Another big day

"The weather fined up and made the view from the dining room very pleasant indeed.

Part of my duties as chef on station is to maintain stock levels of essentials in the communal area such as breakfast cereals, preserves, coffee, biscuits, milk powder, spreads etc....
In order to get these items, trips around the station to different containers are made once or twice a day. When the sky is blue and not a breeze blows these little outings can be a much needed energy boost.........trudging through ice or freshly laid snow, staring at ice bergs in the distance........all this for a box of apples...........yeah!!

Another essential to the expeditioners’ experience is having fresh bread baked for them every day.  Different loaves and rolls are baked every day to varying recipes.  This one is for a basic bread. If you want nuts, seeds or grains just add them. Also this recipe is for 12 loaves..........so if you only want one.....divide by 12."

Antarctic Bread

65g yeast
250g sugar
3 litres blood temp water  ..................combine all three and put aside to ferment.

Then add
5kg flour
200g gluten
30g salt
450g oil

Place all ingredients in a mixing machine with a dough paddle...........put on a slowish speed for 10 minutes.
Clingfilm the bowl and allow dough to double in size.
Knock bag and shape into:
Rolls 120g
Burger buns 150g
Loaves 750g

Bake rolls for 15 mins at around 185 deg c.
Loaves for 30 mins at the same temperature.

Note: Gluten makes the bread stronger.........more elastic.........this recipe can be made without it.

It's been a while

Which of course means that there is more to mention.  I haven't had the opportunity to update with limited internet access whilst in Hobart and returning to a busy household (all 2 of us!) on Friday with orders to get out and the market today to prepare for. 



Justin, Jo and Tony

The ship (not 'boat'), Aurora Australis, got away only minutes late on Thursday.  They were waiting for a French ship to leave the dock first, on its way to Antarctica also, before heading out to sea.  Justin and I got to say a very quick goodbye as it was suddenly sprung on all the expeditioners (not exhibitionists as I keep saying!) were told to say their goodbyes and head to the muster point, after which they were to head straight out the gate on to the wharf and board the ship. Once aboard, everyone was brought together to discuss procedures then they gathered their bags and made their way to their shared cabins.  Michelle, wife of Tony, the Summering chef, and I stood on the wharf for an hour and a half and waited for their departure.  The guys appeared out on deck where we could see them and from there we talked on the phone, waved to each other and took photos of one another.  

Justin, 3rd from left on lower deck

I was still okay at this point and even when the ship pulled away and Justin waved both arms for as long as I could still see the ship, everything was okay... we could still talk on the phone.  But as I was checking in to my airport hotel and the signal ran out, I was in tears at the reception desk as it suddenly hit home that that was that... reality really bites sometimes.  I phoned my big sister in tears and then let them all run down the plug hole in the shower.  I felt much better for it though and just looked forward to getting home. 

The Aurora Australis is now cruising... in a matter of speaking... the high seas, covering 218 nautical miles in the past 24 hours.  It has been rough going so far and according to today's update, it is going to get rougher still with 6.5m seas expected tomorrow.  Justin is finding it tough, and described it as being "on a ride in a theme park, the big dips leaving my stomach in my mouth".  And he has never liked theme park rides much!  It certainly doesn't help that he has also come down with a cold since boarding the ship... a double whammy.  I don't envy him one little bit since my stomach has not held up at all well on my sea adventures to date.

A worthy mention.... while we were in Hobart we had some lovely meals out, the two best when we were cooked for at friends' houses.  Thanks so much to both Noel and Sue, and Sandy and Bel for their gorgeous hospitality and equally gorgeous meals.  I look forward to a celebratory time in about 12 months when we can all get together again! 

Cucumbers and firemen

When is a cucumber not a cucumber?  Why when it's a zucchini, of course!  After thinking I had planted a cucumber plant, I gave it a good water today and was admiring the speed at which it has taken off. I took another look at the tag and lo and behold, I have a zucchini plant!  Even better since now I get to use the flowers as well.  Oh, Jamie Oliver, how you have inspired me.


