Clan Member Benjamin Pigott was awarded a True Young Explorer Scholarship to travel to the Subantarctic with Heritage Expeditions over the summer of 2018/19.

The scholarship aims to provide young people who are scientifically and outdoor minded with an insight to the Subantarctic and get them inspired to tackle conservation and environmental issues. This involved visiting some of New Zealand’s most remote island groups (including The Snares Islands, The Auckland Islands, and Campbell Island) as well as one of Australia’s Subantarctic Islands, Macquarie Island.

The weather in this neck of the world is extremely rough and unforgiving, with the expedition crossing through both the furious forties and roaring fifties and encountering 10-12-meter high waves.

Weather on the islands wasn’t a lot different to the rough seas with cold, windy and wet conditions dominating for most of the trip.

This didn’t put off Ben though, as he battled the elements in his Swazi gear. His choice of gear for this trip included: The Southern Cross Jacket (awesome for all weather due to the long cut),  Hi-Vis Bibs (a life-saver in zodiacs during wet landings), the good ole trusty Severn Top (great for wind-blocking) and other essential items like taking plenty of micro shirts and several Hasbeanies!

Ben aims to be venturing back into this part of the world soon, with serious thought being put into undertaking his Master’s thesis in Ecology on Campbell Island, looking at Megaherbs (a group of strange large wildflowers only found in the Subantarctic).