Television personality Nigel Latta is renowned for his politically incorrect TV series and criminal psychology but Antarctica is his first love.
The 46-year-old Aucklander is due to fly to the icy continent on Tuesday on Antarctica New Zealand’s media programme to film science documentaries.
“It’s one of those places I’ve always thought I’m going to get to before I die. If I had to pick one place in the world to go to and I could go nowhere else, I would pick Antarctica, hands down.”
While Latta’s dreams of visiting Antarctica began as a child, a lecture about penguins during his zoology studies at Otago University in the late 1980s sealed it.
“I thought it sounded the most amazing thing.”
He enrolled in a Masters in marine science because it included a field trip to Antarctica but was unaware he had to sign up for the trip when the two-year course began.
When he discovered his mistake a year later, it was too late and he missed out. “Yeah, typical me, I had an idea and didn’t plan it out well,” he says.
Afterwards, he turned to study psychology.
“First I was a crime guy and then I was a parenting guy.”
But actually, he says, “I’m a science geek”.
“I read lots of that stuff but it just hasn’t been part of my day job.”
During the past year, he has worked with Razor Films, which produced his Politically Incorrect Parenting Show, and Antarctica New Zealand to realise his dream.
NZ on Air is funding Latta’s two one-hour documentaries for TV One, called Cold Science, which will screen this year. A director and cameraman will accompany him.
“We are quite looking forward to putting Antarctic science in people’s living rooms.”
He will arrive in Christchurch today and will get fitted out for Antarctic weather tomorrow before boarding the Hercules plane on Tuesday.
During his two-week stay, Latta hopes to visit the dry valleys and an Ad
