There are lots of things to do in Antarctica.

When expeditioners have time off, there’s plenty to keep them busy. People hike or ski to outlying places, sometimes to stay the night in field huts. You can go skiing, jogging, cycling or walking closer to stations. Watching or photographing wildlife and landscapes is always a popular option.

If the weather is bad, you can stay inside. You can play volleyball or basketball, work up a sweat in the gym, play snooker or darts, watch movies or TV, listen to music, have a drink at the bar, surf the internet, send emails to friends or read a book.

In the middle of winter, expeditioners on station sometimes entertain each other with comic theatre and musical performances. Midwinter’s day is traditionally celebrated with a subzero swim through a hole cut in the sea ice. To mark the shortest day of the year, expeditioners at Australia’s research stations plunge into the icy water.

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