By Deanna Harris
Eighty family members of those lost in the Erebus tragedy have been drawn from a ballot to travel to Antarctica.
The selected families will travel to Scott Base this summer on a Royal New Zealand Air Force Boeing 757 aircraft, enabling them to spend a few hours experiencing the unique environment that drew those aboard flight TE 901 to the landscape more than 30 years ago.
Following the Government announcement of the flight in August, a ballot was opened to the immediate families of passengers, cabin crew and flight crew lost in the tragedy.
On September 20 it was drawn by a senior member of the New Zealand Police and overseen by an independent auditor.
Nearly 200 applications, representing 126 of those lost to Erebus, were received from across New Zealand and internationally.
In a statement yesterday, Air New Zealand said the family members who have applied have been notified in writing of the outcome of the ballot. As some of those successful in the ballot lost more than one family member in the tragedy, the 80 travelling to Antarctica represent more than 100 of those lost to Erebus.
“At this stage it is expected that family representatives will be able to remain on the ground for several hours at Scott Base, where they will receive a briefing and participate in a memorial service at the Scott Base flagpole.
“There will also be the laying a Koru capsule mirroring that placed on Mt Erebus during the 30th anniversary commemorations last year.”
Air New Zealand, the Government, RNZAF and Antarctica New Zealand have been working together, as owners of the resources required to support visits to Antarctica, on a further opportunity for family members who lost loved ones on November 28, 1979.
The airline wanted to create another opportunity following feedback to the 30th anniversary commemorations last year, which saw six family representatives travel to Antarctica.
The date for the flight is still to be confirmed but the provisional date range is February 11-20, 2011.
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