Ross does David Attenborough

October 3rd, 2008

The discovery of a snow petrel frozen into the ice near the base inspires an impromptu sound-bite in the style of my boyhood hero and idol, Sir David Attenborough.  I used to be able to recite his ‘Life’ series shows almost to the word through repetitive, rapt watching.  Cheers to the BBC and down with MTV, for the sake of our youth!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V9KEQLpbgk[/youtube]

Thanks to Sanki for the recording.

NB – SANAE IV Telephone Number Change

October 2nd, 2008

Important note – due to upgrades to the system, the telephone numbers for SANAE IV will be changing with immediate effect. The new general telephone numbers will be:

Voice: +2721 405 9450
Fax: +2721 405 9454

The Iridium satellite telephone number remains the same. (The relevant parties who need this number can find it in the DROMLAN SAR plan and COMNAP documentation. If you don’t know what this is, don’t worry, as it means you don’t need the number.)

You are more than welcome to call us at the base for a chat or to make enquiries. If calling from South Africa, normal telephone charges apply (you don’t pay for the connection to Antarctica), but remember that you are 2 hours ahead of us and therefore it is preferable if you don’t phone at 07h00 SA time. However, we’re always available when required.

Photo-of-the-Day – 2 October 2008 – Parhelia

October 2nd, 2008

Sundogs and a 10 degree ring today… the photo doesn’t quite do it justice, but it’s a good idea: