Tuesday 8 October

10am to 3pm: Lyttelton Antarctic Window Hunt

Explore Lyttelton’s rich Antarctic history with a fun Antarctic window hunt for the kids.
This event is for kids aged 5-15, and runs right across the school holidays!
Find out more

12.15pm to 12.30pm: Te Whakairo - Ngā Kī O Te Tai Ao -The carvings carry the stories of the world. A film by Vanessa Wells (running time 13 minutes 42 seconds)

Two talented carvers from each end of Aotearoa New Zealand take their whakairo (carving) to Antarctica in response to New Zealand's kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the world’s largest marine protected area - The Ross Sea.
Free, no bookings required.

• Tuesday 8 October and Thursday 10 October 12.15pm-12.30pm
• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Find out more

12.30pm to 1.30pm: Polheim on the Big Screen

A screening of the film Polheim, which tells the story of three young explorers given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ski across Antarctica to the South Pole. Free, no bookings required.

• Tuesday 8 October and Thursday 10 October 12.30-1.30pm
• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Find out more

5.30pm to 7.30pm: Artists in Antarctica - opening event

What transformation happens when writers, musicians and artists stand in the vast, cold spaces of Antarctica?
Join Patrick Shepherd and fellow artists to celebrate the work of Kiwi artists in Antarctica and Antarctica’s power to inspire.

• 5.30pm Days of Ice opening
• 6pm to 7.30pm Patrick Shepherd and fellow artists
  Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

Wednesday 9 October

10am to 3pm: Lyttelton Antarctic Window Hunt

Explore Lyttelton’s rich Antarctic history with a fun Antarctic window hunt for the kids.
This event is for kids aged 5-15, and runs right across the school holidays!
Find out more

12.30pm to 1.15pm: United States Antarctic Programme [USAP]

Hear from Colonel Christopher L. Ford, the Deputy Commander of the U.S. Military's Joint Task Force - Support Forces Antarctica. He is also the Commander of the 13th Air Expeditionary Group and is responsible for executing the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command's mission supporting the U.S. Antarctic Program known as Operation DEEP FREEZE.

These duties require oversight and operational control of all U.S. military forces supporting the National Science Foundation's Antarctic research efforts. JTF-SFA provides air and sealift to move personnel and cargo through the Antarctic region. They support McMurdo Station, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Palmer Station, deep-field research sites, and other national Antarctic programs.

The JTF also provides additional support such as cargo handling, air traffic control, weather forecasting, icebreaking, medical support, chaplain support, aeromedical evacuation, and many others that have enabled Operation DEEP FREEZE to continue into its 70th season this year!

• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

3pm to 5pm: Antarctic Immersion: A 360 degree Virtuality Experience

Immerse yourself in a VR adventure exploring Antarctica! Join us on an adventure that will transport you to Antarctica, the coldest, windiest, driest and highest continent on Earth.  In this VR experience, you will explore the extreme environment around the Scott Base region, following Antarctic scientists as they conduct their research in some of the most challenging and rewarding locations on the planet. Don’t just watch or read about Antarctica, experience it!

• Wednesday 9 October and Thursday 10 October 3.00-5.00pm
• Ngā Purapura / Activity Room, Hapori | Community, Level 1
• Free, Bookings required per 15 minute experience
• 13 years+. PLEASE NOTE- Children under 13 years cannot participate in this event due to VR equipment limitations.
• Find out more

6pm to 7.30pm: Everything Antarctica Live Podcast with Matty Jordan, Jonny Harrison and guests

Join Matty and Jonny for a live recording of the popular podcast Everything Antarctica, and hear from some special guests, including Antarctic sea ice researcher Professor Pat Langhorne.

Matty Jordan and Jonny Harrison have a combined experience of three Antarctic winters, 13 trips to Antarctica and over 1200 days “on ice.” Between them they have flown on every type of aircraft currently operating between New Zealand and Antarctica. Their photos and stories have been shared in international news outlets and media in more than 20 countries and they’ve been featured in every major news outlet in New Zealand.

They’ve spoken to tens of thousands of Antarcticans and have heard so many stories – we think you deserve to hear them too!

