Everything Antarctica

This week we chat with Lewie Chilcott an Antarctic enthusiast with an interest in leopard seals and all things Antarctica. Working as a guide at the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch, Lewie has lots of passion and knowledge which he shares in this great episode.

This week on the podcast we talk all about the vehicles we use, those found at McMurdo station and a few of the intricacies of operating vehicles in cold harsh conditions found in Antarctica. We talk everything from Hagglunds to Ivan the terror bus and everything between.

This week on the Everything Antarctica Podcast we talk about Fam trips. These are the coordinated trips which usually consist of a larger group and go a little further away from base. Called other things at other stations, we go over the main ones for Scott Base which are similar to those at McMurdo station. Come with us as we explore some of the more exciting group outings we get to experience down on the ice.

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.

This week on the Everything Antarctica Podcast we get interviewed live as part of Remake Learning Days. This special episode is a Q&A and covers some of the most commonly asked questions about Antarctica. It's a great one for the whole family and we are grateful for the chance to be part of Remake Learning Days this year. Hope you enjoy.

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.

In this week’s episode of the Everything Antarctica Podcast, Matty and Jonny sit down with Tom Newell. Tom was the water engineer at Scott Base in the 2011 and 2012 season, wintering over in 2012. One of the most popular questions we get is how do you produce drinking water, and what do you do with the waste? Tom answers both of these questions! His job was to produce the drinking water and potable water for the station and manage the water infrastructure. He also processed all of the station’s wastewater through the wastewater treatment plant. Tom dealt with many challenges including trying to keep all of the infrastructure warm so that none of the water froze inside the pipes. He talks about how he got his job, and what his day-to-day life was like when he was south.

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!

This is the second episode we’ve done on recreation, with this one focussing on outdoor recreation as opposed to last week’s episode on indoor recreation. Outdoor recreation is tied very closely to the weather conditions on the day, and as a result is more difficult to plan than an indoor activity. Some of the key activities include hiking, walking, biking, cross country and downhill skiing, spotting wildlife, trips to historic huts, hagglund adventures to interesting sights, visits to nearby research stations, photography and much more. Listen in this week to discover how we keep ourselves entertained. We hope you enjoy the episode!

In this weeks episode of the Everything Antarctica Podcast, Matty and Jonny talk about some of the indoor recreational opportunities that exist for people living and working in Antarctica. Most people have recreational activities that they enjoy doing, but sometimes the weather means that these activities are restricted to inside. Fitness is covered with items like a gym and a climbing wall, and our brains are covered with things like reading and board games with friends. People often think that there isn’t much to do inside, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Given that people spend extended time away from family and friends, it’s important to have activities for them to do to keep them in a good mindset. We also talk about some of the events that are organised by the community like mini golf and other make shift fun times like escape rooms. Activities vary between summer and winter, but there is no shortage of fun.

Following on from our episode on Antarctic clothing, in this weeks episode, we talk about the. Survival training that we do when we get to the ice. This allows us to take those clothing layers and experiment with them in a safe environment, with professionals supervising. It’s not that easy to just turn up in Antarctica, and instantly expect to know how to cope with the extreme weather conditions. Understanding this, everyone who deploys to Antarctica undergoes a level of training to understand how to survive in the world’s least hospitable environment. Beyond clothing, we also talk about signing out, carrying a survival bag, spare clothes, a radio, and anything else we might need to stay safe. We also touch on the overnight camping adventure we get to go on, and how we go about sleeping in tents and how we stay warm during the night!

This week, we answer a few listener questions that have come through from Social Media! We appreciate the engagement as it gives us some fresh ideas for things to make episodes about! The most common question I get asked is "How did you get your job in Antarctica?" This is a question that deserves a full episode, so we cover this question only at a very high level. We will do a more in-depth episode about how to get a job in Antarctica shortly! Next, Jonny answers the question "How do you produce power in Antarctica?" Being an electrician who has an intimate knowledge about the subject, he discusses all things required to keep the lights on. We also touch on how much we interact with other research stations from different countries. One of the most common questions is "How do you cope with being away from family and friends for so long?" so Jonny and Matty discuss some of the strategies for dealing with isolation away from loved ones. This leads to a discussion about communications and how we stay in touch with loved ones. We hope you enjoy the episode and like the format for these. There are countless questions we could answer so if you've got one, please let us know what it is so we can answer it!

On this weeks episode, Matty and Jonny talk about cold weather clothing. Some of the most common questions we get are “How do you keep yourself warm in such cold temperatures?” Generally the answer is a really good layering system and good clothes. We go into detail about what we would wear and how we would keep warm at different times of the year in different temps. Keeping warm is different for everyone, with individuals wearing different types of clothing- what works for someone, won’t necessarily work for someone else.

In this episode, Matty and Jonny discuss photography in Antarctica. This week we delve into what it takes to capture images in the cold and unforgiving climate of the great southern continent. We discuss some of the gear we use, what we like to shoot and some of the things which make it more complicated than just going outside to take a photo in other parts of the world. We both also created a system that allows us to take multi day Timelapse’s and we discuss that during this episode. There will be something to learn for everyone, especially if you are heading to Antarctica!

In this episode, Matty and Jonny discuss the seasons in Antarctica. Being in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are opposite to what those in the northern hemisphere are used to. We start with a discussion about what the physical environment is like at the start of summer. We follow this through the the autumn / fall transition period in February, March and April before discussing what it’s like in winter. We then discuss the second transition period in August, September and October before we’re back that the start of summer again.