Antarctica, ice, snow, wind, blizzards, beauty, birds, huskies, aurora; these words describe the physical surroundings, the adventure, and the challenges. Ask a wintering expeditioner, 'How was your winter?' and the reply is not a reflection of the physical Antarctica.

Although one winter can be colder than another, they always reach similar extremes; temperatures around -35C, blizzards dropping metres of drift snow, and winds over 100 knots. Huge icebergs calve from the ice-shelves, and local areas of plateau ice calve near Mawson station.

The difference between a good winter and a bad winter is in the people you share the experience with and the way it changes and challenges your life. This is a personal story that is rarely told.