• 5.30pm Doors open
• 6.00-7.30pm Podcast recording
• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

Thursday 10 October

10am to 3pm: Lyttelton Antarctic Window Hunt

Explore Lyttelton’s rich Antarctic history with a fun Antarctic window hunt for the kids.
This event is for kids aged 5-15, and runs right across the school holidays!
Find out more

12.15pm to 12.30pm: Te Whakairo - Ngā Kī O Te Tai Ao -The carvings carry the stories of the world. A film by Vanessa Wells (running time 13 minutes 42 seconds)

Two talented carvers from each end of Aotearoa New Zealand take their whakairo (carving) to Antarctica in response to New Zealand's kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the world’s largest marine protected area - The Ross Sea.
Free, no bookings required

Tuesday 8 October and Thursday 10 October
12.15pm-12.30pm
Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
Find out more

12.30pm to 1.30pm: Polheim on the Big Screen

A screening of the film Polheim, which tells the story of three young explorers given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ski across Antarctica to the South Pole. Free, no bookings required.

Tuesday 8 October and Thursday 10 October 12.30-1.30pm
Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga

3pm to 5pm: Antarctic Immersion: A 360 degree Virtuality Experience

Immerse yourself in a VR adventure exploring Antarctica! Join us on an adventure that will transport you to Antarctica, the coldest, windiest, driest and highest continent on Earth.  In this VR experience, you will explore the extreme environment around the Scott Base region, following Antarctic scientists as they conduct their research in some of the most challenging and rewarding locations on the planet. Don’t just watch or read about Antarctica, experience it!

• Wednesday 9 October and Thursday 10 October 3.00-5.00pm
• Ngā Purapura / Activity Room, Hapori | Community, Level 1
• Free, Bookings required per 15 minute experience
• 13 years+. PLEASE NOTE- Children under 13 years cannot participate in this event due to VR equipment limitations.
• Find out more

6pm to 7.30pm: Heritage Expeditions and Ngāi Tahu and Murihiku ki te Tonga

Join Heritage Expeditions Aaron Russ and Murihiku ki te Tonga’s Riki Nicholas to learn about their industry-leading partnership and the world’s first indigenous-led Antarctic research programme.

• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

Friday 11 October

9.15am to 10am: Amazing Antarctica and Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition [CHINARE]

In his presentation, Mr Hongqiao Hu (research professor at the Polar Research Institute of China) will discuss the unique natural phenomena of Antarctica, share his personal experiences from his four expeditions there, and provide an overview of the China Antarctic Research Expedition (CHINARE).

• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

10am to 3pm: Lyttelton Antarctic Window Hunt

Explore Lyttelton’s rich Antarctic history with a fun Antarctic window hunt for the kids.
This event is for kids aged 5-15, and runs right across the school holidays!
Find out more

10.30am to 11.30am: Tamariki Special Event with Pōhatu Penguins

Celebrate Days of Ice with penguin craft and stories.

• Ngā Purapura / Activity Room, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Free, no bookings required
• Find out more

11am to 11.45am: Antarctica's Icy Architecture

Explore the fascinating world of Antarctica’s Icy Architecture with researcher Jessica MacFarquhar. If you think ice is just ice, think again! Jessica MacFarquhar has spent the last few years figuring out how to access information embedded in the ice sheets at the bottom of the world; information about how it formed, how it has moved in the past, and how it’s moving right now.

• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

1pm to 2pm: Expedition into Portraiture - Rewa Rendall

Join explorer and photographic alchemist Rewa Rendall as she takes you back to the heroic age of Antarctic exploration through the lens of her wet plate camera.

Rewa Rendall is an explorer and photographic alchemist. Her compass has taken her into the remote alpine landscapes of New Zealand, through the red sand of central Australia and across the ocean to the Antarctic Peninsula and back in time to the beginning of photography.

Peek inside the darkroom of Sir Joseph Kinsey, shipping agent for Antarctic explorers Sir Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton and become part of this captivating legacy. Don’t miss this remarkable journey that promises to be a feast for the eyes and the imagination.

Take your seat on an extraordinary voyage into the black art of portraiture.

