New Zealand
New Zealand
We arrived in Port Lyttleton, New Zealand (the port for Christchurch) after a month at sea and we were very glad to see land, but we didn't expect the friendly greeting that we were to get from the New Zealanders.The first thing that I did was to go to the closest restaurant and order a glass of milk. We had not had any fresh milk for two weeks.
I went on a bus tour of the area and we drove up into the hills above Christchurch. The island slightly to the right in the picture below, has a cross made out of pine trees. This island was used by Admiral Byrd on a previous expedition as a quarantine spot for the animals--dogs, ponys, etc. that were taken on the expedition.
There were many things about New Zealand that were different from what I expected. As a kid, I often road on trains, and I was very surprised to see the narrow-gauge railroad that was used in New Zealand.
While on duty one day I witnessed the crash of one of the other ship's helicopters. Fortunately both crewmen were rescued. I had left my camera in my locker and didn't get any pictures of this.
We were invited to several dances while we waited to head south. Sailors are always interested in women and we found the New Zealand women to be very friendly. Unfortunately, I didn't dance very well and spent a lot of time on the sidelines.
Forced to delay while we took on fuel, we were forced to wait while the rest of the convoy left for the Antarctic.
The Nespelen crew watches the Greenville Victory depart for the Antarctic amid ship's whistles and cheering crowds. When we left, two days later, there were no whistles and no crowds.
