I-WILKINS RUNWAY, Antarctica (AFP) - Indiza eyingqophamlando yendiza yabagibeli isuka e-Australia iya e-Antarctica ithinte kahle kumgwaqo weqhwa oluhlaza ngoLwesihlanu, yethula okuwukuphela kwayo okuwukuphela kwendiza evamile phakathi kwamazwekazi.
Cishe ingxenye yekhulu leminyaka kwasungulwa umbono womzila wezindiza e-Antarctica okokuqala, i-Airbus A319 esuka eHobart yahlala eWilkins eduze kwaseCasey Station yase-Australian Antarctic Division, kusho umthwebuli wezithombe we-AFP owayesemkhunjini.
UNgqongqoshe wezeMvelo uPeter Garrett, owayephakathi kwezikhulu ezingaba ngu-20, ososayensi nabezindaba endizeni yokuqala, uthe umbono ovela endaweni yabashayeli bezindiza wawumangalisa njengoba indiza isondela e-Antarctica.
"Ukubona izinguzunga zeqhwa, indawo encane yokuhlala lapha futhi akukho lutho ongakubona kuzo zonke izinhlangothi bese lo mzila wezindiza ubonakala sengathi uvela ngaphandle," kusho owayengumholi we-Midnight Oil.
“Kuyisimangaliso sobunjiniyela esizuzwe yilaba bantu. Kuwukunqoba kwezinhlelo futhi kuxhumanisa amazwekazi amabili okugcina axhunywe ngomoya,” usho kanje.
“Lona umcimbi omkhulu kakhulu, wumlando impela. Kuzovela inkathi entsha mayelana nokunakekela iplanethi yethu.”
Umzila wezindiza, ongamakhilomitha amane (amamayela angu-2.5) ubude, amamitha angu-700 ububanzi futhi uhamba cishe amamitha angu-12 eningizimu-ntshonalanga ngonyaka ngenxa yokukhukhuleka kweqhwa, waqoshwa eqhweni futhi walinganiswa kusetshenziswa ubuchwepheshe be-laser.
“Umzila wezindiza lapha ubushelelezi kakhulu kunemizila yezindiza eminingi ezikhumulweni zezindiza zamazwe ngamazwe emhlabeni wonke,” kusho umshayeli wendiza uGarry Studd.
Umzila wezindiza wamadola ayizigidi ezingu-46 (amaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-41) uthathe iminyaka engaphezu kwemibili ukwakhiwa futhi uklanyelwe ukuletha ososayensi nezinye izisebenzi ze-Australian Antarctic Division ezwenikazi eliyiqhwa ukuze bafunde izindaba ezifana nokushintsha kwesimo sezulu.
Izindiza zizofika masonto onke phakathi nezinyanga ezifudumele zika-Okthoba kuya kuNdasa kodwa ngeke zivulekele ukuhamba kwezivakashi.
Phambilini, ososayensi bebephoqeleke ukuthi bachithe amasonto amabili emkhunjini ukuze bafike eCasey Station.
"Kuzoshintsha indlela esenza ngayo ucwaningo lwethu," usosayensi omkhulu walolu phiko uMichael Stoddart etshela abezindaba ze-AAP yase-Australia.
Indiza yasuka edolobheni eliseningizimu ye-Australia iHobart futhi yathatha amahora amane nesigamu ukufika eWilkins. Yahlala phansi amahora amathathu ngaphambi kokuba ithathe uhambo lokubuyela ngaphandle kwesidingo sokuthela uphethiloli.
Umzila wezindiza waqanjwa ngegama lomhambi nomshayeli wendiza uSir Hubert Wilkins, owathatha indiza yokuqala e-Antarctica eminyakeni engama-79 edlule.
Ezinye izizwe ezinezikhungo zocwaningo zase-Antarctic sezineminyaka zindizela kuleli zwekazi elineqhwa zisuka emazweni afana neNew Zealand neNingizimu Afrika, kodwa zisebenzisa izindiza zamasosha.
I-Australian Antarctic Division ithi ukwethulwa kwayo kwendiza yesimanje eyijethi, engaqeda uhambo lokubuya ngaphandle kokufaka uphethiloli, kuphawula ukuqala kwenkathi entsha.
