On Sunday, November 27th, Chimu Adventures changed the course of Antarctic tourism by taking 200 passengers to somewhere few travellers have ever seen – the South Pole. Flying from Melbourne and back in one day. Chimu’s exclusively chartered Qantas Dreamliner took off to complete the first and only commercial scenic day flight to the South Pole, directly from Australia, reaching the South Pole at 1:18 pm
The flight left Melbourne at 6:00 am and reached the Antarctic continent where sightseeing began at 10:20 am.
The scenic flight then took in incredible highlights rarely seen by humans. It took in views of Cape Adare, Mount Melbourne, Mount Erebus and Mount Terror before the flight went over the Ross Ice Shelf then flew over the Beardmore Glacier and the Trans Antarctic mountains, then traversed the Polar Plateau, as it followed Robert Falcon Scott’s famous exploratory route all the way out to the South Pole. The flight then circled the Scott Amundsen South Pole Station (pictured above) several times, offering unparalleled views of the South Pole and allowed everyone on the flight views of the research station below, before a scenic return to the continent’s edge took place, where views of Antarctica continued, presenting stunning sights of the magnificent Dry Valleys, the Drygalski Ice Tongue, ancient glaciers, icebergs and the dramatic sea ice. This offered travellers a spectacular farewell to the white continent and an incredible day.
Throughout the day, travellers were treated to many unique moments, including talks from Antarctic specialists and special guest Daniel Bull, a record-breaking Australian adventurer and mountain climber and the first Australian to summit Antarctica’s highest volcano – Mt Sidley. The flight also connected, via live satellite call, with the Antarctica 2023 team on the ground below, currently undertaking the longest unsupported ski crossing of Antarctica, as they collect vital data on climate change.
After taking in unbelievable views of the continent from above, the flight returned to Melbourne mid evening having completed the first ever scenic day flight to the South Pole directly from Australia.
Chimu is excited to be able to offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences for travellers, allowing them to experience a part of the world previously only accessible to Antarctic researchers. The South Pole scenic flight, like all of Chimu’s customer experiences, was fully carbon offset at no extra cost to passengers.
Such a flight would not have been possible without the incredible support of Qantas, with their pioneering spirit of long-haul travel and connecting Australians with the world. This flight was the first time Qantas, let alone any commercial airline, has ever flown over to the South Pole.
Chimu’s Managing Director Chad Carey, the driving force behind the flight, explained, “Our South Pole flight was a world first and an incredible achievement for everyone involved. We dug deep into Chimu’s vast knowledge of Antarctica and paired it with Qantas’ unfaultable aeronautical navigation and logistics skills to make this incredible one-day journey to the South Pole possible.
That we allowed travellers departing Melbourne a complete historical tour of the Antarctic Age of Exploration in a day is something we are very proud of, and we look forward to taking more travellers on the same journey”, said Carey.
The flight also partnered with the McGrath Foundation, raising over A$4,000 to help support Breast Care Nurses in Australia, assisting patients and their families experiencing breast cancer.
This was Chimu’s first Antarctica scenic flight of the summer season, with upcoming, shorter departures, to leave from Sydney and Brisbane.
Chimu’s next South Pole Adventure will depart on 03 December 2023.