I have lost my chef but next weekend gain another when Swiss Christoph arrives to stay with me for 4 weeks.  He is coming to learn english at Global Village here in Noosa.  I must have known something on Friday morning when I put on my Swiss t-shirt... I got a call from Global Village asking if I would take another Swiss student - arriving the same day that Christoph leaves.  Hell, why not aye?? 


Still, am not doing too bad myself in the kitchen.  Have just taken a GREAT smelling lasagne out of the oven and am sterilising some jars for a bread and butter pickle made with a recipe from when I was a kid staying at my friends' place - Diane and Nicola Mitchell.  Their mum used to make this and we delighted in having it on our cold meat sandwiches.  (I only recently 'found' Diane and Nicola again after a number of years out of contact and I can't say how comforting it is to have childhood friends in my life again even if it is only via facebook, phone and email at the moment.  Totally worth the time and effort to be back in touch!) 


Justin has had a busy week with another ahead.  Fire training took up two days last week and tomorrow is the first of another four, ending in a 9am-10pm day to train when they are tired and in the dark of night.  They will be entering burning buildings and having to do rescues.  Scary stuff if you ask me.  Last weekend, he did a First Aid course and is now a certified First Aider.  Today, Sunday, he spent packing up the last of his cargo, including the rest of his wine allocation and delivering it to the AAD.  It has to be delivered to the wharf by this Friday at the latest and with fire training Monday-Thursday, that doesn't leave a lot of time. 


It's great to be able to talk every day - more than once - at the moment but soon I am going to have to get used to a couple of phone calls a week.  Due to a trial currently, it is not expensive for Justin to call me from Antarctica.  I went online today to check what it would cost me to phone him and with our current provider... a mere $3.18 per minute!!!  Guess Antarctica is not in too much demand as a phone destination.  Telstra do offer a better deal so I will have to look in to that further.


Well, I have a pickle to finish and a lasagne to enjoy with big brother, Brian, and enjoy I will.  Here's to a busy week ahead. Jo

From the beginning

In November 2009, Justin applied to the Australian Antarctic Division for a job. Knowing that we wouldn't hear anything until at least February, we had a few conversations about Antarctica and looked at the AAD website but didn't look at anything in too much detail. Well, not until Justin got a call inviting him to two days of interviews, discussions and group sessions in March. The only thing that was important for that was to be himself, work well in a group but be prepared to lead if necessary. Apparently he is good at all those aspects as the next phone call was very encouraging and a position at Davis base was mentioned, providing he first passed all the required medical tests as well as an interview appointment with an Army psychologist.

Everything took time, especially the blood test results. Hep C came back a false negative so that one had to be done again. Not enough blood was taken for the HIV test so Justin had to return to have that repeated as well. In the meantime he was referred to a skin doctor and had a mole removed from his leg. More time passed before the repeat tests came back clear and in the meantime Justin was asked to go to see an Opthamologist. He had a corneal transplant when he was 12 and needed to check that it was going to be okay in the freezing cold of the Antarctic. We waited 3 weeks after that test (by now it is July) until Justin had a call from the AAD saying that they had not received the results.

Last week we got a call from the AAD letting us know that the contract was on the way - all the results were in, they were happy with everything and we could finally celebrate! Until about an hour later when we got a call from another department asking for another Hep C test to be done in order that they would have two negatives after the false positive. We suddenly felt just as we had for the past couple of months... that feeling of not knowing, not being able to plan, not knowing whether we should hold off all ideas of celebrating.

Yesterday we got the all clear. The feeling is great, we can plan for Justin's departure but the need to celebrate is gone. It just IS now. But, we now know what is going on and that feeling is fantastic. This Sunday Justin leaves for Tasmania to spend two weeks in a hospital, training to be a theatre nurse. Chefs, knife skills, logical choice. We don't have a lot of time together now as he leaves again on September 1 for the main Antarctic training and there will only be a few days between that ending and the ship leaving for its two week journey to the South Pole.

Now, if that contract would just arrive so that we can get all the paperwork dealt with (and there is A LOT), we will be on our way to being organised!