Scott Base, Antarctica -- New Zealand Base Near McMurdo

John Miller, our USAP pen pal, visited the base run by New Zealnad which is near the American base called McMurdo. The New Zealand Base is called Scott Base (not to be confused with the American base called Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station we learned so much about last year). John was invited to dinner by his 26 New Zealand friends, and he sent us some groovy photos. How nice to have good neighbors even in Antarctica!

The photos John sent show a mixture of old and new things. The old Scott Base goes back to IGY which was the International Geophysical Year of 1957. In the photos, an old building and its interior are from that period. A newer base exists now and, as you see, has nicely well-lit meeting rooms (John's New Zealand friends are at the table), a library (notice the book that's named Antarctica), and bunks. It also has a lounge with a window that overlooks the Ross Ice Shelf towards McMurdo.

--Adrian

Below are comments that John emailed to us from McMurdo:

"I had the pleasure of being invited to dinner by my Kiwi friends from Scott base last Wednesday evening.

Afterwards I was given a brief tour of their base and its history dating back to the first IGY in 1957. I have included some pictures here ... They have a really nice lounge that looks out over the Ross ice shelf, and down to the original base built in 1957, in part by Sir Edmund Hillary...who was the Leader of the 1957 over-wintering party at the base.

. It is very much the same as it was back in 57', with a plethora of old pictures and artifacts from those early years. While much smaller than our Mcmurdo, Scott base has many of the same amenities including a bar, store, sauna, vehicle maintenance facility, library, movie room, computer room, and dorm style living quarters. Altogether, a very cozy place to spend the winter for the 26 Kiwi's doing so this year.

One of the many events that some dare to do here is the Polar Plunge. This is where a hole is cut in the sea ice and people warm up in the sauna, then run out and jump in to the Ross sea through the ice. Typically done at sunset, midwinter, and sunrise, with the air temp usually below zero, and the water temp around 20'. I understand it is quite a shock..
... ... ...

We still have a couple hours of daylight here in the afternoon, and will be totally dark in a couple of weeks. Auroras have been spotted in the early morning hours, but you need to get away from the town lights for the best view. One of my goals this winter is to get some aurora shots of my own either from Observation hill, out on the ice shelf, or from the castle rock area, if I can get someone to go with me.

Well, that's it for now, keep those emails coming ...

Take care,

John