OB HILL - monday 29 october

Just a cruisey day off today.

A friend and I climbed Ob hill again. I made him model for some photography shots.

I played volleyball again at the gym this evening. That’s one of the things I love down here; I play soccer, dodge ball, volleyball, basketball, climbing. Everything is on your doorstep. Brilliant.

I get an email togay from Jeremy today saying "you're famous agian" A man from the christchurch press contacted me a few days back saying he wanted to run a story on the rugby game we are practising for. He wanted a "happy" article to make up for all the negative news lately. He emailed to let me know that it ran in both The Press and The Dom.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4253658a6009.html

MEDIVAC - sunday 28 october

At noon I was back at work. I’m the ambulance driver today.
Just before shift change a lady had fallen from her bunk bed and was discovered unconscious. Our paramedics assisted the doctors during the day and at 6pm I was responsible for driving her down onto the c-17 plane for a medivac back to Christchurch.

Kiakaha.

HALLOWEEN - saturday 27 october

Saturday was filled with scenario training before heading back to McMurdo for dinner. I have to say, my shower, that’s the best one I’ve had in my life.

Halloween is tonight. I learnt from my training in Salt Lake City that this is the favourite party down here. I also learnt that they have 240,000 cans of CD (New Zealand’s worst beer) to get rid of. At $1 per beer I’m sure they’ll get rid of a few.

I dressed as an All black. I wore my black NZ tee, taped my head with electrical tape, wore my all black boxer shorts, had an NZ stubby holder and carried around a rugby ball. What a great night, some people had some absolutely incredible costumes. I’m sure halve of the weight on the plane down must’ve been taken up by these.

I returned from the party at 3am to find my all my bedding covered in Pepsi. I had taken a can out to happy camper; from my experience I know it’s nice to have a sweet drink after a day outside. Unfortunately I forgotten to drink it and in my rush to the party had just thrown everything on my bed. Now the can had come from the “freezer” so to speak to the nice comforting beach-like temperature of my room. Needless to say, a mess had formed.

HAPPY CAMPER - friday 25 october

I packed all my extreme cold weather gear into a bag and excitedly headed over to FSTOP (FIELD safety outdoors……..) to begin my happy camper expedition. This was to be an action packed two days of outdoor survival training. 20 of us pilled into what they call a Delta. It’s an orange beast of a truck. The wheels alone are double overhead. It took the best part of 30 minutes to get to our destination, travelling at the lightning speed of, 1 mile per hour.

The sun was shining bright in the blue sky. Perfect. It strikes me how close you feel to the mountain ranges on the horizon. You almost need one of those stickers often found on the side mirror of a motor vehicles “objects may appear closer than they are” This mass of mountains lay 25 MILES away yet they seem only a stone’s throw away.

Kevin and Susan are to be our instructors. Great characters, great fun.

After a classroom session we get stuck right in. We learn the importance of survival in Antarctic conditions. Now I’m happy to say I’m pretty well educated in outdoor survival but when it comes to Antarctica; it’s a whole different ball game. You have to be thinking one step ahead. All the time. People have had their number drawn here by just simply walking to the outhouse (long drop) the whiteout condition worsens and they can’t find their way back to camp. 10 metres away.

As I listened I thought back to last week when I took my gloves off once to get that perfect photography shot, within seconds I had frostnip, that’s the white waxy first stages of frostbite. I noticed my hands were getting cold and made the mistake of thinking “she’ll be right, just a couple more shots” I’ll tell you what, the pain of your hands “thawing out” once inside isn’t worth that shot. Lesson learnt.

So we made T anchors to secure tents, learnt how to build a snow/wind wall, and use MSR fuel stoves to melt snow. We practised radio procedures, and erected antennas for VF radios. Made snow caves and survival trenches, and most importantly learnt the four key points of staying warm; HEAT, INSULATE, EAT AND EXCERISE.

It becomes clear that what we taught in the classroom is our key to survival in this ever-changing environment.

Dinner rolls around fast. Tonight’s menu; dehydrated beef and pasta. It’s not bad but I struggle through my packet. I know I have to eat it all. It’s negative 28.c out and it’s likely to drop further throughout the night. I need this food to keep me warm.

We entertained ourselves through the evening by using the ice saw to write block words out of ice. My “kiwi” quickly becomes a favourite with the PAPERATIZEE.

