Matty Jordan: Conflict in Antarctica

Maddy, when you first got there and you had to live in Antarctica in that environment where you can't just kind of go out and walk off a bad day, how did you find adjusting to that really insular environment?

Yeah, so the first couple of years wasn't too bad because the majority of people arrive in the southern hemisphere summer.

That's when the scientists are all there where the majority of people are.

It's bright 24 hours of the day for about four months.

So there's lots of things happening around the clock.

There's a buzz about the place.

People are really interested in what everyone else is doing so that it's really hard to be bored.

You've constantly got things happening around you.

There's super interesting people that you have conversations with over the dinner table.

So the adjustment actually wasn't too bad.

The adjustment into winter was a little different, but at that stage I'd been to Antarctica seven times.

So I sort of knew the routine.

I knew how my day to day life looked.

I knew the routines that I needed to make sure that I was as sharp as I could possibly be and feeling good and motivated and all that sort of stuff.

But I have met a few people who have just gone straight into a winter and the situation's been very different while they take several months to adapt into, you know, learning about their job, but then also what life is like and how to settle in and all that sort of stuff.

Everyone's experience is very different, but I think you need to go in with the mentality that you chose to be there.

So you need to make the most of it and just have as much fun as you possibly can.

while, of course, making sure that all of your work gets done.

That is priority number one, but never losing sight of the fact that you're in Antarctica and it's an incredible opportunity and experience for most people.

So you might as well make the most of what Antarctica has to offer while you're down there as well.

But there's plenty to do outside of work to keep you entertained.

That's nice, Matty.

That's all the good stuff.

I got asked to run some training for the Australian groups, the station leaders and a few others that go down to Antarctica.

And there was some...