Antarctic Adventure

A Gisborne fitter-mechanic, Charles Hough, of 26 Munro Street, recently returned from 16 months' service with the New Zealand Antarctic Research team at Scott Base, located on a barren peninsula off Ross Island, 847 miles from the South Pole.

During his stay in Antarctica, Hough visited the South Pole Amundsen-Scott Base which is inhabited throughout the year by 24 Americans.

Further expeditions around the frozen continent took Hough to the historic huts built by famous Antarctic explorers Scott and Shackleton. These have now been completely restored by New Zealand parties and are valued museums.

Unlike his pioneering predecessors, the modern Antarctic explorer travels in the relative comfort of an aircraft or track vehicle on his journeys across the frozen waste land.

Scott Base comprises a collection of some sixteen buildings, most of which are connected by tunnels to facilitate easy access during the winter when the buildings become buried in snow. The permanent staff of the base is 14, but has fluctuated to over 50 during the summer.

Another Gisborne man, electronics technician Ian Johnson, joined the team at Scott Base last October, and will spend next winter there.