• 12.30pm Venue opens
• Tautoru / TSB Space, Hapori | Community, Level 1
• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

5.15pm to 7.45pm: Antarctic Film Festival at the International Antarctic Centre

New Zealand’s first 100% Antarctic Film Festival at the International Antarctic Centre. Join us for an extraordinary evening of cinematic exploration as Anthony Powell and the International Antarctic Centre bring you a captivating selection of short films straight from the icy wilderness of Antarctica.

This unique event showcases a diverse array of films, from breathtaking documentaries that delve into the raw beauty and extreme challenges of life on the frozen continent, to light-hearted comedies from the Winter International Film Festival of Antarctica's 48-Hour challenge, proving that creativity knows no bounds—even at the bottom of the world

• Find out more and book tickets

Saturday 12 October

10am to 3.30pm: Explore Antarctica

Hapori | Community, Level 1, Tūranga
All whānau are welcome to attend this expo-style event. Come along and meet members of the Antarctic community and hear about their experiences, the science being undertaken, the logistic challenges and the amazing possibilities. Exhibitors include Antarctic Heritage Trust, Antarctica NZ, Asia New Zealand Foundation, Chinese Consulate/Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC), Gateway Antarctica - UC, Heritage Expeditions, International Antarctic Centre (IAC), JIX Reality, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), Macpac, New Zealand Antarctic Society, Pōhatu Penguins/Blue Cradle, Tūhura Otago Museum.

Tamariki can enjoy stories, craft, a passport trail and meet the huskies:

• Story telling (10.30am and 11.30am)
• Making seals and knot tying (10am to noon)
• Penguin Quest (10am to noon)
• Passport trail and prize draw

Auaha Hīhī / Spark Place, He Hononga | Connection, Ground Floor
Meet the huskies 'Manaaki', 'Theia' and 'Kenai' and Joe their handler from Southern Huskies (12noon to 2pm)

Auahatanga | Creativity, Level 4
Spotting penguins from Space - bookings required Ages 7-12 (10.30am; 11.30am) 
Pōhatu Penguins Immersive - bookings required Ages 9+ (12.30pm; 1.30pm)

1.50pm to 4.30pm: Ōtautahi Christchurch City Antarctic Walk
Meet outside Tūranga, Cathedral Square

A guided walk to connect you to our city’s rich Antarctic heritage and provide an insight into National Antarctic Programmes operating out of our Gateway City.

Ōtautahi Christchurch has been described as the Cape Canaveral of Antarctic exploration. The NZ Antarctic Society delivers this guided walk to showcase our city’s rich Antarctic heritage and highlights how Ōtautahi Christchurch supports scientific research being conducted by National Antarctic Programmes.

The 4 km long walk in the inner city and the botanical gardens starts outside the entrance to Tūranga, Cathedral Square side, and takes in a dozen Antarctic sites such as the Magnetic Observatory, Scott's Statue and the Canterbury Club, plus several other Antarctic points of interest. At each site a guide will discuss its Antarctic relevance.

Join us and discover what makes Ōtautahi Christchurch an Antarctic Gateway City.

• Free, Bookings required
• Find out more

10am to 3pm: Lyttelton Antarctic Window Hunt

Explore Lyttelton’s rich Antarctic history with a fun Antarctic window hunt for the kids.
This event is for kids aged 5-15, and runs right across the school holidays!
Find out more

Sunday 13 October

10am to 11am: South to Antarctica Church Service, Christchurch Transitional Cathedral

Join family and friends to bid all those travelling south to Antarctica during the 2024 season a safe and successful journey.
Witness the tradition of the Erebus Chalice that will also make the journey each summer season from the Christchurch Cathedral to the Chapel of the Snows at McMurdo Station.

The service will be a followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Robert Falcon Scott Memorial.

11.30am to 12.15pm: Christchurch Antarctic Wreath-laying ceremony at Robert Falcon Scott Memorial

The traditional Antarctic wreath-laying ceremony at Captain Scott's Memorial. 152 Oxford Terrace and Worcester Street. All welcome

Dignitaries from Antarctic-related organisations and nations will lay four wreaths at the base of Captain Scott's Statue. The wreaths are made up of flowers that symbolize Antarctic values and New Zealand's Antarctic connections.

Find out more