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The memorial at the Mt Erebus crash site - Source: ONE News -
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Two months after the 30th anniversary of the Mt Erebus air crash, Antarctic New Zealand staff have reached the crash site to place a memorial there.
Bad weather conditions during the anniversary trip in November meant visiting family members could not be flown to the area where the plane crashed.
All 257 passengers and crew on board an Air New Zealand DC10 died when the plane crashed into Mt Erebus in November 1979.
Six family members flew down to the ice to mark the anniversary, and two attempts were made to visit the actual crash site during the rip.
It was hoped a small service could be held at the site then, however both attempts were cancelled due to harsh weather conditions.
On Thursday, after months of waiting for better weather, a team of New Zealand Antarctica staff and members of the American Antarctica group arrived at the site to place the capsule under the memorial Cross.
The Chaplain from the American team said a prayer at the site, and sprinkled the base of the Memorial Cross with water from Mt Cook.
The group spent about an hour and a half at the site.
The koru-shaped capsule that was placed at the base of the cross contains messages and memorials from families who lost loved ones in the disaster.
"I hope it does bring some kind of closure," says Erik Barnes of Antarctica New Zealand.
"A little piece of mind that the people who were involved in this won't be forgotten."
