New Photo Collection on the Archive | Antarctic Legacy of South Africa

ALSA visiting the SANAE IV station

We are very excited to be able to finally share more images of ALSA’s trip to the South African National Antarctic Station, SANAE IV.

The first leg of the trip was the departure from Cape Town International to The White Desert Wolf’s Fang Runway, with the Gulfstream G550 jet. From here we left on the same day to SANAE IV, flying with the Twin Otter.

Ria Olivier (ALSA, Project Manager) and Patrick Woodhead (CEO, White Desert). Thanks to Patrick Woodhead, CEO of White Desert, for supporting SANAP and giving ALSA the opportunity the fly to Antarctica.

ALSA’s Anche Louw (L) and Ria Olivier (R) ready to land on the Antarctic Continent.

The ALSA team (Ria Olivier and Anche Louw) arrived on the Antarctic Continent.

Inside the Twin Otter. Wolf’s Fang Runway Manager at the time, Agnieszka Fryckowska, chatting to Ria Olivier. The White Desert staff really made us feel comfortable.

It was the most beautiful evening to fly to SANAE IV.

We stayed at SANAE IV for fourteen days (extended due to whiteout), where we gathered as much information as possible in and around the current research station. This included taking 360 degree footage, interviewing team members and Nolitha Construction personnel and gathering photographical material of all SANAE artefacts.

Friday night braai on the wooden deck, outside the gym. L-R: Heine Smith (Department of Public Works) and Anche Louw (ALSA).

Lux Tanyana (Base Engineer of SANAE 57) doing water analyses in the wet lab.

Dozer drivers JJ Khoza (Military Driver) and Thabo Maroga.

Junaid Essa (Nolitha Construction) at work.

We had a ‘special leg’ in-between where we joined a courtesy helicopter flight from SANAE IV to the Norwegian Station, Troll. Here we met the team members, had a quick lunch and went on a base tour.

On the 14^th day, all our work was done and the bad weather cleared up, so we were picked up by White Desert’s Twin Otter and spent one night in the Wolf’s Fang Runway camp, before heading back to Cape Town the next day.