Caz, that is pretty much as I "heard" it. The flight Christchurt - McMurdo is something like 11 hours with a go/no go at 5 hours out of CHCH for weather. As this was also one of the early flights for the season (third or fourth I believe) they would also have been heavy on cargo as well. The item reported a "luggage limit" of 20 lbs per person. For a female reporter that would be just the makeup kit (???? ) A photographer who was on the flight took his cameras and the clothes he stood in...jokes about sleeping out with the dogs were made.

I can imagine that the fuel burnoff would create some problems at the other end, especially if they optimised CG range for the mid flight area. Is this how it is done for long flights?