South Pole Scenic Flight

For the traveller keen to experience the extreme vastness of Antarctica and learn about great explorers, Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen. This flight will have you retracing their remarkable routes from a birds eye view, all the way to the South Pole and back. This, approx. 16 hour flight, is the only one of its kind, anywhere in the world! 

Our South Pole flight is the first and only commercial scenic flight to the South Pole directly from Australia, making it a unique opportunity for Antarctica enthusiasts and bucket-listers alike. Set to take place over 16 spectacular hours, lucky travellers will find themselves flying to earth’s end to gaze upon the South Pole from the comfort of a Qantas Boeing Dreamliner 787.

Celebrating some of Antarctica’s most illustrious history, this scenic flight plans to take travellers across the largest body of floating ice on the planet; the Ross Ice Shelf, then over the Beardmore Glacier and the Transantarctic Mountains, all the way to the South Pole, as it retraces the out-route of Robert Falcon Scott during his race to the South Pole. The international research station, manned year-round at the South Pole, will be witnessed from the air before the flight makes its way back across the vast Polar Plateau, to the Axel Heiburg Glacier and, again, across the Ross Ice Shelf to the Bay of Whales, all along Amundsen’s successful route home, where he was crowned the victor in the race to the South Pole.

On board will be modern day explorers Geoff Wilson and Daniel Bull who will share their personal stories of exploration and describe the intricacies and natural hostilities of the incredible terrain you will see below you.  Alongside these world record holders, will be a team of Antarctica and history experts to share with you the details of the history of the Heroic Age of Exploration as well as the geographic wonders of Antarctica.

Whilst exact views will be determined by conditions on the day, the prospect of many incredible highlights are bountiful. Every traveller will have the privilege of a magical trip that few can claim to have done; to say that you are one of the few individuals in human history to have visited the South Pole, had the chance to appreciate the enormity of Antarctica and to truly appreciate heroic feats of Scott and Amundsen’s journeys, is something incredibly unique. 

For those lucky enough to secure a place on this historic flight, you will return with a head full of incredible stories and memories of unbelievable vistas, all from the comfort of a Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

Why do this flight? 
Whilst the route of this flight is a bucket-lister and Antarctica buff’s dream-come-true, the excitement and entertainment inside the cabin, as we trace the routes of formidable explorers will be palpable. Never has anyone covered this route in a day, nor has it been done with modern day explorers, who have their very own tales of hardship upon the great white continent to share. With travel for Australians being so limited lately,  until now, an adventure like this could only be dreamed of.

SPECIAL GUESTS ONBOARD

Dr Geoff Wilson 

Geoff is a very busy man, splitting his time between family, practising as a veterinary surgeon, and solo expeditions in the world’s extreme polar regions. He is an Antarctic expert in every sense of the word, and his list of achievements is impressive.

He has extensive experience exploring the harsh Antarctic environment and holds multiple records for unsupported solo expeditions in Antarctica. In 2013/14, Geoff became the third person in history to cross Antarctica solo unsupported – setting the fastest crossing on record (3,428 km in 53 days) in the process.

Most recently (2020), Geoff set the record for the longest unsupported solo polar journey in history when he crossed Antarctica in 2019/20. He was also the first person to summit Dome Argus – the highest point on the Antarctic Plateau and the earth’s coldest naturally occurring point – during the same expedition.

Geoff Wilson is the only Australian to reach the southern Pole of Inaccessibility solo unsupported and has set foot on parts of Antarctica where no other person has been.

He also has considerable experience completing unsupported solo expeditions in other parts of the globe, enabling him to provide unique insights and context on the Antarctic ecosystem.

In November 2021, Dr Geoff Wilson will join Chimu Adventures on our world-first exclusive South Pole Expedition Flight, providing lucky passengers with his incredible insights on the dramatic landscapes unfolding below them.

Daniel Bull 

Daniel Bull is a record-breaking extreme adventurer and explorer. Nicknamed ‘Unstoppabull’ by his sisters, Daniel has an unrelenting desire to push limits and test the boundaries of what is possible.

After surviving a day in the Death Zone, Daniel Bull completed an unguided ascent of Mt Everest in his 20s. He has since made numerous first ascents up unclimbed peaks in uncharted locations and has successfully tackled some of the world’s most dangerous mountains. Among them, the infamous North Face of the Eiger – a vertical mile of brittle rock and ice in the Swiss Alps, nicknamed Mordwand in German, literally, ‘Murder Wall’.

In January 2017, embarking on a journey to Antarctica, the coldest, windiest and driest continent on the planet, Daniel attempted back-to-back climbs of both the highest mountain and the highest volcano on the frozen continent. Achieving his dual bid, he became the first Australian to summit Antarctica’s highest volcano – Mt Sidley – situated in the Executive Committee Range in the depths of the largest’ no man’s land’ on Earth.

Having achieved his childhood dream of standing on top of the world, Daniel has more recently expanded his high-altitude credentials by completing a decade long quest to climb the highest mountain and the highest volcano on every continent (known as the 7 Summits and 7 Volcanic Summits). He has become the First Australian and the Youngest Person on the Planet to achieve this feat.

A noted public speaker, Daniel will provide lucky passengers with enthralling insights into the dramatic landscapes unfolding below them and share anecdotes from his many achievements and experiences in Antarctica and beyond.