Doubts about Pole reunion

Press, 20 February 1988, Page 3

Doubts about Pole reunion

By

CHRIS MOORE and iVONNE MULDER

American Antarctic authorities yesterday cast doubt on the proposed South Pole reunion of descendants of members of the 1911 Scott and Amundsen Polar expeditions. Ten descendants hope to travel from Christchurch to the Pole in October for a seventy-fifth anniversary reunion. Family members from Britain and Norway are expected to be joined by Antarctic enthusiasts for the occasion. The reunion is the result of three years of

planning by a young Irish polar enthusiast, Paul Lynch. But the American National Science Foundation has now indicated that the group’s chartered Swiss Hercules aircraft might not be given permission to land. According to the foundation’s head of Antarctic staff, Dr Tony Inderbitzen, official policy is that the authorities will not give assistance to any private expedition or visit to Antarctica. The chartered Hercules has no authority to land either at the Pole or at McMurdo Station. "It would be extremely hazardous for any plane to land in Antarctica on anything else than a prepared airstrip,” Dr Inderbitzen said. Mr Lynch met National Science Foundation representatives in Christchurch yesterday. He had earlier said that in spite of the lack of co-operation from American Antarctic authorities, the reunion would proceed. Reunion members will assemble in Christchurch where they will be joined by other Antarctic enthusiasts for the flight to the Ice.