Cracker by Damian Christie

Squeak..Crunch..Squeak..Crunch.. Crunch.. Crunch. Everywhere there is Crunch.

OAE of 1981-82 here. I gather you enjoyed it Damien. Pictures to die for. My trip down was 4 1/2 hours down and 4 1/2 back because of the weather. Then having another go a coupla days later. I killed my new two day old radio/cassette player with one horrendous static explosion when I didn't take that second to dump the charge after taking my down jacket off. I spent the quietest time in my life sitting way out in the Windless Bight listening to the blood flow in my ears. Christmas at Vanda Station in a multicultural piss up of our National "special brews". Flying in the Gentles. Camping at Lake Bonney looking after Chinese and Japanese scientists sampling the salty waters of the lake. DJing on Armed Forces Radio. Opening the Scott Base bar at 5pm...there was no closing time...Work was listening to the magma of Erebus via seismo sensors and sampling the Earths Magnetic field. Taking a mattress, two sleeping bags, multi layers of clothing and a camera and lying on the snow away from the base watching- and seemingly listening - to the Auroral curtains billowing in the heavens.

All this finished, for reasons I cannot explain, balling my eyes out as I waited in the departure hut in the last hours of a year on ice.

It is still THE experience of my life.

balling my eyes out [...] still THE experience of my life

I can see how it would be; that describes quite a different reaction than mere bawling.

Thanks for sharing those memories Ross - your experience sounds incredible vs my short 'tourist' trip, but still something I will always remember!

Most excellent. Very jealous but also very happy you made it :)

I didn’t linger long enough to notice!! Heh. What a bawls up.

I was born the same year as Scott Base,
at the start of the IGY, but in Chchch…

Once late last century when I used to do graphic work for the NZ Antarctic Programme – later Antarctica NZ – I had to stitch together
a panorama of Cape Roberts to present to the project leader (part of ongoing Andrill research) - it was also how they had to leave the site after the project finished.

The photos were taken on the day I was born as part of the IGY!
it was a spooky feeling seeing those reflected photons,
trapped in silver amber since my first air-breathing moment
some of that same snow may have been core-sampled
as they drilled back through time…

I wonder if (hope) Antarctica NZ has updated my amateurish illustrations in the reversible Field and First Aid Manual?

Fabulous Damian, great writing with lots of striking details. The staticky station-eek!

Speaking of International Geophysical Year…..
I found this set of posters put out in that year. This is one of them.
Printed and laminated a set and they are behind my desk at work.

The science is still so relevant today!!!