro-meteorological pro Robin Foubister, Noel Wilson, Chris gramme being run from Vanda in Rickards and David Blackbourn, at tne Wright Valley, and last-minute tempted to cross the sea ice of Mc- mail. Iney were picked up by a Murdo Sound by dog team. tnree-man party from Vanda con sisting of New Zealanders Bill Lucy, They hoped to meet up with a Warren John* ->"<"' ^~ narty from Vanda Station to deliver change scie uipment for the Vanda pro three men set out on a tractor to gramme. collect the stores, but their chosen route was almost barred by the The Scott Base party, travelling with two heavily laden sledges pull- terminal face of the Lower Wriabt l by 21 huskies, left Scott Base on Glacier. At first their tractor irch 1, and made their first camp unable to climb the icy wall, uu the sea ice about 12 miles out. men anchored a strong rope at top of the face and fixed the lower The next day they covered the end to the tracks of the tractor. remaining 20 miles, to camp under The party was then able to winch the ice cliffs of the terminal face of the tractor up a length of the tracks the Blue Glacier. at a time. They returned to Vanda at the end of their arduous three-day It was hoped that it would be trip on March 18. possible to pull the sledges up to the Bowers Piedmont Glacier, just to the north of the Blue Glacier, but the approaches were cut off by open water. Killer whales were seen spouting NICOLAS TURNER BACK IN along the ice edge, only 20U yards from the route ot the sledges. Sev NEW ZEALAND eral groups of Emperor penguins Nicholas Turner, the well-known were also standing along the ice journalist who has been covering edge. The weather during the trip events in South-East Asia for several was mostly fine and sunny, with years, is now back in New Zealand. Though he has been acclaimed for temperatures down to minus 10 de his work in Viet-Nam, his connec grees F, and winds up to 20 knots. tions with the Antarctic are not so The cargo for Vanda was returned widely known. to Scott Base on March 4 and put He was with the Editor on the on board the U.S.S. "Burton Island" evening when word was received to be carried to the western side of that Sir Edmund Hillary had reach- 'WW.L' March, 1969 ANTARCTIC ed the South Pole on the first over Like all other stations on the ice land motorised trip to the bottom surface, it will eventually be covered of the world, and Nick covered the by drifts of wind-blown snow, and story not only for New Zealand will have to be abandoned as it newspapers but for the rest of the becomes crushed under the weight, world. Then he accompanied Sir like the present station. Vivian Fuchs and the British party Major Barber says the new station to England on board the "Rangi- is designed for a life of 10 to 15 toto." During four years in London years, by which time it will be obso he spent a good deal of time on lescent both structurally and scien Antarctic research at the South tifically. Polar Research Institute at Cam The dome and wonder-arch were bridge and the Royal Geographical selected after consideration of sev Society in London. In 1961-62 he eral alternative designs, on the basis made a three-week visit to Mc- of cost, construction problems, func Murdo with the Americans, and has tional layout, drift control and iust returned from a short "re safety. fresher" to the Antarctic. While at It is estimated to cost $1.8 million McMurdo and again in Christchurch but Major Barber believes the figure he had a long talk with Ken Blaik- will rise to over $2 million. Con lock who was very disappointed that struction will be carried out by 250 he did not have the time to come to Navy Seabees over a two-month Wellington to renew old friendships. period, and the complex should be Nick has kindly contributed the ready for occupation by the 1972 two following articles for Antarctic. winter-over party. Sixty-eight flights by Hercules air craft will be required to airlift about 700 tons of construction material from McMurdo to the Pole. GEODESIC DOME FOR THE Originally the station's sky-lab was fo have been sited at the summit of POLE the geodesic dome, but this has been By NICHOLAS TURNER ruled out on grounds of possible unequal settlement of the dome in A geodesic dome will be the cen the polar <ce. The sky-lab will be tral feature of the new American in a small separate building con station at the South Pole, scheduled nected to the dome. for construction during the 1971-72 Soace has been set aside in the summer. The dome, prefabricated wonder arch tunnel for drilling and in aluminium, will provide the outer nrobing operations down into the cover for the living and working ice-cap. quarters for 16 men wintering-over and 32 men in summer. The dome will be 44 feet high and 164 feet in diameter, according to Major Don W. Barber of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineering, who is ORDEAL IN THE at present attached to the Navy for construction work in Antarctica. SHAGKLETON RANGE Fuel stores, vehicle parking and repair facilities, generators and By NICHOLAS TURNER other major equipment will be housed in a "wonder arch" tunnel A recent visitor to Christchurch 20 feet high and 580 feet long which was well-known Antarctic veteran, will be linked to the dome by a Ken Blaiklock, who is remembered short connecting passage. here as a member of S'r Vivian The entire station will be built on Fuchs's TAE party in 1957-58. He the surface, and tests are currently was returning from what he de being carried out to determine the scribed as "definitely my last trip, optimum angle at which the com I think." His tally of over eight plex should be sited in relation to years in Antarctica is believed to be the prevailing wind.