Two applicants chosen for Antarctic trip

The winners of ‘Antarctica: No Ordinary Place, No Ordinary Assignment’ - an initiative which will take environmental enthusiasts to Antarctica to assist National Geographic photographer Jason Edwards - have been announced.

Launched in October by Air New Zealand with the support of National Geographic Channel and Antarctica New Zealand, the program is intended to raise awareness of the environmental issues scientists are working to address in Antarctica. Those interested in participating were required to narrate a National Geographic Channel video clip from Antarctica, as well as write a short description of why they should be chosen for the assignment.

Out of almost 2000 applicants from 52 countries, two winners were chosen: Australian student filmmaker Marli Lopez-Hope and Kiwi outdoor enthusiast Michael Armstrong.

Lopez-Hope is a passionate wildlife filmmaker who recently spent time creating a wildlife documentary in Botswana’s Okavango Delta with South Africa’s NHU Wildlife Film Academy. Her goal is to use her film and storytelling skills to make a real difference to the world; hence, she says, “It feels like this assignment was made for me!”

Armstrong, a recent Masters in Science (MSc) graduate from Florida State University, has been an outdoor enthusiast since he was a child. “For the past month I have been walking, camping and tramping through the Nelson Lakes and Abel Tasman National Parks,” he said, “but the opportunity to visit Antarctica … will be the biggest thing I have ever done.”

Air New Zealand CEO Christopher Luxon said there was originally only going to be one winner, but “both Marli and Michael have the personalities, environmental aspiration and communications skills that make them the ideal candidates for this experience of a lifetime. We simply couldn’t choose between them.”

The winning submissions can be viewed at www.tfsn.co/voiceforantarctica.