Massey saddling up for epic expedition

Tractor brand Massey Ferguson is gearing up for another adventure, this time travelling 1250 miles across New Zealand in a bid to raise $1 million to restore famed Kiwi adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary's hut at Scott Base, Antarctica.

The hut, also known as Hut A, was the first building constructed at Scott Base and is where Hillary began his historic expedition to the South Pole in 1958.

This will be Massey Ferguson's third big expedition. Sir Edmund Hillary, also famed as the first person to scale the heights of Mount Everest, travelled to the South Pole in three Ferguson TE 20 tractors 58 years ago. In 2014, Dutch adventurer Manon Ossevoort and a team of experts replicated the journey to the South Pole from Antarctica on a Massey Ferguson MF5610 tractor.

Hillary's son, Peter, who himself has skied from Scott Base to the South Pole, says Antarctica and the hut were very important to his father.

"Dad often talked about his time in Antarctica and the trip to the South Pole ... he saw it as one of his major achievements saying it was an extreme challenge after Everest," he says.

"He spent a lot of time in that hut – it was where his office was and where his bunk bed was. I know he'd want it saved."

Nearly 60 years on, Hillary's hut is in a state of disrepair and a comprehensive conservation plan has been developed in order to save a slice of New Zealand's history.

The Antarctic Heritage Trust will spearhead the ambitious fund-raising expedition, known as Expedition South, from Piha Beach (one of Hillary's favourite places) to Aoraki Mount Cook (finishing just below the Hillary Ridge).

Antarctic Heritage Trust Director Nigel Watson says the expedition will be a hard slog.

"While our team won’t be on the Ice and will have far more comforts than Sir Ed and his team had, it's still going to take them nearly four weeks and they're likely to face all kinds of weather," he says.

The team will travel the same distance Hillary and his team did (2012km) on three tractors – two of them the same Ferguson TE20 model tractors that Hillary and his team had, the other a new 120hp MF5612.

The MF5600 series model is a replica of the tractor that made the trek across the ice with Manon Ossevoort in 2014. The tractor is on loan from Massey Ferguson and will be the support vehicle for the two TE20 tractors as they make the trek across the country.

"We’re very pleased to have Massey Ferguson on board with us and supporting such a valuable and worthwhile cause," says Watson.

"The brand has a very strong connection with Sir Ed that stems back to his original expedition to the South Pole."

ANZ Managing Director and Vice President for Massey Ferguson, Warwick McCormick, says the company is very proud and honoured to be given the opportunity to help save Hillary's legacy.

"This year marks the 70 year anniversary for the TE20 tractor that changed the world of farm mechanisation and it's wonderful to see them being used for such a great cause," he said.

"We are so proud of this superb legacy of practical and innovative technology which not only helped Sir Ed achieve his daring adventure but also continue to inspire our design engineers to produce straightforward, dependable equipment to increase the efficiency and productivity of farmers all over the world."

Along the way, Expedition South will be stopping at various schools, Hillary hotspots and events to collect donations from the public.

"We are calling on Kiwis to give a fiver," says Watson.

"The $5 note has Sir Ed's face on it so we can't think of a better use for it than saving his Antarctic legacy."

He adds the Trust has already received some significant donations towards the project and the organisation plans to begin restoration work this summer so it's finished in time for the 60th anniversary of Scott Base.

"To do that, we need New Zealanders on-board with Expedition South. Please get behind this intrepid effort and save a slice of our history.

"You can find out about Expedition South or donate at expeditionsouth.nz and if you see us on the road then toot, wave and show your support … and please … give a fiver to the driver!"

Find out more about the expedition or donate to the cause at expeditionsouth.nz.