After nearly two months of crippling cold, unforgiving winds and high altitudes, five explorers have completed a 1000-mile journey to the South Pole.

Kiwis Laura Andrews and Mike Dawson, and Norwegian Marthe Brendefur, spent 50 days pulling sledges laden with equipment across the frozen ground, often having to negotiate waves of sastrugi (wind-blown ice) as they went.

The exhausting mission, which started at the Ronne Ice Shelf on 18th November, saw them ski for up to 12 hours a day and camp on the ice in temperatures as low as the minus 20s.

Photo: AHT / Mike Dawson

But, led by Antarctic Heritage Trust Executive Director Nigel Watson and guided by Bengt Rotmo from Ousland Explorers, the Inspiring Explorers team made it to the global landmark to celebrate 150 years since the birth of polar explorer Roald Amundsen.

“It’s overwhelming to be here,” said Tauranga’s Mike Dawson, who’s a double Olympian in canoe slalom. “It was a surreal feeling seeing the South Pole marker after such a long journey. Compared with my white water adventures, this was a long slow burn, every day walking towards that goal for 50 days.”

Mike Dawson is a double Olympian in canoe slalom

Auckland’s Laura Andrews, meanwhile, who’s a firefighter and medical first responder, was in awe of the beauty of the place. “To have this continuous time in this pristine and beautiful environment where one minute you have perfect snowflakes and the next dramatic sastrugi – it’s just incredible.”

Auckland’s Laura Andrews is a firefighter and medical first responder

While on the expedition Nigel Watson discovered he’d been awarded the New Zealand Antarctic Medal in recognition of his services to Antarctic heritage preservation. And he says the expedition has altered his perspective of the early explorers.

“I didn’t think I could have more respect for Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton’s achievements but after this expedition, my respect is even greater than it was. What they did was truly heroic.”

Photo: AHT / Mike Dawson