Jobs in Antarctica 2012–2013

The Sydney Morning Herald December 7, 2012 - 6:10AM

There are times when the sun never sets on Antarctica, but a long-term Australian programme encouraging people to "live the dream" and work in the vast frozen landscape is having to extend a deadline for the project due to a shortage of applicants.
For decades a potential job for adventurous youth seeking to see a part of the world most people never get to, the programme has been going for nearly 100 years since the first Australian explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson, sailed into Commonwealth Bay in East Antarctica in an expedition from 1911 to 1914.
But the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD), which each year offers employment stints ranging from six months for a summer season to 16 months that include a winter, said that applications for 2013-2014 fell by roughly 1,000 from last year's 2,200, and so the deadline is being extended.
Though the reasons for the drop are unclear, Australia's current mining boom, with its high salaries, is likely to be siphoning off a number of potential applicants, said Rob Bryson, AAD Territories, Environment and Treaties Section Manager.
"The people we are targeting are heavily sought after, particularly in the mining and the oil and gas industry, especially trades people," he said.
But the overall recruiting goals are relatively broad. In addition to most trade requirements, including carpenters, plumbers, builders and mechanics, the AAD also seeks chefs, field training offers and logistical and medical staff.
The average trade salary is approximately $150,000 compared to a fly-in fly-out miner whose average salary is $200,000. [Unlike FIFO, saves money on air fares, food and accommodation]
Two main categories of applicants are young people who haven't started families yet and those whose children are ready to leave home. Both are looking for a challenge and can fit into a team of people capable of building and sustaining a community in a remote and hostile environment.
Bryson said that despite hardships such as isolation and long times away from family and friends, the job offers immeasurable intangible benefits for the right people to come and "live the dream".
"We may not offer the same money as the fly-in fly-out miners are getting, but we can offer a breathtaking environment to operate in. Very few people in the history of humanity have actually been to Antarctica," Bryson said.
"Remoteness is the big issue and being away from family plays on people's minds. However, these things haven't changed in the last 70 years since the Antarctic Division has been around."
Applications, which now close on Jan 10, 2013, are normally confined to Australian citizens but Bryson said they would look at all opportunities.

Would you like to work and live in Antarctica or on Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean?

You can!

The Australian Antarctic Division is now accepting applications for job opportunities supporting the 2013–14 Australian Antarctic Program.

Go online now and lodge your application via our online applications https://secure2.aad.gov.au/external/login/login.cfm link. Applications will close DST midnight on 10 January 2013.

might be too cold for me, thanks for sharing!

by Eli blog.eliduke.com

As per one of my New Year’s Resolutions, I’ve been running at the Gerbil Gym a lot lately. I’m usually there for about 45 minutes, and that daily ritual has become the perfect way for me to catch up on the Victory Brothers Podcast. I’ve been out of the loop for quite some time, so I was going through a lot of back episodes. If you’ve never listened to that Podcast before, I would highly recommend it. Maybe it’s just because I know the real-life Victory Brothers, but it’s hilarious. Running and laughing at the same time is hard to do.

Anyhoo, at the beginning of one of the October episodes, Nate starts things off with, “So, Eli’s back in Antarctica,” which is followed by about 10 minutes of groaning and lots of, “Why does Eli like it down there?” It really was hilarious, but it got me thinking: could I actually articulate an answer to that question?

Why do I like it down here?

Before I answer that question, a few caveats.

All of my experience in Antarctica (so far) comes from 2 summer seasons (Oct – Feb) from 2007 to 2009 at McMurdo Station on Ross Island. My first season I was a DA (Dining Attendant [dishwasher]) and my second I was an FEMC GA (Facilities, Engineering, Maintenance, & Construction General Assistant [Grunt]).

Although I am about to tell you what I love about this place, there are plenty of reasons why people don’t like it down here (mainly the bureaucracy). I’m not oblivious to those reasons, it’s just that the pros far outweigh the cons in my mind. Maybe it’s because I’ve got a super positive attitude, or maybe I’m just a lucky guy.

Now, let’s get started.

The Community

McMurdo Station is like no other place that I’ve ever been before. When you live here, you get to be a part of an incredibly vibrant, active, involved, and supportive small-town community. I have so many wonderful friends of all ages, and we all know exactly how we fit together into this weird McMurdo puzzle.

I know who runs the food warehouses, and I know who delivers that food to the kitchen; I know who cooks the food, and I know who cleans the dishes and the pots; I know the Janitors who take out the trash, and I know the Wasties who sort it; I know the Carpenter who fixed my broken window, and I know the Scheduler who put that job into the maintenance system; I know the Fuelies who off-loaded the Tanker, I know the Power Plant Operators who use that fuel to generate power, and I know the Water Plant Operators who use that power to desalinate sea water so that I have something to drink when I’m thirsty. The list goes on and on, and almost everyday I learn something new about how everything fits together.

But what’s truly wonderful is despite the fact that all those people work about 60 hours a week, they also find time to: form bands and play amazing music, make short films for the film fest, run marathons, be awesome and hilarious and caring, teach tap dancing and knitting and jewelry-making, organize alternative art galleries, go hiking or skiing or snowboarding or rock climbing, and throw some of the sickest parties I’ve ever been too. Again, the list goes on and on.

