Month One, Davis Station
(Sensitive) Kayne, (Gorgeous) Greg, (Dash) Cam, and (Scuba) Steve—the four station sparkies—were in absolute chaos.
The Sultana Bran was gone.
It all kicked off over a poker game in the mess.
Kayne, high on confidence and coffee (probably double the strength it needed to be), shoved his entire stash into the pot: twenty boxes of Sultana Bran—the real gold of the Antarctic pantry.
“Best breakfast on the continent,” he declared, tossing boxes into the middle like chips.
Greg won the hand, fair and square, and promised to stash the Bran safely at the green store.
But the next morning…it had vanished or had Greg forgot to fill in the cereal location tracking paperwork?
Kayne came tearing into the mess, multimeter swinging, set to IR test and beeping ominously!
Slamming the meter down, “Nobody leaves till we find my bran! Otherwise, we start load-shedding the station, building by building! No cereal, no services!”
Greg, nursing his chamomile tea, calmly pointed outside.
“Relax it’s probably the penguin’s mate. I’ve seen ’em hanging around like little gangsters. All waddles and lies.”
Cam was hunched over his GPS and expeditioner phone monitoring both BMCS alarms and locations simultaneously.
Both beeping furiously.
“Signals near the green stores. Could be Bran. Or just a nuisance alarm.”
Steve sat slumped, staring into his chamomile tea.
“I came here to fix lights. Not get dragged into conspiracies. Or interrogate penguins. Or listen to Kayne threaten blackout schedules because he’s out of breakfast.”
He stood up abruptly, waving his mug.
Kayne nearly dropped his multimeter.
“Mate, it’s month one! Where the hell are you going?”
Steve shrugged.
“I’ve got some other business that needs my attention, you will survive without me. And if anyone asks, I’ve never heard of Sultana Bran.”
Leaving Greg with some wisdom, and a hug from the team that looked about as painful as a midwinter swim for Steve, he let slip a little smile and marched out into the Antarctic whiteout without a backward glance.
Greg leaned closer to Kayne.
“He’s not coming back, is he?”
Kayne put his hand on Greg’s shoulder.
“No Greg, I don’t believe he is”
Cam’s GPS let out a shriek.
“The signal’s moving. Straight for Bandits hut!”
Kayne dropped down for quick set of push ups to steady his nerves.
“Right. Penguins it is. I think it time we go pay those furry little footballs a visit”
Cam jumped up, tucking the beeping tracker into his Carhartt’s.
“Don’t worry, boys—I’ve got eyes on those birds nothing is missed on my watch”
Greg as always first and ready to go, already behind the wheel of the Hagg.
“Get in.”
And off they charged into the blizzard, leaving Davis station echoing with poker debts, alarms, on an urgent call out to update the station’s cereal security policy - someone called out in the distance, “Have you seen any more chamomile tea at the green store?”
The reality.
Living in Antarctica for the past 9 months as a wintering expeditioner, serving as a station electrician with a team of 25, so far has been one of the most transformative experiences of my life. The isolation and extreme conditions demand not just technical skill, but mental strength and adaptability. I have grown in ways I never expected — endeavouring to continually cultivate equanimity, build resilience, problem solving with limited resources and lean on others while also standing on my own. The personal growth has been matched by some unforgettable moments. Sunsets and sunrises at the most peculiar times, walking through blizzards on the way to work, and sharing laughter and stories with fellow expeditioners. It is challenging, beautiful, and deeply rewarding.
Living in such a unique environment reshaped my perspective on community, self-reliance, and what it means to truly step outside your comfort zone.
I would like to thank my family and friends back home for your continual support and encouragement, my fellow expeditioners for your patience and kindness, and the members of the AAD for reaching out and mentoring me.
“There is one more thing….. it’s been emotional”
Kayne Radulovich - Electrician
PS. Love you Mum from your favourite...
…. son.
