November 12, 2016

...A relaxed Kerry, (click here) jeans and open-neck shirt, landed at Christchurch early this evening after a whistle-stop tour of the ice continent where he was struck by its "majesty and awe".

Kerry, 72, spoke to assembled media briefly on the tarmac before jetting off to Wellington where he will hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister John Key tomorrow.

The long-time champion for action against climate change described his two-day trip to Antarctica as "an extraordinary experience".

He visited New Zealand's Scott Base where he was given a "terrific tour" and saw scientists preparing for field missions.

Yesterday, Kerry took a helicopter ride where he says he got a "sense of the majesty and awe of the place".

But most importantly, Kerry said, was to see the "really vital science" being done in Antarctica, which is providing "critical knowledge" on the Antarctic ice sheet, melt rates, its potential impact, and helps guide policy decisions.

"For those of us deeply concerned and involved in climate change this was very, very helpful, very instructive," he said....