Latest Australis Podcast Episodes

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

155_TAE_and_IGY_foreshadowing

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - March 10, 2024 10:46 - 59 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
You don't just throw a Trans-Antarctic Expedition or an International Geophysical Year together.  These things take planning. Here's some background on the planners and introductions to some of the doers. 

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

154_Macquarie_Island_catch_up

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - December 17, 2023 02:55 - 39 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Several years of Macquarie Island winters receive attention as I chill out under a Casuarina after several fraught months.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

153_A_furtive_summiting_And_The_Frontier_Below

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - December 15, 2023 20:09 - 39 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
I give voice to another almost but not quite lost snippet from "Big Dead Place" and I give the microphone to Adam Fitzgerald who voices the introduction to Jeff Maynard's new book, "The Frontier Below."

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

152_Vodka_in_a_Vegemite_Jar

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - December 01, 2023 00:54 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
In 1983 Australian glaciologist Trevor Hamley joined a Soviet traverse from the Russian coastal station, Mirny, to Dome Charlie, high atop the Antarctic plateau. Bouncing about in the back of a T-55 tank converted into a living quarters/galley/dining space/lab, recording locations on audio casse...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

151_Jeff_Wilson_interview

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - November 27, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Australian Antarctic Division alumnus, Jeff Wilson, recounts his experiences at Australian stations and in the Ross Sea. Road trip with our eldest. Good company at Anglesea. Good food. Good audio. One of the best days 2023 offered up.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

150_Shepherds_of_Heard_Island

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - November 20, 2023 05:59 - 52 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
The ANARE presence at Heard Island runs to 1955 and switches focus to continental Antarctica.  The Island taught Australians to work on glaciers and to run dog teams, saw John Bechervaise cut his Antarctic teeth and lead the first ascent of Big Ben, and claimed the lives of two winterers.  "Ic...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

149_Heard_Island_Appendices

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - November 09, 2023 04:47 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
ANARE occupation at Heard Island ran short but intense, and sometimes in tents.  In addition to large quantities of wind and sleet the island provided a training ground for Antarctic travelers and their dogs.  Challenging maritime approaches led to innovative approaches by maritime challengers...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

148_The_Hope_Bay_Hype

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - August 12, 2023 11:07 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Argentina and Britain needle each other over what huts go where around the Antarctica Peninsula and notes of protest change hands at a fevered pace. Hot heads at low temperatures lead to a low ebb in high latitudes camaraderie ashore at Hope Bayhia Esperanza. And Chile was there, too. 

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

147_Dr_Hillary_Sebeny

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - May 20, 2023 05:23 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Yet another amazing interview through which to inform you and by which to relieve myself of the burden to write and record a chronological narrative episode this month.  "Ice Coffee": where me goofing off and being lazy still results in audio gold. 

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

146 An interview with Professor Nash, another with Marsh, and an important update about the series

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - April 01, 2023 04:30 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Professor Meredith Nash spent two years studying and reporting on the culture within the Australian Antarctic Division.  Their findings, released late in 2022, may prove a turning point in the history of Australia's presence in Antarctica.  Professor Nash spoke to me about their research and the...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

145_Josh_Jensen_Hercules_Maintainer

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - March 13, 2023 09:04 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Josh Jensen spent an austral summer keeping LC-130 Ski Hercules operational out of McMurdo.  I spoke to him about the challenges that throws up and found out the days of boiling a pot of oil over the stove and pouring it into the sump ended with the last big roundy engines to depart the continen...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

144_Russia_has_re-entered_the_chat

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - March 12, 2023 08:02 - 51 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Some historical and political context for the Russian return south in Soviet Union form.  Bolsheviks: form soviets and roll out.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

143_Samantha_Hodder_This_Is_Our_Time

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - February 01, 2023 12:39 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
I haven't interviewed other Antarctic podcasters because that would make for dull content. "Do you press record?  Wow!  I do, too!  Hey, how good is Audacity?  Antarctica's cold, huh?" This episode I interview Samantha Hodder about her Antarctic podcast because the stories told in her series, ...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

142_Port_Martin_on_the_continent_and_on_fire

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - February 01, 2023 01:04 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Paul Emile-Victor's charges are ashore and charging.  But wait, there's more. Call now and get this free base fire valued at over five buildings.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

141_France_returns_south

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - January 08, 2023 01:44 - 28 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Port Martin. Port Au Francaise. Port Malloy. Port Jean d'Arc. You'd think the French would switch up it with some cognac or cointreau. 

