There might not be many people in Antarctica, but you rarely work without an audience. Photo: Sophie Counsell.
A winter spent in darkness, with temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius, where lettuce and cucumber are a real treat – and engineer Sophie Counsell can’t wait to do it all again.
Sophie grew up in Batemans Bay, graduated from the University of Wollongong, and now splits her time between the two towns.
That is, when she isn’t on an Antarctic base.
The intrepid explorer signed up for a year in one of the most remote parts of the world working as a technician for the Bureau of Meteorology.
It was unlike anything she’d experienced before.
“Everything is harder but more rewarding as well,” she said.
“It’s cold and windy all the time, any exposed skin burns within about 30 seconds and frostbite can set in within two minutes.
“You get very good at rugging up without gaps and even then you can’t spend more than an hour outside before coming in to warm up.
“It’s really hard to do anything outside, but when you do the work you’re doing it with a view of seal pups, or a penguin is watching you or icebergs are floating past.”
Sophie was part of a team of 20 who wintered at the station, surviving on the food they’d packed and one planeload of supplies.
They could grow some fresh lettuce and the odd tomato in a hydroponics room.
As the only fresh food available, a simple salad become highly coveted.
Anyone willing to brave the Antarctic winter cold see auroras like this one. Photo: Sophie Counsell.
Sophie said her team was fantastic, and a big part of what made her so eager to repeat the trip.
“It can be isolating and intense, but I was lucky we had a great group,” she said.
“The internet was fairly reliable so we could video chat.
“Winter was my favourite; we got amazing auroras almost every night if you were brave enough to go out in the cold.
“On either side of the six weeks without sun we had a few weeks of eternal twilight, pink and purple, that was my favourite time.
“You do go a bit crazy with no sun, but we had inter-station dart comps, threw more silly parties and had fun.”
Sophie enjoyed it so much she signed up to do another year on subantarctic Macquarie Island in 2026.
Some people might think she’s crazy, but she reckons it’s an opportunity too good to miss – plus, insanity runs in the family.
Her uncle, Peter Counsell, has recently returned from completing his second marathon in the Himalayas, the Annapurna Marathon.
The adventurous duo will share stories of their exploits at the Peaks and Penguins event in the Bay Pavilions this August.
All funds raised from the event will go to the Australian Himalayan Foundation, a not-for-profit that works with people of the Himalaya to improve access to education, health services and improve environmental sustainability.
Sophie said the evening was an opportunity to turn her Antarctic experience into a way to give back.
“We’ve both been asked by so many people about our trips and why we did them,” she said.
“I’d argue Peter’s more insane than me because I never did a marathon.
“This is a good way to share fun adventures with people whether they want a laugh or to do them as well.
“I’ve seen first-hand the good work the Australian Himalayan Foundation does and this is a way we can support that.”
To grab tickets for Peaks and Penguins at the Bay Pavilions on Wednesday 13 August head here.
