The recent icy Antarctic storms have delayed the first flights of the season to Antarctica – and it’s delayed another extremely important shipment with potentially devastating consequences for Antarctic research (in the dessert department, anyway!).

A giant tub of delicious custom-made gelato is currently being held under lock and key in the Antarctic Centre’s store house, waiting to join the group of brave Kiwi explorers en route to Antarctica.

Christchurch, one of five official gateway cities to Antarctica, is also the proud home of the world’s first Antarctic-themed gelato, invented by local Christchurch dessert dynasty, Rollickin’ Gelato.

Rollickin’ Gelato have gifted 100 scoops of Scotty Got to Third Base to the Kiwi team at Scott Base, which the team will be taking to Antarctica to enjoy as soon as the wild weather clears up and flights to the icy continent resume.

The flavour sensation, christened Scotty Got to Third Base in honour of the legendary explorer Captain Scott of Scott Base, is made up of caramelised Whittakers White Chocolate whippin’ with Organic Milk, smashin’ Captain Scotts Sledgin’ biscuits & blitzed Super Dark high energy saucey Choc Fudge.

Christchurch superhero Jed Joyce and his team at Rollickin’ Gelato created the creamy sensation which they say is “good lickin’ for epic Heroes & Antarctic Exploration,” in honour of the 30th Anniversary of the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs, an international secretariat, which the city is proud to host.

“Antarctica is a big frozen beast holding 70 per cent of the Earth’s fresh water. Its fate has a massive impact on the future of our lives & planet,” Joyce says. “The science taking place in Antarctica helps us understand the effects of climate change, so we can plan humanities’ actions going forward.
“That's why Rollickin’ is a big supporter.”

Christchurch has played proud host to dignitaries, researchers, scientists and Antarctic explorers from 20 countries as they celebrate the 2018/2019 Antarctic Season Opening and get ready to make the journey down to the southernmost continent for months of epic Antarctic scientific exploration.

Scott Base, in the Ross Region of Antarctica, is New Zealand's only Antarctic research station and will be home to some 40 Antarctica New Zealand staff over the Austral summer.

Their important work on the ice will be made a little sweeter thanks to the innovative team at Rollickin’ Gelato, while Christchurch-based explorers can continue to get their fix at Rollickin’ Gelato stores throughout October.

Joyce says more than 3,152 scoops of Antarctic gelato have sold since the flavour launched on September 28.

Antarctic research contributes around $235 million to the Christchurch economy each year and our city is the permanent home of several other national and international Antarctic agencies and provides important technical and logistical support to these programmes.

ENDS

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