Antarctic Kiwis crave peas, crumpets and sun

Wasabi peas, melons, crumpets, carrots – and the sun.

That's part of the wishlist of the New Zealanders working in Antarctica who are due to end six months of isolation today with the arrival of the first flight from Christchurch since February.

However, the 20 staff wintering over at New Zealand's Scott Base and the smattering of Kiwis among the 120 at the neighbouring American base, McMurdo Station, will have to be patient – the fresh fruit and vegetables are not due to arrive till the third flight, on Friday.

Scott Base winter manager Glenn Powell said Antarctica New Zealand had sought requests for fresh food and the base crew had listed "everything and anything".

"Someone asked for wasabi peas. People are looking forward to things like fresh tomato on toast or avocado on toast with freshly cracked pepper – all that sort of thing," he said.

"They look forward to cutting up a fresh pineapple, blueberries, melons – any sort of melon. Someone has requested crumpets."

The winter crew are also looking forward to seeing something else that has not been around for a while – the sun. The last sunset was in April and the sun broached the horizon again for the first time yesterday, for 29 minutes, before setting again.

Eight of the 20 wintering-over staff at Scott Base are due to leave this week. Among them is Te Papa paper conservator Phillipa Durkin, who has been preserving artefacts from Sir Ernest Shackleton's hut for the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

She said it took an Antarctic winter for her to realise how much she missed simple pleasures. "Fresh fruit – it would be so nice to have something that crunches or snaps."

A McMurdo cook, New Zealander Ruth Joly, said: "I am craving raw carrots and grapes."

- © Fairfax NZ News