Late July 1956 Waiting at the base for the next trip was never Syd's strong point. The three sea-ice expeditioners nursed very severe and painful frostbite for over a fortnight before Syd's diary entry showed he was bored ... Wed 25th July 1956. A dirty old day, a...
July 1956 Previously on the dark sea ice: Their first expedition in the dark winter was a dangerous journey on the treacherous sea ice high way, to find a group of island that Douglas Mawson found in 1930. Dark omens snapped at their heels as they set out. They found...
July 1956 Previously on the dark sea ice: Their first expedition in the dark winter was a dangerous journey on the treacherous sea ice high way, to find a group of islands discovered by Douglas Mawson in 1930 but never again seen. Dark omens snapped at their heels as...
15 July 1956 Robbie’s dream that Syd was about to find his vocation as dog food might have been an omen. The trip on sea ice in the winter dark was difficult. They really had very little idea where they were going. The maps were poorly sketched and Douglas Mawson’s...
Their first winter dog-sledging trip in 1956 was an eerie mid-July excursion on the perilous sea-ice. The loss of all the best dogs made the job of training a viable expeditionary dog team almost impossible, but Syd was sure that dog sledging was far from a remnant of...
After the celebrations of mid-winter there can be a psychological nose-dive in the Antarctic teams. So much energy and preparation has been expended and then the wonderful event is over, the hangovers are celebrated and forgotten and then what? There are months ahead...
Every year, the night of 21 June was hallowed. It was the austral solstice—the shortest day and the longest night, midway through the dark winter. Through the austral dark, the rituals that marked the Antarctic calendar took on deeper meaning. “Midwinter draws nigh,”...
Remember the phenomenon of the Rocky Horror Picture Show movie? For years, the quirky musical about a drag queen alien attracted crowds dressed as their favourite character. Throughout the movie the audience would shout the lines and at key scenes, items would fly...
Throughout the year Antarctic bases sizzled with rituals to mark the passing of time. Drinking and brewing alcohol were important to camp life. Every Sunday morning three volunteers detached themselves from other duties to lay down and bottle the previous week’s...