Mr McAlpine’s Four Days In Antarctica

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28413, 21 October 1957, Page 12

Mr McAlpine’s Four Days In Antarctica

[From DENIS V, EDERELL, “The Press” Correspondent with, the U.S. Antarctic expedition.]

McMURDO SOUND, October 19. The four-day visit to the Antarctic by the Minister of Labour (Mr J. K. McAlpine) ended this evening when Lieutenant-Com-mander Harold Hanson lifted his Skymaster off the end of Williams ice airstrip. McMurdo Sound, and set course for Christchurch. Since his arrival aboard the Pan American Airways Stratocruiser on Tuesday evening. Mr McAlpine has flown over Mount Erebus, seen the site at Marble Point to be surveyed for an allyear airstrip on land. photographed Emperor penguins at their isolated Cape Crozier rookery from a low-flying Neptune, landed beside the New Zealand Antarctic expedition trail party to meet Sir Edmund Hillary, flown in the Globemaster making the first airdrop of the season over the South Pole, and stayed overnight at Scott Base. The Minister said last evening that he was greatly impressed by the hospitality here and the attitude of the Americans towards their friends. “I can’t imagine any more which could have been done for me than has been done.” Flight in Neptune Mr McAlpine's planned flight to Little America in a United States Navy Neptune was cancelled by ■poor weather around Kainan Bay. the site of that base, but within an hour a new flight had been ' arranged, and he and Mr Francis [Russell, the United States Ambassador to New Zealand, took off for a ‘‘tourist trip” around .McMurdo Sound. Commander I Vernon Coley, officer commanding .the Navy VX6 Squadron, flew his i guests low over Cape Evans. : where Captain Scott built his hut for his last expedition, and Cape Royds. site of Shackleton's hut. Disappointed that there were no penguins to be seen at Cape Royds. Commander Coley turned westward across the bay ice to Cape Bernacchi and Marble Point, where the Americans will this summer survey a site for an ■all-year airstrip on the volcanic ' rock. | Still hoping for some penguins— I “We can’t take them back withiout finding some, somehow" Commander Coley headed eastward again to Cape Crozier, on [the far side of Ross Island, and was delighted to see a large group of Emperors on the ice. Mr • McAlpine, shooting photographs through the aircraft window, estimated that there were 500 or more. Meeting with Hillary After flying twice around the crater of Erebus. Ross Island’s jactive volcano. Commander Coley [suggested that his guests might i like to fly low over Sir Edmund Hillary, leading the New Zealand (tractor train out over the Ross ice [shelf towards the Skelton glacier. ■Two passes showed Commander [Coley that he could put down his ski-equipped Neptune with ease. ,and he landed beside Sir Edmund Hillary and his four-man tractor itrain. j Sir Edmund Hillary walked forward smiling to meet his unexpected visitors. He told Mr McAlpine that he had experienced some icing in the carburettor of the weasel, but it had by then been repaired by Mr Murray Ellis. ' the engineer and weasel-driver, and they were ready to get under way again when the Neptune (came overhead. The Neptune’s twin engines I were kept at a brisk idle to prevent icing while the two men

talked, and after 10 minutes the party climbed back aboard for the return to McMurdo Sound. Thursday’s Globemaster airdrop flight was tiring, but most interesting. Mr McAlpine was on the flight deck by Colonel William Forwood, pilot and U.S.A.F. task group commander. when the South Pole was sighted. After the drop, which was spoilt only by the splitting of one of the drums of diesel fuel, the Globemaster swung away northward over the polar plateau towards the Beardmore glacier, the route down to the Ross ice shelf, 8000 ft below. Visit to Scott Base That night Mr McAlpine went by tractor to Scott Base, two miles away over the hill, to spend the night. Mr Russell was also the guest of the New Zealanders. Friday morning's departure ot Mr J. Holmes Miller, the deputyleader, and Dr. George Marsh, by Beaver aircraft for the Skelton glacier was delayed, and before lunch Mr Harry Ayres and Mr Roy Carlyon drove Mr McAlpine and Mr Russell around Cape Armitage to the United States base at Hut Point by dog sledge. Before they left, Squadron Leader John Claydon showed Mr McAlpine how to close up his storm hood so that only his eyes were showing. The temperature was well below zero, and a brisk breeze was blowing. Today, his last day in the dependency—his flight back to Christchurch last night was postponed when high winds were reported over the route —Mr McAlpine was taken on a tour of the base by Lieutenant-Commander Scott Marshall, the officer in charge during the winter. With Mr Russell he saw the communications building, the aircraft stores, and repair shops, radio shops, chapel, power house, transmitter building on the hill behind the camp, and completed the tour with a visit to the aerology and air operations building. Ihroughout his tour Mr McAlpine has been delighted to meet both Americans and New Zealanders working here, to find out what they are doing, and has himself been a marked man around Hut Point. No-one with such a brilliant orange suit could ( possibly escape notice where almost all is Navy olive drab or Air Force blue-grey. City Journalist To Go To Antarctica A Christchurch journalist, Mr Douglas McKenzie, has been appointed reporter with the New Zealand Antarctic Expedition during the coming summer. This has been announced by the Ross i Sea Committee. Mr McKenzie is a senior reporter on the staff of the Christchurch "Star-Sun.'’ He is 40. and is married, with three children He was born in Christchurch and was educated at the Christchurch Boys’ High School. He

went to Britain in 1937 to take a short-service commission in the Royal Air Force and was wounded and shot down over France in 19-iO and made a prisoner of war. When be was demobilised in 19 47 he unned the Colonial Administration. and tn 1953 returned to New Zealand.