The best job in the world?

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hoopdriver

Guru
Location
East Sussex
Many years ago when I was on an assignment in Antarctica, and doing a story on the volcanologists studying Mt Erebus - a huge stratovolcano near McMurdo Station - I was required to spend three days acclimatising on Fang Glacier, at 10,000 feet, before going on up to the summit shoulder where the field camp was. The acclimatising camp on Fang Glacier was in a stunning location. We had sturdy 'Scott tents', unlimited supplies - including crates of chocolate - fine cold sunny weather, and nothing really to do for three days but read books and build red blood cells. I set up my folding chair on a cliff edge, looking out over the sea and clouds thousands of feet below and improved my mind with some old Mickey Spillane paperbacks. I had found my perfect job.... Alas it ended three days later when a helicopter picked me up and took me the rest of the way up to the field camp and a resumption of the real-life job of reportage and looking busy...
 
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Brandane

Legendary Member
Location
Costa Clyde
Many years ago when I was on an assignment in Antarctica, and doing a story on the volcanologists studying Mt Erebus - a huge stratovolcano near McMurdo Station - I was required to spend three days acclimatising on Fang Glacier, at 10,000 feet, before going on up to the summit shoulder where the field camp was. The acclimatising camp on Fang Glacier was in a stunning location. We had sturdy 'Scott tents', unlimited supplies - crates of chocolate - fine cold sunny weather, and nothing really to do for three days but read books and build red blood cells. I set up my folding chair on a cliff edge, looking out over the sea and clouds thousands of feet below and improved my mind with some old Mickey Spillane paperbacks. I had found my perfect job.... Alas it ended three days later when a helicopter picked me up and took me the rest of the way up to the field camp and a resumption of the real-life job of reportage and looking busy...

Just as a matter of interest; how did you travel to Antarctica? My cousin (now retired) was First mate and later Captain of one of the Antarctic survey ships that transport scientists etc.. It might have been the Sir Ernest Shackleton from memory. He loved his job and it always struck me that it might have been a contender for "best job in the world". Although, personally I would have preferred to be surveying somewhere a touch warmer!
 

hoopdriver

Guru
Location
East Sussex
I have been down to Antarctica many times, sometimes by sea, sometimes by air. On that particular occasion I was travelling with the US Antarctic Program and flew to McMurdo on a military C-141 cargo plane from Christchurch.

I have also travelled there from Hobart on the Australian Antarctic Division’s icebreaker Aurora Australis, on a Russian research vessel out of Punta Arenas Chile, and on yachts and cruise ships out of Ushuaia Argentina.
 
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Welsh wheels

Lycra king
Location
South Wales
I have been down to Antarctica many times, sometimes by sea, sometimes by air. On that particular occasion I was travelling with the US Antarctic Program and flew to McMurdo on a military C-141 cargo plane from Christchurch.

I have also travelled there from Hobart on the Australian Antarctic Division’s icebreaker Aurora Australis, on a Russian research vessel out of Punta Arenas Chile, and on yachts and cruise ships out of Ushuaia Argentina.
Jealous. I would like to work in Antarctica for a while, despite the cold!
 

gom

Über Member
Location
Gloucestershire
None of those jobs are as good as the morning I just had stuck behind a desk. Honestly, how can you believe otherwise. :smile:
What could beat working with Office 2016 ? :banghead:
 
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