Pole star
Words Luke Williamson
While you were eating your Christmas lunch, 28-year-old Laura Andrews was three-quarters of the way into her 1000-kilometre ski trek to the South Pole, weathering temperatures that averaged minus 25-30°C, and as low as minus 49°C when the wind chill factor was included. That’s extreme even for this remarkable young woman who has hiked the South Island section of Te Araroa and cycled the length of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The expedition was run by Antarctic Heritage Trust. Their goal is to inspire a new generation of explorers who understand the legacy of Antarctica’s heroic-era explorers, and are motivated to protect the explorer bases and artefacts left behind over a century ago.
“I saw the Inspiring Explorers expedition in 2017 on social media, when they crossed Greenland, and I was absolutely hooked,’ says Laura. ‘I thought, I really want to be that person. I applied for a couple and wasn't successful, and this was the next big one. It was bigger than anything I'd done before and would really push me, so I threw myself into the application.”
That application was successful, and Laura thinks her qualities of strength, positivity, teamwork and medical skills all counted in her favour – Laura is a firefighter and medical first responder for Auckland Airport Emergency Services. She also considers her strong sense of heritage, developed while growing up in Waipu, to have been an advantage. “My family is descended from immigrants who came on the Margaret in the 1850s. We spent a long time learning about our history, and I really related when it came to the resilience and bravery of the early explorers of Antarctica.”
Merely surviving this trip is a testament to Laura’s physical and mental fortitude. “Humans aren’t made to survive in Antarctica, it's a really hostile environment. Cuts and injuries don't heal, and your body starts to slowly break down from the day you start. After 50 days, you really feel it.”
However, none of that outweighed the upside of the adventure, and Laura’s enthusiastic retelling of the highlights is infectious, “Physically it was amazing but, emotionally, working in a team like that was incredible. We were really positive and kind of had a good day every day,” she laughs. “When I arrived, I was scared of two things – frostbite and being the weakest link. Both of those things happened, but the frostbite was superficial and has already healed, and the days when I was the weakest link, I was supported by a strong team.” On suggesting she returned the favour when others were struggling, she replies, “Yeah, exactly. You carry them when they have a tough day and it’s amazing to be part of a group like that.”
What of the magical moments in an extreme environment like Antarctica? “The first time it snowed,” says Laura, wistfully, “they were the most perfect little snowflakes and, because it was so cold, they didn't melt to each other and they didn't melt on us. It was magical and beautiful, and I cried. Down there, you're such a pure form of yourself and emotions run high. The sun would be shining on my amazing team who were inspiring me, and I was aware of being so far away from everything in this most beautiful part of the world. I was almost euphoric about where I was and what I was doing.”
Her travel diary mentions ‘sun dogs’; Laura explains: ‘A sun dog is a false sun that appears on the horizon at the cardinal points and they look like rainbow suns. As we got towards the last degree, we got sun dogs almost every day. It looks like heaven,’ she says. “There was a glowing light that was so beautiful. I turned around and saw my team mates walking out of it and it looked like the most heroic thing you’ve ever seen.”
The euphoria is still apparent as Laura describes her experiences, but the return home has been jarring, “Re-immersion back into the world was really hard. It was very noisy and pretty overwhelming.”
For someone with this sort of inquisitiveness and lust-for-life, what could the next goal possibly be? “The North Pole!” says Laura, without hesitation. “It’s also very cold, but the ice is moving on the ocean. You have to develop sea-legs and jump between icebergs, and there’s polar bears, so there are a few more hazards to deal with. I’d like to build up my skill set enough that I could be a leader and take some other Inspiring Explorers candidates, and share the love! I’ve had an amazing gift being part of the South Pole expedition and I want to make the most of that.”
If you feel the spirit of adventure stirring in you, check out the amazing Antarctic Heritage Trust website and consider their next Inspiring Explorers expedition.