Nimrod Centennial Departure-TVNZ

Hundreds of people have turned out in Lyttelton to farewell a voyage commemorating explorer Ernest Shackleton's mission to discover the Antarctic.

The group of enthusiasts are reliving a significant moment in Antarctic history when the Nimrod set off for what was then the great unknown.

Between 30 to 50,000 people are believed to have been in Lyttelton to farewell the vessel on January 1, 1908 and Canterbury Museum curator Baden Norris says Tuesday's departure is unique because the tug that went out is the same one that left in 1908.

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