World famous in New Zealand

Christchurch’s fascinating slice of the Antarctic

If you can’t see yourself ever getting to the real Antarctic, this is a great way to get a taste of that very special place. Just a 10-minute walk from the Christchurch airport, or a free shuttle ride from the central city, the centre offers a variety of ways to learn about, and experience, the great white continent.

Hours can happily disappear, as you get frozen and tossed about, have your brain expanded, then your heart melted.

Why go?

Because who wouldn’t love a cuddle with a friendly, furry husky, or be delighted by the noisy enthusiasm of a gaggle of little blue penguins at feeding time?

The dogs represent the team members who were essential to the exploration of the continent, which you can learn all about in the centre’s displays. The penguins, which are all rescued and not fit for release back into the wild, substitute for the four species that actually live in Antarctica.

The Antarctica Gallery has all the background information you could want, and will dazzle you with photos of the aurora, the icebergs and the wildlife, and there are stirring stories about exploration and modern-day Scott Base life.

You can try on extreme cold weather clothing, then try to bend your arms. The 4D theatre brings it to life, using your senses and even getting a little wet, but the Storm Dome is where it gets really chilly, with ice, snow and a properly freezing blizzard.

But the highlight is a ride in the amphibious, all-terrain Hagglund vehicle.

It travels over an obstacle course of steep banks and drops, as well as through water. It’s all about ensuring the opposite of a smooth ride, and all the fun that goes with being bumped and jerked and tossed from side-to-side.

Insider tip

You mustn’t miss out on the Storm Dome so, for your toes’ sake, wear closed-in shoes. It’s cold in there – with wind-chill it gets down to minus 18 degrees Celsius.

On the way/nearby

If the huskies and penguins have left you wanting more wildlife, the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve is quite close, where you can see kiwi, capybaras and capuchin monkeys and more.

You can feed some of the animals, ride donkeys, and even have a special lemur encounter. Or, if you want to soak up some Canterbury sunshine in a natural environment, The Groynes is nearby and so is the spectacularly braided Waimakariri River.

How much?

The International Antarctic Centre is open every day, 9am until 5.30pm. General admission is adults $59, children $29, seniors and students $45, families $149. This price includes most experiences but there’s an extra charge for the VIP Penguin Backstage pass.

Best time to go

There are school holiday programmes and activities, so that’s something to plan for – or to avoid. iceberg.co.nz