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The Erebus memorial at Antarctica - Source: ONE News -
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The families of the Erebus crash victims are preparing for an emotional day in Antarctica tomorrow.
"We haven't really had time to reflect on what's happening but I dare say that it will hit us tomorrow when we get there," said the son of one of the Erebus victims Dave Dawson.
He is among another group of more than 100 people, who lost family in New Zealand's worst ever air disaster on the icy slopes of Mt Erebus, who will attend a memorial service at Scott Base, weather permitting.
"There's a sense of relief that we'll finally see where their resting place is, where their final moments were," he said.
Air New Zealand, in conjunction with the RNZAF, and Antarctic New Zealand, will fly family members in a Boeing 757 tomorrow morning.
"As it draws near, you can feel people getting emotional and quite edgy," said Air New Zealand chief executive Rob Fyfe.
But Fyfe said the service will allow family members "a sense of connection" despite its difficulty.
"For all of us, to some degree, Antarctica and Erebus has shaped our lives. But for people who actually lost someone in the tragedy, that has been a defining moment in their life and to be able to connect to that physical location is very important," he told ONE News.
The crash on November 28, 1979, killed 237 passengers and 20 crew members.
Two years ago six family members flew to the ice to mark the 30th anniversary of the disaster.
Fyfe said many families had expressed a desire to visit the site after Air New Zealand was criticised for flying only six people.
However tomorrow's departure is not guaranteed as it's all dependent on the weather.
Weather conditions will be checked early tomorrow morning before the five-hour flight south and the possible back-up days will only last until Saturday.
"This is complex - we've never shifted 100 people from the airfield to Scott Base. There's a lot of risk about blizzards, about cold. It's minus 15 degrees [so] we've got to watch for frostbite. We're not set up for this [usually] - this is an exception," said Lou Sanson, Antarctica NZ chief executive.
The families will be briefed about the conditions before they take off.
Tomorrow's ceremony
The 104 family members, selected to travel to the Antarctic after a ballot, will not get to the actual site of Mt Erebus.
Davies said last year's weather proved it's too dangerous to helicopter people right onto the mountainside, so this year's service will be conducted by Christchurch's Dean Peter Beck at Scott Base.
Family would take a 40-minute bus trip to Scott Base where the outdoor service will be held and then returned to the plane for the immediate flight back to Christchurch.
There will be minimum staff on the flight to allow the maximum number of families to attend the service, Fyfe said.
One of the readings at the service would be given by a nurse, Denise Roper, whose father, Hugh Francis Christmas, was one of the victims.
"Ideally we would like the remaining 25 families to have the chance to visit also," he said, adding that it will be up to government and other agencies to prioritise any future flights.
Vicki Wilkinson-Baker will send her online report following the service tomorrow, and full coverage will be on ONE News at 6pm. Visit here for more
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