Cape Adare huts - Emergency repairs and artefact return to NZ

In 2015, accessing the expedition base established by Carsten Borchgrevink at remote Cape Adare posed a number of logistical challenges for the Trust and our support partners Antarctica New Zealand. Utilising complex transport and camp logistics, good planning and a favourable weather window, the Trust was able to successfully access Cape Adare and begin its multi-year conservation programme of work.

The Trust’s conservation team, which included the Trust’s two Programme Managers, Al Fastier and Lizzie Meek, and Norwegian Heritage Carpenter Torbjoern Prytz, undertook an intensive two-week programme to complete emergency repairs to the accommodation building, schedule future carpentry work and relocate the majority of the artefact collection –  c. 1500 objects – temporarily to New Zealand for conservation.

The Trust team at Adare also included two filmmakers from NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) Tom Edvindsen and Brynjar Wideroe, who captured footage for a documentary on Carsten Borchgrevink, including the Trust’s work to conserve the expedition base his team constructed in early 1900.