• Some of the boys in Cape Town

  • The Shackleton at night

  • Victoria Docks Cape Town

  • Last view of Cape Town

  • First seal sighting! "Hello"

Journey South

So who would have thought that the long journey to Halley base would come to a grinding halt outside Carlisle due to frozen points. Luckily, so as not to be victim of the ironic cock-up of the year I had left a spare day to get to Heathrow, and did so with time to spare. In a situation that would have left Pete appalled, I was there 2 hours before check in opened. Oh well, time for coffee and a read! 😉

After 32 hours on the tarmac being de-iced we finally got airborne. Arrived 11ish in Cape Town tired, but had to endure 3 missing bags in the group and endless rounds of safety talks on the ship and boat drills. The prospect of the boat sinking must be 90% likely with the amount of practice we are doing. 😯

Some of the boys in Cape Town

Good evening meal and then out to the waterfront area of Victoria Docks for a beer. One of the lads had his pocket picked, but that can happen in any big city.

Victoria Docks Cape Town

Sunday morning and we finally set sail, with the prospect of about 3 weeks wondering if we would do a boat drill that wasn’t a drill. I started taking some sea sickness tablets as soon as I got on the boat, and it seemed to pay off, with no adverse effects so far. 5 or 6 of the lads have been less lucky though, and breakfast has made an unscheduled return.

The Shackleton at night
Last view of Cape Town
First seal sighting! "Hello"

Series - Antarctic Painting

  1. Polar Painting
  2. Journey South
  3. The Journey Continues; Iceberg Ahoy!
  4. Ice Ice Baby
  5. The Weddell Sea
  6. Nearly there!!
  7. Halley 6 : On The Ice
  8. All Work and No Play
  9. Different Shades of Grey
  10. Racing Penguin
  11. The Move Begins
  12. Moving Postcard from Antarctica
  13. Winter approaches
  14. The Halley Marathon
  15. The Final Week
  16. The Journey North
  17. Antarctic Painting – Year 3
  18. Antarctic Demolition

13 thoughts on “Journey South”

  1. 32 hours on the tarmac? Shirley shome mishtake? You are right though, I am appalled – although even I would allow an extra margin for errors on a trip like this, it’s not like you can simply catch the next plane is it…

    Did you get a chance to visit Table Mountain?

    I hope you waved back to the seal. 😛

  2. Wow cool picture of the seal and the view back to Cape Town. No land for days now – eye spy with my little eye something beginning with s… covers the lot:
    sea
    sky
    sun
    seal
    stars
    sick

    Hope you’ve got enough sickness tablets to last. 🙂

  3. Sounds unreal! Can imagine you typing away as the boat heaves along with the passengers… been thinking of you endlessly… will call mum tomorrow (3.56 am now) and tell her you are floating around with a sense of humour and rather brilliant photographs!

    Minus 3 again in London… ice on the tracks and all those millions crammed in the Piccadilly line again (without you this time) …

    Steve wanted to mention something about West Ham 4 – Man U 0… dreaming? Delirious! TAKE CARE!!!!! X

  4. Hi Mate.

    You look so happy with all your new buddies. I hope you don’t forget about all of us at home enduring -15 degrees. Hope you enjoy your journey more than I know I would. What an adventurer. We are proud of you matey….

  5. 😉 :yum: Hey… I’m making a magazine in Russian at the moment for a big children’s brand: issue 2: ANTARCTICA! It’s got your camp on it and pictures of scientists playing GOLF with colour balls… do theydo that? Or is the printed press MAKING IT UP AGAIN! 😈

    THINKING OF YOU… SNOW ON THE WAY HERE (LONDON)… and we are all moaning, ‘cos its zero degrees.. oh, you missed students shouting OFF WITH THEIR HEADS at Charles and Camilla… by they time you return, the world will be transformed. Take care! :love: :love: :love: :love: :love:

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