After my trip to just below the equator at the start of the summer (see Simon’s PNG story), I decided it was time to head the other way and see what surf could be found down south. With that in mind I caught a plane to Hobart and the ice-breaker / surfboat charter Aurora Australis to Casey station, Antarctica. Casey is pretty much due south of Perth and is one of three Australian research stations on the Antarctic continent. A couple of days out of Hobart we ran into some 9 metre swell in the middle of the Southern Ocean. Never has going to bed been such an adventure as everything inside the cabin was wedged into position, including myself in my bunk, with a couple of bags used in an attempt to jam myself in there.
This still didn’t stop me from slamming my feet and then my head into the ends of the bunk with each roll of the ship. Well, we’ve got swell, now all we need is somewhere for it to break.
PS. 90% of passengers seasick, loving life in that other 10%!