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This series of podcasts presents life at Mawson Base, Antarctica throughout 1976 and the summer of 1977. Mawson is one of three Australian Antarctic bases with a fourth on the sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island. Each episode is devoted to a specific adventure (or mis-adventure) over a 15 month period. At this period of time Mawson was one of just a few Antarctic bases that had working Husky dogs to which a number of these podcasts are about. I am surprised upon looking back and referencing sourc ...
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Send us a Text Message. In 1979 David Blaby returned to the Antarctic taking the position of Plant Inspector at Mawson. Circumstances led to him staying for two consecutive winters - very rare for the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE). The years 1979-81 were still the era of the dogs on base. Hear how these dogs were actual…
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Send us a Text Message. Vonna Keller, Antarctic Veteran has spent time at all Australian Antarctic bases, including Macquarie Island from 2005 to 2014. This podcast covers the years 2005-2008. Vonna relates a few of her amazing experiences, particularly as camp manager while building the first international runway near Casey Base in 2005. The airst…
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Send us a Text Message. David Blaby, Antarctic veteran expeditioner, journeyed to Casey Base in 1969 one year after the Australian base was opened. As an experienced Diesel Mechanic his job was to keep the base running. David recounts how his Antarctic saga came about and the many adventures, some rather bizarre, that followed. Of special interest …
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Send us a Text Message. Australian Antarctic Bases have many and varied vehicles to: keep the base running; support summer survey and research programs; and for recreation. Mawson base in 1976 was no exception. This is account of huge variation, adventures and mis-adventures with the vehicles that year. No expeditioner was harmed in creating the st…
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Send us a Text Message. First day in the Antarctic is different for all. Phil’s first day arriving at Mawson was very different. Here he explains to Peter Niblett what this experience, on Christmas Day 1975, was like and why it was different in some surprising and somewhat bizarre ways.توسط Philip Wolter
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Send us a Text Message. The history of Casey Antarctic Base begins in 1965 with arrival of the first construction crew. One of the team - Ron Wiggins - provides a first-hand account of the birth of Casey, the end of Wilkes 4 years later and the many adventures he had in the frozen continent.توسط Ron Wiggins, Peter Niblett, Philip Wolter
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Send us a Text Message. Trapped, isolated in a fierce Antarctic blizzard on a mountain top. The tent - their only shelter, begins to rip apart. What do two young Australians do? This is the question Peter Niblett asks Phil Wolter when this actually occurred in the summer of 1977 on Latham Peak, Antarctica…
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Send us a Text Message. Four Mawson Base adventurers decide to take two teams of Husky dogs to a feature called Low Tongue - a rocky outcrop protruding from the Antarctic coastal ice cliff. It was intended to be a relaxing day trip. The journey, completed in one day, had an unexpected twist. Share the adventures along the way as told by Phil Wolter…
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Send us a Text Message. It’s no secret that the Antarctic Continent is a dangerous place and claimed the lives of many. In his 15 month period manning Mawson Base Phil experienced his own brushes with death. One involved the birth of an iceberg and another came about when Phil decided to climb this same berg a few months later, alone, and got into …
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Send us a Text Message. At the Antarctic base, Mawson, an important safety feature was the Nightwatch. In the 70’s each wintering expeditioner was required to undertake this vital function as the Nightwatchman. A seemingly mundane task to mitigate the significant fire risk, it nevertheless seemed to attract some rather bizarre experiences. This was…
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Send us a Text Message. In the years when Australian Antarctic programs were centred around the area west of Mawson Base it was customary to receive an invitation from the Russians to visit there large Antarctic base called Molodezhnaya, situated on the western edge of Australian Antarctic Territory. Phil, as one of the summer participants, was luc…
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Send us a Text Message. Each year at Mawson base new huskies were needed to replace the elderly. The 1976 breeding program created over a dozen pups. The youngest of these was named Nancy. She was a cute, good-looking and sweet natured pup. But Nancy grew up. The male dogs noticed and Nancy quickly came to enjoy her canine popularity. Peter Niblett…
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Send us a Text Message. After arriving in the Antarctic on December 25 1975, Phil Wolter was shown the ropes of the Geophysical Observatory and settled into the routine to keep the records continuous and of high quality. Pete interviews Phil on what that routine was and the type of instruments used to run both the seismic and geomagnetic observator…
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Send us a Text Message. In late January of an Antarctic summer. Survey work to the west of Mawson Base was well underway and Mawson was manned by a mixture of 1975 and1976 personnel. One of the old guard felt an itch for one last trip with the dogs and asked two newbies, one being Phil Wolter, to come with him. Naturally Phil and Neil agreed. In th…
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Send us a Text Message. At the edge of the Shackelton Ice shelf lies an extinct Antarctic volcano named Gaussberg. In early 1977 Phil was one of the few passengers of the Nella Dan to visit this ancient geological wonder. His task was to obtain updated measurements of the Earth’s magnetic field. As a geophysicist Phil had a unique historic link thi…
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Send us a Text Message. On Christmas Day, 1975 about fifteen trained personnel had crossed the Southern Ocean and arrived at the Antarctic sea-ice edge to begin the coming year at Australia’s Mawson Base. The account of the trip down in the Nella Dan, the magic of the ice edge, violent storms, the strange events on arrival and the initial settling …
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Send us a Text Message. Mawson Station, Antarctica - in the spring of 1976 three expeditioners saddled up a team of Huskies and set off in search of a hollow iceberg, rumoured to exist somewhere in the vicinity of Mawson. Peter Niblett interviews Philip Wolter to obtain a first hand account of the adventure, along with other interesting facts about…
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