Navy able hydrographic systems operator Joshua Phillips. PHOTO: SUPPLIEDA local sailor has traded the Otago coastline for the frozen expanse of Antarctica aboard a 10,000-tonne American icebreaker. Royal New Zealand Navy able hydrographic systems operator Joshua Phillips, of Milton, recently returned from a three-month deployment on the United States Coast Guard cutter Polar Star, supporting the resupply of McMurdo Station and Scott Base. He and fellow Royal New Zealand Navy sailor Drew Bingham spent 55 days below the Antarctic Circle, helping cut an 11km channel through solid sea ice. The former Tokomairiro High School student joined the service in 2020 and said his time on the 50-year-old vessel was unforgettable.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 08, 2026 18:03 UTC