Eight Young Explorers Chosen To Embark On Trip Of A Lifetime

The Antarctic Heritage Trust has announced the eight young explorers who will walk in the footsteps of Scott and Shackleton, and experience the Antarctic landscapes that challenged and inspired them.

The group, aged 18-35 from New Zealand and Australia, will join the tenth Inspiring Explorers Expedition™ which will travel to the Ross Sea region with Expedition Partner Heritage Expeditions, into the beating heart of Antarctic exploration and the focus of the Trust’s conservation efforts.

“It’s the first time we’ve taken a group of young explorers to visit the iconic expedition bases of legendary Antarctic explorers Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton,” says Trust Spokesperson Anna Clare.

Since 2002, with the launch of its Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project, the Trust has been conserving these significant heritage sites on behalf of the world – it's the largest cold-climate heritage conservation project ever undertaken.

Seven of the eight young explorers are Kiwis – selected by the Trust out of hundreds of applicants who put their name forward to be part of the expedition.

A familiar face joining the team is cancer survivor, best-selling author and now inspirational public speaker Jake Bailey.

“Since the cancer, I’ve been pretty mindful of trying to live life to the fullest and embrace every opportunity – so when I heard about this expedition I was immediately keen to get involved.

“The privilege of visiting one of the most remote places on earth, let alone being able to walk in the footsteps of the early Antarctic explorers, is an incredibly unique opportunity to connect with that history,” Bailey says.

As part of their outreach projects, the group of Inspiring Explorers™ will create a podcast series about the expedition and the Trust’s work to safeguard Antarctica’s important cultural heritage.

Maia Ingoe, 22, a journalist based in Auckland, was one of the eight chosen for the expedition and will bring her valuable storytelling skills to the podcast team.

“I’m passionate about using creative storytelling to bring science to life to inspire and educate others. Never in a million years did I think I would get an opportunity like this, and through the podcast I will get to take the listeners on this amazing journey with me.”

Before departing for Antarctica, the team will be involved in the conservation of a unique artefact, and will have the honour of repatriating it to Scott’s Discovery hut, at Hut Point, Ross Island.

The artefact is a classic adventure book - a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, originally published between 1844-1846.

Its condition speaks to the harsh life the early Antarctic explorers experienced, sheltering in their hut huddled over a stove waiting for the sea ice to freeze enough to get back to their main expedition base.

Missing its cover and a few pages, the well thumbed through volume is covered in sooty fingerprints and smells strongly of the seal blubber that fuelled stoves and lamps used by the heroic era explorers.

The book was given to Antarctic Heritage Trust by an anonymous donor who received it as a school prize in 1965.

Louise Piggin from Christchurch is thrilled to be a part of the Inspiring Explorers™ team and have the chance to work with such a special artefact.

The 26-year-old is a conservation technician for Canterbury Museum and is studying towards her Masters in Museum Studies, with a focus on managing hazardous collections.

“Conservation requires meticulous processes and it's always satisfying to see an object stabilised while protecting its essence and the stories it represents. Items like this help both current and future generations connect to the lived experiences of these early explorers, and it's an enormous privilege to have the opportunity to return it to Antarctica,” Piggin says.

Each year Antarctic Heritage Trust is gifted artefacts from around the world that were originally from the historic huts. Anna Clare says, “People have come to own these for various reasons. We always welcome their return, and thanks to contributions from our donors, we’re able to conserve these artefacts and return them back to the expedition bases.”

The 2025 ship-based expedition will depart in early January with the eight chosen explorers, all with different backgrounds and skills.

The team’s journey started with a team-building programme in Christchurch held over the weekend. The explorers depart New Zealand on January 7, 2025, aboard Expedition Partner Heritage Expedition’s flagship Heritage Adventurer, which was purpose-built for polar exploration, on its bucket list 28-day voyage In the Wake of Scott & Shackleton.

Heritage Expeditions Commercial Director and Expedition Leader Aaron Russ said the company is a proud partner with its friends at the Antarctic Heritage Trust on the special Inspiring Explorers™ 10-year anniversary expedition.

“As New Zealand's only family-owned and operated pioneering expedition cruise company, and the most experienced Ross Sea and Subantarctic operator, we are looking forward to sharing this incredibly special, remote part of the world with the lucky eight young Inspiring Explorers™. We can’t wait to welcome the Ross Sea’s next generation of custodians and ambassadors on board, and assist with the repatriation of the copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, on an unforgettable voyage of a lifetime into the ‘heart of Antarctica’,” says Aaron.

The voyage also visits the Subantarctic Islands which, along with Heritage Expeditions and its voyages, were recently announced by influential travel publication Condé Nast Traveler as one of The 25 Best Places to Go in 2025.

“We hope this expedition will inspire this talented group of people to embrace the spirit of exploration. It’s a spirit as critical in the 21st century as it was over a century ago – particularly for our young people who face a rapidly changing world. Our thanks go to expedition partner Heritage Expeditions and supporter Cheshire Architects for helping make this possible.” Clare says.

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