Scott, Matt and I become the leaders for the rest of the camp. The instructors sleep in a hut 10 minutes away from us. We are responsible for the general safety and wellbeing of camp. Others must let us know where they are at all times. At 7.45pm and 7.45am we radio in with an update that everyone is accounted for, any arising issues, and weather updates.

At midnight I finish my hot chocolate and prepared for bed. This is an important ritual and can mean the difference between a great night’s sleep and no sleep at all.
I visit the outhouse, then run around for 10 minutes, being careful though to not sweat; as sweat freezes instantly thus defeating the point of getting warm. I eat as many snacks as I can and fill my nalgene water bottle with boiling water. I change my socks; if you’re ever grumpy/tired/cold – “changing your socks changes your attitude” put on my fleece layers and snuggle into my sleeping bag with my freshly filled “hot water bottle” Bliss.

I slept pretty well. I awoke in the middle of the night to see this thick scarf-like layer of ice around the top of my sleeping bag. I worked out that it was the moisture I created from breathing out that instantly froze to my bag.

WINTER-OVERS - thurday 25 october

Hopefully this works. It's a video I shot the other day of a c-17 taking off, taking the winter-over crew back to warmer climates! Fingers crossed. I found out I have happy camper over the next two days. Yeah. This is snow craft training where you get to learn all about the elements of Antarctica and sleep in a snow cave for the night. Double Yeah. I'm so stoked.

RED ONE - wednesday 24 october

Out at the runway station today. 24hrs on the ice.

Station 2 is set out on the runway. It has a little lounge, a little bunk room, a little office, and a little kitchen. 6 of us are squeezed into what looks like a container, like the ones carried on ships. It's little but it has mighty big character, and i love it. It's my favourite shift whenever i'm out there. You feel like you're really in the elements, and over 24 hours i can capture some great shots with the ever changing conditions.

We drove the big rig today, she took about half an hour to start up, but we were cruising once underway. Red 1 is what she's called. It's massive and carries 1200 gallons of agent. We also pulled the lines (hose) from the back of R5. It's a 100 foot line of hose which we'd take interior to an airforce c-17.

Over in the cargo depo we helped assist in moving some fire extinguisers. This is Antarctic style (photo above). Only on the ice can you move extinguishers the cool way!

Evening struck and the 6 of us watched an american series called Firefly. It's all the rage down here. Crashed early, time to catch up on some sleep.

KITE SKIING- tuesday 23rd october

It snowed again.

yeah.

Another day off, I’m loving this.

I hit the gym this morning then helped out the D.A's with the dishes again in the galley. The weather is chilly, windy and cloudy today, so it's a good chance to catch up on the likes of laundry. Wonderful laundry days, 5 machines 1200 people, and the biggest box of detergent I’ve seen in my life. Apparently our Antarctic fire service tees are in great demand down here, and seem to amazingly vanish from your laundry pile. A great souvenir from the ice I bet. You have to watch them like a hawk.

I sorted out my photos today and backed them up onto cd's. I've only taken a few during the two weeks I’ve been here.

I've taken 800.

Time to get outdoors. During the afternoon I hiked out to discovery hut for some photography. This is where I met Nick.
Nick works with the helicopters, and this is his 6th summer out here. He's an avid kite boarder back in the states and once he's on the ice the skies come out. Kite skiing. Wicked. "yeah, you can travel some pretty awesome landscapes and cover some miles fast here with a 4m kite" Nick says as I listen attentively. I'm hooked.

I snapped away taking photos of Nick during his "practise fly" of his kite. I really wish I had brought my fisheye and wide-angle lens out on this hike. I could have got some unreal shots. Lesson learnt. Take everything.

I run back to mactown for dinner thinking, "now, how can I get jeremy to send me one of these kites”?

I laughed out loud as I thought of a conversation with my Dad just before I came down here. I remember I was super excited telling him about an awesome surfing day I’d had and that I really wanted to buy longboard now, he chuckled and replied "now Liz, when are you going to sit still, and maybe learn to knit"

I love it. For those that don't know, my Dad is one of my biggest supporters, a real fan. He's always encouraging me and forever proud. He's a true legend.

Evening came around fast and I was off to the gym to get certified to use the climbing wall. Straight from climbing I was into a few games of volleyball, from volleyball it was onto the basketball court, then rounded it all off with a quick beer in the pub.

Phew.