Because South Pole has an airstrip and a summer tourist camp, in addition to the chrome ball to get your hero shot beside, being a place of geopolitical import,

Because South Pole has an airstrip and a summer tourist camp, in addition to the chrome ball to get your hero shot beside, being a place of geopolitical import, etc. In general though; "simply" going in a straight line between two points isn't often the easiest (nor most interesting) way to get between two points.