Winter Over Blog #10 2016

Time to reflect on the past 8 months down on a wee patch of Ross Island in Antarctica.

I came down here in February during 24hr sun, watched as the sea ice broke out in front of Scott Base. Witnessed the penguins, skuas and a variety marine mammals head north or hunker down and become less visible as the days drew shorter, then someone flicked the light switch to off. Through full circle to the return of sea ice and its daily rapid growth till we were able to drive over it in the Hagglunds.

Saw the transition from Antarctic summer to winter with a russet of sunsets, moving through to star gazing and the kaleidoscope of Auroras and back again, to eagerly sighting the first glimpses of sunrise, interspersed with beautiful nacreous clouds and the return to 24hr daylight.

The igloo that we built in February remains a little worse for wear but still standing in October. A testimony largely I think to the construction skills of the Apprent-ICE Ryan - though not sure how helpful “builds good igloos” would be in his CV?

Early Feb igloo                                                                   -----and early Oct

Rangi [Navigator of the Heavens] has been a stalwart throughout this time and has stayed pretty staunch regardless of the weather thrown in his direction.

The TAE letterbox has seen another winter and has, as yet, not begun to receive those unwanted circulars and flyers as reminders of how many days it is till Christmas or which perpetual sale in once again entering its final days of special offers.