New Zealand’s Scott Base in Antarctica, in 2023.
Photo: Antactica NZ/ Anthony Powell
Antarctica New Zealand is on the hunt for 40 people willing to brave the sub-zero temperatures and work in one of the most remote places on Earth.
The organisation is looking for everything from medics to chefs, electricians and engineers for its next summer and winter seasons at Scott Base.
Antarctica NZ chief executive and scientific advisor Professor Jordy Hendrikx told Morning Report it’s not necessary to have been to Antarctica,
“Basically, we are running a small town down there. We have to manage our own water, we have to manage our own power, manage our own sewage and also all the food and all the services will be provided to support science,” he said.
“Any of those support roles are really critical for us to ensure that we can be successful with our mission down in Antarctica.”
Hendrikx said the majority of roles are for the ‘summer season’, which runs in Antarctica from September through to February. During summer in Antarctica, the sun doesn’t set.
About 12 staff stay all through winter until October, which is a 13-month season at Scott Base.
The positions are in hot demand, as going to Antarctica, for many people, is a bucket-list opportunity.
Hendrikx said successful applicants will have specific qualifications and a good, can-do attitude.
“We need that real can-do attitude and a willingness to be part of a family, and to work down there and to live down there as part of a really tight community,” he said.
“It’s more than a job.”
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