Finance

A grant from the University Grants Committee was used to pay for food, clothing, camping items, some specialised scientific equipment, freight, travel, and to cover insurance of personnel and equipment. The University Council provided financial support for Palmer, Anderson, Stern and Keys.

Equipment

Many items were already available in the VUWAE stores at both Wellington and Scott Base. They included down and windproof clothing, sleeping bags, mukluks, kitchen gear, ice axes, some crampons and crevasse rescue equipment, rock drums and scientific equipment. The Geology and Chemistry departments (VUW) provided other scientific equipment. The Otago University Department of Geology lent the expedition a Worden gravimeter and the Ministry of Works and Development, Water and Soil Division, Christchurch, lent a universal stage.

Antarctic Division provided expensive and specialist equipment including four motor toboggans, six sledges, four polar tents, four radio transceivers, four first aid kits and miscellaneous climbing equipment. The Division also clothed DSIR personnel working with VUWAE. A Briggs and Stratton drill was borrowed from McMurdo Station.

Miscellaneous small items were purchased to replace worn or broken VUWAE equipment and to obtain new supplies of various items. With the assistance of the Physics Department (VUW) Robinson built a set of temperature probes and adapted a wheatstone bridge for englacial temperature determinations.

Food

As for the last four years' expeditions, VUWAE 21 worked on a man day basis and were charged a flat rate ($20 per person per week), irrespective of whether the personnel were in the field or at Scott Base. (This flat rate also covers other consumables such as petrol, oil, and kerosene, and includes the use of Antarctic Division toboggans, tents, etc.). As in the past VUWAE purchased fresh meat and canned fruit to supplement the food boxes.