Tuesday in Christchurch

Today I went to Antarctic New Zealand to go through Scott Base reports from the 1960/63 era. Unfortuantely they no longer had the Base reports only those from the field parties. I manages to photograph the revalant ones including the full naval report on the Endeavour's trip. Good I thought but when I got back to hotel and transfered all the data to my Ipad I notice I had the wrong year. The report I photographed had the ship leaving Wellington on the 27 December 1960 and I left on the 27 December 1959. However the rest of data was well worth the trip.

In the afternoon I went to the Wigran Airforce Musuem to get some photos of the Antarctic Flight Auster (the real one) and Beaver (not the real one its still in the Antarctic afer crashing). The museum has improved considerable since my last vist many years ago. The main hall is even better than before.

I saw the Auster, but the Beaver was not on display. However after asking I was taken down to the storage hanger and got a few photos of the beaver packed away in partly wrapped in plastic.

The Auster

The Beaver packed away in the spare hangar

We talked about the crash and Bill Cranfields lone flight in the Auster to rescue the crashed crew. Also about how Bill with no flying to do became our cook for few days at Scott Base. While talking we went into another hanger and saw the progress on the Vildabeest's reconstruction. Although work has stopped at present the fuselage frame work is complete and some panelling is in place. Sorrow no photo I was so interested I forgot to take any photos.I went back to the main building while looking at the upstairs display I had a vist from Bill Cranfield. Evidently he had been next door and person I had been talking too got in touch with him.

Finally be leaving I took this photo of the wall of knitted poppies. The poppies had been knitted by many people throughout the Christchurch area to commenorate the 100th anniversary of Gillipoli.

Tommorrow I fly home.

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