For a lot of people , a dream job involves looking forrard to a daily variety of work tasks , a squiffy knit mathematical group of colleague and the knowledge that however hard thing get , there ’s an end to how long you ’ll be doing them . And for Clare Ballantyne , Mairi Hilton , Natalie Corbett and Lucy Bruzzone , running the " penguin post office " inAntarcticafits that billhook completely .
History of the Port Lockroy Post Office
It ’s not that execute the Port Lockroy post power on the stamp - revenue stamp - sized Godier Island ( just kidding — it ’s about the sizing of a football field ) is a total bed of roses , even though theU.K. Antarctic Heritage Trustthat manages the south-polar base got over 6,000 practical software to fill the four position this year . For starters , the take candidate , all from the U.K. , will have to allot with the want of draw water supply and flush can , showering on slip by ship , no WiFi , constant daylight , subzero temperature and a dizzying array of employment tasks , including monitoring Godier Island ’s 1,500 odiferous gentoopenguins(Pygoscelis papua ) . However , the line ’s terminal figure limits make it achievable for Ballantyne , Hilton , Corbett and Bruzzone — they can share with almost any worriment for five month , right ?
Between November and March in the austral summertime of 2022 - 2023 , the four women will be go the Antarctic dream at one of the most popular tourist attractions on the coldest continent . Originally builtby the British in 1944 as part of Operation Tabarin , a secret mission to tone Britain ’s hold on the Falkland Islands during World War II , the base was initially baptise Station A , but was abandoned in 1962 . However , the Port Lockroy bag was restored in 1996 and became the relatively bustling post situation and general store it is today .
What Happens at the Penguin Post Office?
Annual enlisting for the outstation ’s four position has been going on since 2006 , but in 2022 there was a record routine of applicants — more than double the routine received in previous years . The base , which generally receives around 18,000 visitors each time of year , was shutter because of the COVID-19 pandemic , and perhaps stake in the position was boost due to the fact that people had to await a couple of seasons to give .
The four positions on Godier Island are postmaster , wildlife reminder , gift shop handler and base drawing card ( who coordinates incoming ships and manages the team ) . Applicants were narrowed down from a few thousand to 12 , at which point the applicant were brought together in person for a daytime of consultation , tests , presentations and chemical group activities — after all , if you ’re asking four people to inhabit together using the lav in a bucket for five months , you want to make certain they ’re probable to get along before you ship them off .
Who Are the 4 Women of the Penguin Post Office?
The applier who made the cold shoulder are all highly well qualified — Corbett has experience in retail , Ballantyne has a master ’s level in Earth science from Oxford University , Hilton has a Ph.D. in conservation biology and Bruzzone , the base loss leader , has pass fourth dimension in the Arctic and as a program director for the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership . Not only that , but the applicant were also view as mentally resilient enough to endure the rigors of one of the most stray and least temperate climate in the world . The U.K. Antarctic Heritage Trust did n’t set out to lease an all - fair sex team this class , but the four finalist happened to be the ones who had what it takes .
The team will meet up at Port Lockroy in November 2022 and get down counting nests and sort mail right away . In plus to the toils of their labor , the women will get to drop time look on whales and non - penguin seabirds , talking to visitant from every continent , taking in glaciers and the breathless Fief Mountains and really get to know their co - workers . Good luck , ladies !
