Latest news with #DiscoveryHut
RNZ News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Virtual tour of Scott's Discovery Hut debuts at Te Papa Museum
Wellingtonians can explore a section of Antarctica, using cutting edge virtual reality technology at Te Papa this week. Developed by the Antarctic Heritage Trust and Auckland-based tech company StaplesVR, the first virtual reality experience of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery Hut made its debut in Wellington on Monday. Scott led the National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04. The Discovery Hut, which was built in 1902, was the first expedition base on the island and has been preserved, so visitors today can see how the early explorers left it. Robert Falcon Scott's Discovery Hut, in McMurdo Sound. Photo: Neville Peat Recreating it as a VR experience took more than 1100 hours and a team of 15 people, and it has toured around the world since it was launched last August. Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith tested out the VR experience at Te Papa on Thursday. Among some of his favourite scenes from the experience was the recreation of a meal of seal meat being cooked inside the hut and seeing huskies out in the snow. "I gave the huskies a little pat." Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith tests out the VR experience at Te Papa. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Goldsmith also enjoyed seeing penguins and going up in a hot air balloon that looked over the McMurdo Sound. He said the experience gave people a unique opportunity to experience Antarctica's history. "Very few New Zealanders get a chance to actually get down to those huts, which are an important part of our history and, well, humanity's history. To be able to look around and explore is extraordinary." Several parents and kids also tested out the VR before the end of the school holidays. Luis said it was a great exhibition for kids and gave them an awareness of what was happening down in Antarctica. "I think it's a good opportunity for kids to get involved and [be] aware about the environment." Inside the hut. Photo: Supplied Emilio said he particularly liked feeding the huskies dog biscuits. Meanwhile, Laila had several favourite moments from the experience. "I liked the balloon ride, because you got this whole view of everything that you had already seen," she said. "Then I really liked the huskies, because they were adorable, but you could also pet them with your gloves." "Then I liked the penguins, because you couldn't smell their terrible stink." Antarctic Heritage Trust executive director Francesca Eathorne said it was excited to bring Scott's Discovery Hut to people virtually. "It gives great insight into the everyday items the explorers had with them, and how they used the hut to support the important science and exploration they undertook. "What is amazing is that StaplesVR have built the icy Antarctic environment surrounding the hut, so you can see the hut in context and even do activities as an explorer yourself, like take a ride in a hydrogen balloon - just like Scott did." Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Since its launch, thousands of people, both in New Zealand and around the world, have taken the opportunity to explore the hut, with the Trust's Education team recently returning from touring major museums, schools and Antarctic organisations in the UK. Te Papa chief executive Courtney Johnston said Te Papa was delighted to partner with Antarctic Heritage Trust to bring the experience to Wellington. "This is an incredible experience that highlights our heritage and environment." The VR experience will be at Te Papa until Sunday, 13 July. Entry is free, but online bookings are required, with an 11+ age requirement. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
STV News
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- STV News
Virtual reality experiences offer a deep-dive into the frozen Antarctica
Visitors at Dundee's Discovery can put themselves in the shoes of Arctic explorers through cutting-edge virtual reality this weekend. It comes as the museum hosts the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust (NZAHT) and the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) as part of a wider tour bringing the icy Antarctic to UK audiences. NZAHT's 'Discovery Hut' experience allows users to step inside Discovery Hut, just as Captain Scott did over a century ago, with UKAHT's 'A Frozen Night' offering a journey to an Antarctic dog-sledging base in the 1960s. Scott's Discovery Hut was the first expedition base built on Antarctica's Ross Island and constructed for the British National Antarctic Expedition of 1901-1904 aboard the RRS Discovery. The VR experience offers a plethora of interactions, including a ride in a hydrogen balloon, feeding huskies, meeting penguins, and helping a sledging party. NZAHT The experience allows users to step inside Discovery Hut. It shares the stories behind this unique shelter's place in polar history and the explorers that inhabited it. 'We're excited to bring the hut to people virtually, making it accessible to those who may not have the opportunity to visit these historic sites in person,' explained Francesca Eathorne, NZAHT executive director. 'It gives great insight into the everyday items the explorers had with them and how they used the hut to support the important science and exploration they undertook. 'The conservation work our teams undertake is world-leading, and sharing it through VR helps us to educate people about the importance of saving this cultural heritage for future generations.' The Frozen Night experience then features Stonington Island, one of the earliest British sites, established in 1948 and a key dog-sledging base. Visitors will 'experience the wonders and risks of Antarctic life and fieldwork', travelling inland by dog sled into the Antarctic Peninsula. UKAHT The Frozen Night experience features Stonington Island, a key dog-sledging base. 'A Frozen Night is UKAHT's first virtual reality experience based on a true story from the archives and narrated by those who lived and worked in our southernmost base, Stonington Island, that enabled teams to travel far inland into the Antarctic Peninsula,' said Camilla Nichol, CEO of UKAHT. 'Now, for the first time, A Frozen Night allows people to virtually travel into Stonington's past.' Both experiences are open at Discovery Point until Sunday, May 11, and are included in museum admission or an existing museum pass. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
