Christchurch NZ - Antarctic stepping off point

Christchurch is an attractive city set on the leafy Avon River.
With the candles flowering on the chestnut trees, weeping willows touching the crystal clear water and even punts sliding up and down the river, it has a feel of old England.
But being a major port on the South Island of New Zealand, Christchurch is the departure point for Antarctic expeditionary vessels and has been for a long time.
Christchurch museum has a remarkable exhibit which documents Antarctic exploration.
The museum also has an interesting display of rocks including fossilised tree trunks, leaves and branches from vegetation which once grew on the land mass eons ago.
Just goes to show that climate change is not new!