But geography reveals the true connection. Australia and Antarctica, the only continents entirely within the southern hemisphere, were physically connected in the Gondwana super continent, and in human terms have been linked since explorers searched first for the mythical Great South Land, Terra Australis. Australian expeditioners stay in Antarctica for as long as a year and a half, or for as short as several weeks over the brief summer. The expeditioners who winter at Australia's Antarctic stations do more than just survive. Forty years of experience have shown us how to live and work in comparative safety and comfort, despite the immense logistic problems, the isolation, and the potential hazards of such an environment.
Positions are hotly contested and the successful applicants highly qualified.
The men and women who work in Antarctica are drawn from all over Australia after extensive interviews and thorough medical and psychological adaptability testing. Every year the Antarctic Division recruits about sixty people to winter at its three Antarctic stations, and many more for the summer, the best time for outside work in science and building maintenance. While the stations are modern and comfortable, they are remote and isolated, and the environment is harsh. Unlike most remote communities, there is no road out of Antarctica during winter, so community success depends on the qualities and mix of the people. Many have already worked in isolated parts of Australia.