A Trip to the Antarctic Centre

On Friday 4th of September, the 10 ESOL class and I went on a class trip to the International Antarctic Centre as apart of the class Antarctic studies. We went there with Mrs Flores, Briggs and Handley by taxi van.

When we arrived there, we met a lady called Jane. She was one of the staff members and was in charge of our class. She then led us upstairs into the workshop room. We stayed there for about 40 minutes and we were also given a booklet to answer. One of the most important things I learned during her lesson was that huskies were removed in the 1990s because they were able to transfer diseases. Another significant thing I learned was the race between Amundsen and Scott. Roald Amundsen was from Norway and Robert Falcon Scoot was from the United Kingdom. Amundsen was the first one to reach South Pole. Unfortunately, in the end, Scott died.

After we finished the workshop, we went outside to see the Hagglund. It is also known as the Bandvagn 206. It can carry 14-17 people and can weigh 4333 kgs. They use it in Antarctica because of its ability to float on water. It is also able to cross crevasses and ice. Before we went inside, we were separated into two groups because we all couldn't fit in one vehicle. At first, I thought it was just going to be a normal ride but turns out it wasn't. It was really bumpy and wiggly as well. Going through the obstacles was probably the most fun part. We had to go up and down the hill and It almost feels like riding on a roller coaster. As we go through each different obstacles, everyone started laughing and shrieking. It was probably the funniest thing I've ever experienced. 

Next, we went to see the penguins. I haven't seen any penguins before in real life so I thought they were big as usual. However, as soon as I saw them, they were actually really small. They were called the Little Blue Penguins. The keeper told us that an average life span of a Little Blue Penguin is about 6 years. One of the oldest penguin there is 25 years old. Sadly, it died and we weren't able to see it. Currently, the oldest penguin that they have is 17 years old and it's well taken care of. We watched them intently as they swam around catching their food.

After seeing the Little Blue Penguins, we went to the cinema room to watch the 4D movie. The movie is called the Ice Voyage and it's about a journey in Antarctica. My friends and I sat on the front row and wore 4D glasses. With the help of the effects and the 4D glasses, It almost feels like I was there on Antarctica exploring through the place. One of my favourite scene during the movie is when we went under an icicle. I tried to touch it and realised that it was just a video. 

Then, we had some free time. Ms Briggs told us to meet in the storm room after we had lunch. My friends and I decided to roam around the places again. After a few minutes, we went back upstairs to get our bag and go to the cafe. I bought a bowl of fries and I shared it with my friends. With the time we have left, we thought we would never finish it because the fries were extremely hot. Thankfully, we finished it in time. 

Soon after, we went to the Storm Dome. We had to wait for a few minutes for the other people to arrive. Some of my classmates did the 'Cold Ice Challenge'. I was able to participate but Jane called us in after putting my hand in the ice for 1 minute. Before we went in, we were told to wear shoe covers so we wouldn't slip on the snow. When I went into the room, my body tingled as the breeze past through my knees. As time pass by, the room started to get dark. It was getting windy as well. When the storm began, most of the boys hid in the igloo to stay warm. My friends and I just stood outside and hid our hands in our pocket. Even so, it was still cold. I then decide to run around to heat my body up. Although, I didn't think it was a good idea because I nearly slipped on the snow.

Lastly, we went to the Antarctic Gallery. We saw a lot of posters and displays. I also saw a solar system that you can spin around. All of us  had to roamed around find interesting facts to put in our booklet. After a couple minutes, we left. We arrived back at school around 1:00 and we had to stay in the learning commons until lunchtime. Overall, I think the trip was too short for me since it was my first time there. I also felt sad because I really wanted to see the huskies there. It was also fun since I was able to spend my birthday with my classmates.