Briton bails out stranded aviator
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Johanson flew over the South Pole on Sunday before bad weather and low fuel forced him to land.
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ADELAIDE, Australia (CNN) -- A British pilot has come to the rescue of an Australian aviator stranded without enough fuel to fly out of Antarctica.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Friday that Briton Polly Vacher had offered to sell adventurer Jon Johanson the 400 liters of aviation fuel he needs to fly from Antarctica to New Zealand.
Johanson -- who became the first person to fly solo over the South Pole on the weekend -- ignited a diplomatic ice storm when he realized he would not have enough fuel to fly off the icy continent.
He had been flying his homemade single-engine aircraft from New Zealand to South America when low fuel forced him to land at the joint U.S.-New Zealand base at Mc Murdo Sound at the edge of Antarctica.
But authorities at the base had refused to give him the fuel in line with policies they say deter other adventures and tourists from flying over or to Antarctica. There were also reports the base didn't have the proper high-octane aviation fuel needed by Johanson.
Australian authorities had been working with New Zealand and American counterparts to allow Johanson to get access to fuel.
"This fuel is already at McMurdo, it was pre-positioned there by Polly Vacher, who is a British aviator, who herself has been planning a similar type of trip, and hadn't needed the fuel," Downer told reporters.
Downer said he was negotiating with New Zealand authorities and was optimistic Johanson would be given the fuel.
"We've been saying to the New Zealanders that now that fuel is available, and the question of non-availability of fuel isn't relevant any more, we would be very grateful if they would give approval and facilitate the loading of the fuel into Jon Johanson's plane," Downer said.
"We have some real problems if New Zealand won't do it ... So I'm optimistic, without being absolutely sure, that in the end the New Zealanders will allow the fuel to be loaded on to the plane."
Johanson's partner, Sue Ball, told Australian media she was elated about the offer of fuel, describing it as a wonderful gesture from one partner to another.
"It's just indescribable, yes, real joy of her generosity and to know that now we can have Jon fly the aeroplane home instead of putting it on a ship, it's just wonderful," she said.
But Downer warned that Australia was still against "ad-hoc, unorganized adventurism or tourism" in Antarctica and would continue to discourage such activities in line with the U.S. and New Zealand stance on the matter.
However, he said there were inconsistencies in the way different countries were applying policies in relation to adventures going to the continent and he would bring the matter up at the next Antarctic treaty meeting next May.