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

140_Dave_Donnelly_and_really_big_whales

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - January 06, 2023 23:06 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
If you set an AI process in motion to build a hard as nails nineteenth century seadog you'd likely arrive at Dave Donnelly in ninety-nine percent of your iterations.  Dave looks and moves through the world as though he just stepped out of the pages of a Joseph Conrad book.  Have a listen to epi...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

139_Interview_with_Professor_McCahey_regarding_sexism_in_Antarctica

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - January 03, 2023 03:18 - 39 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Professor Daniella McCahey of Texas Tech discusses sexism at Antarctic stations.  * Except by HamiltonSuites, who should lie on their left side, raise their right knee to their chest, lubricate this episode and stick it up their arse.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

138_Ice_Breakers

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - January 02, 2023 02:41 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Ice'll kill ya' That's what I said Ice'll kill ya' And then you'll be dead

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

137_Interviews_about_an_air_crash_long_distance_Antarctic_engagement_and_a_ripper_of_a_new_book_about_Sir_Hubert_Wilkins

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - August 03, 2022 10:29 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Thomas Walkington speaks about the wreck of the Pegasus and his time on the ice as part of VXE-6. Jim Butler showers praise on me and my output after discussing how he engages with Antarctica from half a world away. Jeff Maynard maps how he chose what to include and what to leave out of his mo...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

136_Post_war_post_war_whaling

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - July 05, 2022 10:07 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
I wasn't expecting the Greek shipping magnate.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

135_NBSAE_part_2

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - June 02, 2022 08:44 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Three members of the NBSAE drown in an accident on the barrier edge.  Every other member of the NBSAE does their bit in making the project one of the most productive and smooth running examples of its type and of its time.  Besides kicking off or sustaining the high latitudes careers of severa...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

134_NBSAE_Part_1

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - May 22, 2022 01:13 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
John Giaever storms it in as a high latitudes can-do-mo-fo with an international team of scientists.  No matter how many committees got involved and put their bureaucratic handbrake on the NBSAE, the residents of Maudheim got south and got on with their data gathering and trail prep.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

133_Would_anyone_like_some_ham

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - April 14, 2022 08:52 - 26 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
The role of ham radio operators in keeping Antarcticans sane through the long dark is given some attention.  Additional audio of Vivian Fuchs speaking to Donald Milner at the BBC was made available by Thomas Henderson of Graceful Willow Productions and with the permission of Jules Madey (http:/...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

132_Chile

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - April 02, 2022 09:49 - 40 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
A brief and patchy history of Chile as context for the nation's expeditions southward in the twentieth century. 

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

131_Straya_too

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - February 09, 2022 11:02 - 38 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Heard and Macquarrie Islands: tragedy, rockets, sheep, and ham.

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

130_Straya

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - December 12, 2021 06:18 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
The first Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition gets moving.  Led my Campbell, informed by Mawson, and ignoring any potential input from Davis, the first foryas didn't kick all the committee proposed goals but a start is a start. Heard Island. Macquarrie Island. The last Antarctic...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

129_FIDS_1947-8

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - September 07, 2021 08:12 - 55 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
A mixed bag of achievements and tragedy for the 1948 FIDS. New faces with big Antarctic careers ahead of them show up in the narrative. If you are working through the series in order and don't usually listen to episodes immediately after they're released I urge you to give this one an early ...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

128_Argentina

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - August 18, 2021 20:16 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
Where the history of other nations involved in the Antarctic land grab received plenty of attention in the series to date, Argentina only received mention as being close to the Antarctic Peninsula.  I've sought to redress that in this episode. Thanks to Jim for test piloting the new audio setti...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

127_Crime_in_Antarctica

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - July 31, 2021 08:18 - 54 minutes ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
While theft is rare in circumstances where most needs and wants are catered to by management other crimes occur in Antarctica with surprisingly monotonous regularity, given the small numbers of people in the far south at any given moment.  Other podcasts have dedicated episodes to the matter bu...

Ice Coffee:  the history of human activity in Antarctica artwork

126_Book_reviews_and_interviews_Maori_perspectives_and_ashore_in_the_Kerguelens_and_True_South

Ice Coffee: the history of human activity in Antarctica - July 24, 2021 04:34 - 1 hour ★★★★★ - 28 ratings
A formal book review of "With Scott Before the Mast," an informal review of "Operation Deep Freeze II Gooney Birds," and interviews with Associate Professor Priscilla Wehi, Elodie Camprasse, and Evan Townsend. 

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