The daughter of Captain Jim Collins, who piloted the fatal Air New Zealand flight to Mt Erebus, says the memorial weekend in Antarctica has helped her to heal.
All 257 passengers and crew on board the DC-10 sightseeing flight perished when the plane crashed into the side of the mountain in Antarctica in 1979.
Pip Collins was one of the six family members chosen by ballot to fly to Scott Base for the 30th anniversary commemoration of the crash.
Ms Collins says she has learned to live with the Erebus tragedy and will never be able to close the door on it.
However, she says being able to experience the beauty of the location, as well as sharing the experiences of others who lost family members in the crash, is something she will treasure for the rest of her life.
High winds on Friday prevented the group from landing at the crash site, and bad weather on Monday thwarted a second attempt.
Ms Collins says she is glad she was able to see the site of the plane crash.
"I feel like I've seen it and I don't actually feel a need to physically lay my feet on that ground. My father lives on in my heart, and that's the most important thing for me.
"We've done a lot of remembering and thinking of all the people who would've liked to have been here too."
Ms Collins and other family representatives fly back to Christchurch on Monday afternoon.
