City doctor faces challenges in Antarctica
"It is quite hard living down there, it is not all rosy." Palmerston North doctor Hamish Wright
Even -100 degree Celsius temperatures in the middle of Antarctica can’t turn some people off ice cream.
Palmerston North’s Hamish Wright recently spent nine-anda-half months in the coldest part of the world, but the chilling conditions were not enough to deny his sweet tooth.
‘‘Everyone always wants to eat ice cream,’’ he said.
Wright got the chance to work as a doctor in Antarctica, based at the Amundsen-scott South Pole Station last year.
‘‘Life down there is pretty unique.’’
Wright found himself dealing with extreme cold, isolation and darkness.
During his time at the bottom of the world he also spent six months without the sun.
‘‘When the sun comes back you get pretty excited.’’
But the night sky gave him a chance to see a rare sight up close; the Aurora Australis.
‘‘The whole sky is green. It is pretty phenomenal.’’
With the moon often the primary source of light, Wright said it made for a stunning sight of moonlight reflecting off the ice.
In his free time Wright would venture outside to perfect his timelapse photography.
But venturing outside meant braving temperatures that could drop down to -76C, or -105C with wind chill.
Fighting off the cold meant having to wear two balaclavas, which, even then, would freeze over from the moisture in his breath.
Being based in Antarctica made for a few ‘‘weird nuances of life’’.
While there was no fresh food available, they did have a ‘‘limitless freezer’’ right outside.
Food was left outside the base, including the ice cream, and had to be defrosted from -50C in order to be eaten.
‘‘You have to defrost it for six hours.’’
The extreme temperatures meant despite indulging in a few luxuries, people would still lose weight.
While it was freezing cold outside, inside the base was kept at 22C.
As a doctor, Wright was responsible for covering general medicine needs as well as any emergencies if they arose.
‘‘[Otherwise] help is a long way away.’’
He was one of 48 people at the base, which included scientists, chefs and mechanics.
Being thousands of kilometres from the rest of the world was not without its difficulties.
Cabin fever was one of the issues.
‘‘It is quite hard living down there, it is not all rosy.’’
But he said he was grateful for the opportunity.
Wright will talk about his experiences as part of a fundraiser for the All Saints Church in Palmerston North on Monday at 7pm.