Everything Antarctica

One of the most common questions we get asked is “What do you eat in Antarctica?” This is a great question and given that we don’t have farms, or animals or plants we can eat, the answer can surprise people. This episode explains a day of food starting at breakfast and heading all the way through to dinner, dessert and after dinner snacks. We answer questions like “What do vegetarians eat?” “I’m a vegan, will I be catered for?” “I have food allergies, what will I eat?” And so much more. The food is all free and cooked for us so we have huge variety in the meals we get to eat. We also discuss some of the challenges when it comes to food like a lack of fresh fruit and vegetables. We talk about food preservation and how we keep food safe and fresh. This is the only podcast you’ll ever need to explain the process of eating in Antarctica.

We get a little more specific into the work of the electrician at Scott Base. Jonny has done the role a few times so knows exactly what the job entails. If you’re applying to be an electrician in Antarctica, this is the episode for you. It also provides a good overview of his day to day life including recreation and a whole lot of other things you’re probably wondering about!

We don’t get to avoid chores just because we live in Antarctica. This episode explains how we go about day to day life including: how we do our washing, how we get our hair cut, how we send and receive mail and letters, online shopping, in person shopping at the small store, what the living situation is like with other people in shared rooms, and the repurposing of items that we no longer need like what we do with left over shampoo, body wash, clothing and food. It’s an episode where we answer some of the most asked questions about what a day in the life is like in Antarctica. This is one of our favourite episodes and we hope you enjoy it as well!

This episode explores the concept of mouse rounds at Scott Base in Antarctica. The “mouse” has many duties to fulfil above and beyond their regular duties. These include: printing the day’s weather, manning the radio for the day, recording people’s movements throughout the day, be alert to any changes in weather, and then completing mouse rounds. Mouse rounds are done at the end of the day and ensure that lights are turned off, things are returned to where they live, vehicles are plugged in, freezers and fridges are at the right temperature, container doors are closed among many many more. This is a job that rotates through the crew and is essential to the safety of occupants. We hope you enjoy learning about this unique aspect of life in Antarctica.

What’s a day in Matty’s life like in Antarctica? The short answer is that it varied dramatically between seasons, with the summer being busier and more hectic than the winter which tends to be more relaxed and a bit slower. If you’re interested in listening to what a typical day is life in Antarctica then this is the episode for you.

Dr Dan Price is a glaciologist with research work focussing on Antarctic sea ice thickness with satellite and airborne sensors. He has been to Antarctica 8 times for both scientific research and program and logistical support. He developed crevasse avoidance techniques for heavy vehicle traverses across the world’s largest ice shelf- the Ross Ice Shelf which is roughly the size of France. This involved finding a new 1,000km long route across the West Antarctica using novel satellite techniques. Dan took this theoretical investigation and was able to put it in to practise in Antarctica with his participation in the initial traverse. Dan has now driven across the Ross Ice Shelf 6 times. In 2015 he led a campaign called Pole to Paris to draw attention to the COP21 climate conference. He cycled a push bike from New Zealand to France over an 8 month period passing though more than 18 countries. During this expedition he gave presentations about the threat of climate change to people who will most likely be affected by sea level rise. He is currently the Chief Scientist for Christchurch based aerospace company Kea Aerospace, who are developing high altitude solar powered aircraft for earth observation. These initiatives will enhance our ability to respond to natural disasters by reducing the time it takes to assess impacts and damage from these events. Dan remains involved in sea ice research at Gateway Antarctica at the University of Canterbury and plans to launch a project to undertake the largest sea ice study ever conducted in Antarctica by flying a sea ice measuring instrument 5,000km from New Zealand’s Scott Base to Australia’s Casey Station. Dan has a bachelor of science from Cardiff University in Marine Sciences and a doctorate (PhD) in sea ice remote sensing from the University of Canterbury. He’s an Edmund Hillary Fellow and is actively involved in not for profit organisations.

In this week’s episode we do a basic introduction to the different types of ice in Antarctica. Do you know the difference between sea ice, glacial ice, ice shelves, ice caps, and ice sheets? Do you know what a polynya is? Have you heard about the shrek the sheep who got shorn on an iceberg?

We explain all of these in the hope that it helps with future episodes when we talk about these topics. While we are not ice experts or glaciologists, we have put this one together to provide a foundation for some of the discussions we will have in future episodes.

Don't worry if you don't fully understand these concepts immediately; we will revisit them often.

The question that we get asked every day on social media is "How do I get a Job in Antarctica?"

Many people think that working in Antarctica is only for scientists and people with PHD's from a top university, but that absolutely isn't the case. In this episode we delve into all of the types of jobs that are available and how you can get one of them!

There are jobs available for chefs, engineers, plumbers, electricians, medics, cleaners, mechanics and almost everything in between. Hopefully, there is something available for you!

As part of the episode, we are also giving away a FREE e-book called "How to get a job in Antarctica"

You can get it here:

https://mattykjordan.com/ebook

We really hope you find this episode useful, and the accompanying e-book valuable. Please let us know if you would like any more additional information about this topic, because we love talking about it.

If you got value from this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, and leave us a 5 star review. It really will help us spread the word about how special Antarctica is!