Internet star Jamie Curry is off to Antarctica. Photo: Facebook
Internet star Jamie Curry is off to Antarctica. Photo: Facebook
Internet sensation Jamie Curry is teaming up with a top Kiwi journalist for an adventure to the coldest, driest, windiest continent on the planet.
The 23-year-old sees her trip to Antarctica this summer as a crucial opportunity to inform her 25 million-strong legion of young social media followers about climatechange and its widespread impacts.
She and broadcaster and science communicator Damian Christie have been invited to Scott Base by Crown institute Antarctica New Zealand to share what will be the country's 60th research season on the ice.
"As an organisation, we have thought long and hard about how we want to have conversations with the public about Antarctica - we wanted to think outside the box," communications general manager Jeanine Foster said.
With climate change already bringing worrying and widespread impacts that were predicted to increase this century, connecting with young people was "more important now than ever", Foster said.
She still hadn't processed the fact she was going.
"Honestly, I don't think I have ever even thought it was a possibility... I know I'm very lucky to have this opportunity, but I'm so nervous, I'm trying not to think about it.
"I've tried imagining it, but I've never been to the snow so I always come up short. I do picture it just being lots of white, and very cold.
"When I tell people I'm going to Antarctica no one believes me, so people just say 'I'll believe it when you send me a snap with the penguins'."
Christie, a presenter and former TVNZ journalist who recently launched his company Scifilms, said Curry jumped at the chance to head south.
"There certainly wasn't any hesitation or convincing required on my part."
Jamie Curry will be joined in Antarctica by journalist and broadcaster Damian Christie. Photo: File
The broadcaster has worked in plenty of challenging locations - his exploits include a 2007 assignment in Afghanistan - but filming Curry talking to scientists amid Antarctica's alien conditions would be a different test entirely.
"But, like Afghanistan, this is a very rare privilege and will definitely be a big tick on my list of life ambitions."
The 2016/17 research season also features the first-ever TEDx talk at Scott Base, to be broadcast live on January 22.
"There is a lot of chatter about TEDxScottBase, but the real energy will come about when the speakers are announced at the New Zealand launch party in November," Foster said.
