Jennifer Murray dropped in on husband Simon for a few hours

Jennifer Murray, 63, herself on a pole-to-pole helicopter trip, dropped in on husband Simon, also 63, 12 days after he began his 65-day trudge.

Mr Murray, trekking with fellow UK adventurer Pen Hadow, 41, said it was "extremely good" to spend some time in the Antarctic sunshine with his wife.

He hopes to become the oldest man to make an unsupported trek to the pole.

Mr Murray said his wife's first words were: "Any chance of a cup of tea?"

The entrepreneur, who lives in England and Hong Kong, said: "It was extremely good to get together and rather strange to meet Jennifer in such remarkable circumstances.

Mr Murray (r) and Pen Hadow are on a 65-day trip

"It has been a fantastic day with lots of sunshine. So we spent time together outdoors without freezing too much."

There are strict "no supply" rules on the men's expedition, so the couple could not exchange Christmas presents.

Mrs Murray said: "I trust no one will challenge the brief moral support offered by hugs and kisses to my adorable husband."

Mr Hadow, from Devon, said: "We had a very special gathering."

The men, who are pulling 275lb of food and supplies on sledges, began their trip on 2 December at Hercules Inlet, on the edge of the Antarctic continent.

The 731-mile (1,170km) trip is expected to take 65 days, ending in February.

They were 91 miles into their journey by the time Mrs Murray found them.

Helicopter records

Mrs Murray - who in 1997 became the first woman to fly round the world in a helicopter - is trying to break records again by becoming the first person to do so via both poles.

She and co-pilot Colin Bodill have already broken records by crossing the Drake Passage, between the southernmost tip of South America and northern Antarctica.

She hopes to reach the pole by 17 December, to celebrate 100 years of motorised flight on the anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight, but her entire trip will not end until April.

In May, Mr Hadow became the first person to reach the north pole unsupported from Canada.