Some people have the idea that there’s “nothing to do” down here, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I am more busy down here than I am anywhere else in my life. From the second I get off work until the second I go to bed, my days are jam-packed with working out, band practice, hiking, movie nights, dance parties, art projects, photography, blogging… geez, that darn list just keeps going.

The culture down here is so rich, it’s almost unbearable sometimes.

The Environment

Antarctica is a beautiful place, simple as that. McMurdo proper is not a very beautiful place, although it has it’s charm, but the surrounding area is amazing. Just outside of town, just past the city limits, is some of the most beautiful natural landscape I’ve ever seen: the endless ice, the glacier-filled mountains, the ever-steaming 14,000 foot volcano that looms overhead (Mt. Erebus), the pressure ridges, the never-setting sun, the penguins, the seals, the skua, the fata morgana, the clouds, Castle Rock, Ob Hill, Hut Point, etc. On a clear, sunny day during the summer season, the sun feels warm on your face and it’s comfortable to be outside in pants, a light jacket, and a hat.

There’s something about this place that makes you feel alive.

I really appreciate the cold. It’s not like the summers are even that extreme down here (hell, they’re milder than a Minnesota winter by a long shot), but they are cold. Often at the beginning and end of the season you really do need to bundle up if you’re going to be working outside for much longer than an hour. And it’s this element, that we all experience, that adds another layer (no pun intended).

The Work

There are plenty of jobs on station that are not very fun. Lots of people come down for their first season and never make it back again, mainly because they didn’t like their job. It’s completely understandable. But if you’re one of the lucky ones to get a job that you like, or at least some co-workers that you like, then the fun never stops.

I had a great time in the Galley last season because I was surrounded by some really wonderful people, and we made the best out of our situation. I’ve had an ever better time this season with the Plumbers and the rest of the 136 shop (another batch of good peoples) because now I get to work outside and work with my hands and build things and take things apart. Some days we work out at Willy Field, some days we work in the shop, some days I’m cold, and some days I’m hot.

And it’s the work that really makes this place what it is. It doesn’t matter what job you’ve got: we’re all working 60+ hours a week, we’re all ready to party on Saturday night, and we’re all ready to go home when the seasons over. It’s the work that brings you closer to your co-workers, and it’s the work that makes you go crazy in that special McMurdo kinda way.

The Travel

It’s not like I need another reason to love coming down here. But…

When working in Antarctica, it’s an all-expenses paid trip. All your flights from home, to the ice, and back are covered; all your cold weather gear is provided; you never have to pay for any food or rent or laundry; and you get a weekly salary on top of all that. I make the lowest wage possible down here, which it’s equivalent to a full-time job at $10 an hour back home, and it all goes in the bank!

I usually walk outta here (and straight to New Zealand) in mid-February with about $5000 in my pocket (plus around $200 a week in unemployment) and the entire spring, summer, and fall awaiting me with open arms. I’m free as a bird. I didn’t get a job last summer and I’m not planning on getting one this summer. Last season I was in New Zealand for a month, Australia for 2 weeks, Thailand for a month, and then back to the States where I zipped all over the place doing all kinds of cool stuff. This season I’ll be in New Zealand for 2 weeks, Hawaii for a month, and then back to the states for more craziness.

It is the perfect lifestyle for me: lots of work, then lots of non-work. Rinse and repeat.

The Wrap-Up

The truth is: words can never fully do it justice. There is something intangibly awesome about this place that you just have to experience first hand: dinners in the Galley, hiking Ob Hill, a ride in Ivan the Terra Bus, sunsets over the Royal Society, and movie nights at the Coffee House… the list just keeps going and going and going.

You owe it to yourself to give it at least 1 shot.

Australian Antarctic Division 5th December 2012

A drop in applications from Australians applying to work in Antarctica, has prompted the Australian Antarctic Division to ask what are you waiting for?
The Division has extended its recruitment period for the 2013–14 season after a decrease in applications from almost 2000 last year to just 1200 this year.
Section Manager, Rob Bryson, said the closing date for applications has been extended to 10 January.
“This is a unique opportunity to live and work in Antarctica and experience some of the most stunning scenery and wildlife on the planet,” Mr Bryson said.
“For a lot of expeditioners, too, the great sense of camaraderie that develops in Antarctica is also a big attraction.
“A hundred years on from the first Australia led expedition to the region, less than 300,000 people have set foot on Antarctica.
“This is your chance to live the dream and become a part of this select group of people who have visited and worked in this beautiful, dynamic and inspiring part of the world,” he said.
The Antarctic Division is looking for builders, carpenters, electricians, tradespeople, plumbers, mechanics, plant operators, chefs, field training officers, station supply officers, doctors, communications operators, aerodrome grader operators, aerodrome plant operators, electronics engineers, aircraft ground support officers and aerodrome camp support officers.
The employment periods vary from six months for a summer position through to 16 months for a wintering job.

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To read more and watch video transcript click http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news/2012/what-are-you-waiting-for

yea, too old for that!