This October school holidays, the Antarctic Heritage Trust is bringing their popular virtual reality roadshow to Katikati's Digital Hub.

From Tuesday, October 11, to Thursday, October 13, Western Bay of Plenty District Council's Digital Hub, located at The Centre - Pātuki Manawa, will play host to the Hillary's Hut Antarctica Virtual Reality Experience – a large-scale digital project that transports people to Antarctica in a way never seen before.

Through VR, you'll get to step inside Sir Edmund Hillary's hut, discover what it took to be an Antarctic explorer, and see what life was like living in the coldest place on Earth back in 1957.

This free event will be on 10am-4pm for three days only and is best suited for those aged nine and above. Places are limited so bookings are essential – visit eventbrite.co.nz to book your session.

WBOPDC libraries western team leader Julia Edgecombe says it's exciting to be part of the nationwide roadshow and bringing Antarctica to Katikati.

'This is a fantastic opportunity for Western Bay rangatahi and their whānau to come and learn more about Sir Edmund Hillary and New Zealand's first presence in Antarctica in a fun, interactive and fully immersive way,” says Julia.

'To celebrate this awesome event coming to the Western Bay, our libraries teams around the district will also be putting on some fun activities for tamariki during the October school holidays.

'We'll be going all out with the Antarctic theme – crafts, colouring competitions, movies, LEGO®, and cool activity booklets – so keep an eye on the Western Bay Libraries Facebook page to find out more!”

The Katikati Digital Hub opened in 2020, after receiving a $400,000 boost from the Provincial Growth Fund. Its purpose is to provide residents of Katikati and surrounding areas with access to the digital technologies needed to adopt digital tools and learn new skills.

'Having the Hub equipped with all the latest digital technologies, meeting rooms and resources is providing us with the ability to host amazing events such as the Antarctic Experience right here in Katikati, as well as providing locals with everyday digital connectivity.

'We're really proud of our Digital Hub, and we're very lucky to be able to offer such a wonderful space to our community,” says Julia.

To book free tickets for the Hillary's Hut VR Experience, head to eventbrite.co.nz

To find out more about the Pātuki Manawa Digital Hub, check out pmdh.nz

For more information on the Antarctic Heritage Trust, see their website: nzaht.org

Sam and the TAE/IGY Hut. Photo: Tim McPhee.