Sacked out on our C17 on the way to New Zealand:
Some dood, oops, I mean this is Victoria in Cathedral Square in Christchurch:
Christchurch Cathedral:
View of the PGA golf course from my condo window.....all that green and no CR500's....crying shame. Nice joint at $300 a night.
The night crew, we caught, prepped for the next mission and bedded down our C17 after it gets back from Antarctica:
Our bird, she was a great jet!
Where we staged out of, Christchurch International Airport:
Cool nose art on one of the C130's:
Fields/Sea's of ice, one of a few island on the way to Antarctica. We flew 40 minutes over the frozen Antarctica ocean before we got to McMurdo Station.
Pretty soon there will be no need for pilots, here our C17 is in autopilot and flying itself:
Took this pic from the flight deck, more icy-butt-biting-cold-water and floating sheets of ice.
Getting close to Antartica, can see land finally. Pic was also taken from the flight deck:
After landing at pegasus ice runway:
The big mountain is Mt Erebis, an active volcano..you can see the smoke plume. McMurdo station is just below it on the blackish hill:
My ugly mug:
Very hostile continent! The wind alone will do you in during the winter storms. Travel is extremely treacherous. It takes them 1 hour to travel 8 miles. In fact Captain Scott perished not far from here during a storm after losing the race to the south pole.
Our bird:
All vehicles are lifted and have monster truck tires or have tank like tracks. That long thing is a bus:
Me with a some US Flags of mine that have been almost everywhere:
Me again...I am 6'3"....big freaking tires:
Unloading a Huey:
Floating down the Avon River in Christchurch...too beautiful!
Me in the Holy Grail Pub in downtown Christchurch with a beer maid full of Montieths Celtic Red Beer....mmmmmm....beer!
Big freaking steak cooked on a rock slab.....awesome!
Duvel is my favorite beer...has been for a while. We found a Belgium Beer Cafe that had Duvel. They had Duvel glasses also!!! I asked the manager if I could buy a glass off him due to the fact it is my favorite beer. He asked where I was from, I told him and said I was there for the US/Kiwi (New Zealand) Antarctica Program. He gave the the glass and a metal Duvel sign for free. Then thanked me for asking. He said most people just steal them. Here I am with my prized possession...slightly annihilated.
It was a good trip! Most Kiwi would go out of their way to make you feel at home once you told them you were on the Antarctic Program. Very nice people and nice country.
"the game of life of is not so much in holding a good hand as playing a poor hand well"
