Emotional, epic ride ends for descendants

It's been an emotional few days in Oamaru for the descendants of Robert Falcon Scott.

Oamaru hosted a strong contingent of overseas and New Zealand visitors, plus locals, during the Oamaru Scott100 celebrations.

One of the international guests was Zoe Young, granddaughter of Kathleen, the widow of Captain Robert Falcon Scott.

Ms Young visited Oamaru from London specifically for the celebrations.

"It has been emotional. It's been epic and it's been an adventure to come as a descendant," she said.

"I'd grown up with this story and this heritage of over-achieving ancestors, but before now I've never stepped into the world of Scott.

"There's kind of a culture of glorifying those stories that I have not been a part of before. So it's been a great adventure to step into it."

She said she felt very welcomed by the Oamaru community.

"The people here, they are descendants of those who headed to the ends of the earth whether they wanted adventure, or land in a new place," she said.

"So when I look in the eyes of everybody here it's like a family resemblance. A lot of them have Visitors received royal treatment

It's been outstanding, and at times overwhelming.Alex Familton, Waitaki Mayor Scottish ancestry, or Irish, and I see the sea in some of their eyes. Their people are the ones who came across the oceans."

Nicola Starks, the daughter of Sir Peter Scott and the granddaughter of Robert Falcon Scott, said the Scott100 celebrations had been "the most wonderful few days" for the descendants of Scott.

"We're so honoured to have been treated like royal visitors," she said.

Meeting the descendants of Scott had made the last few days an extremely emotional ride for Waitaki District Mayor Alex Familton.

"It's been outstanding, and at times overwhelming," Mr Familton said.

"The connection and the links of family and heritage have been so positive for so many people.

"For me, the highlight has been to meet Nicola Stark.

"I've been able to discuss with the granddaughter of Scott the family's feelings and the family's reaction, and the positive reaction.

"She's just said it's been an emotional experience for the family, and that's the most memorable moment for me."

Mr Familton said the speeches by James Blake and Sir David Skegg, highlighting the urgency of conservation and dealing with environmental problems, were also highlights.

"It's that emotional meeting with Nicola Stark and very pertinent points made by those two speakers. It really did make an impact and I think we'll have to do something about that," he said.

Scott100 co-convener Helen Stead said the programme of events, rich with history, exhibitions and land and sea-based special events, had been amazing.

"The poignancy of it, the drama and the fact that I've lived here all my life, but I've learned more and I understand more how events happened partly from the stories we knew as children, but also from the Scott family. They've filled in their side of the story, the exhibitions at the Forrester Gallery - it just keeps growing," she said.

What started as plans for a re-enactment and a dinner soon snowballed into something much larger, she said.

"Now people are suggesting we should be doing a book. Oamaru's heritage is New Zealand's heritage," she said.

"The Scott story was a personal story - they were another family that got tied into the life of our town."