One Stop Shopping in Antarctica
Expect the Unexpected
For a Black Belt Power Shopper like myself, there is nothing like a good fix of retail therapy in Paris, London, Tokyo, Port Lockroy…
Port Lockroy? Never heard of it? That’s not surprising. Port Lockroy, Antarctica, has only recently earned its standing among the mega-giants of international retail therapy:
Harrods of London
Galeries Lafayette of Paris
Mitsukoski Ginza of Tokyo
And now… Bransfield House of Port Lockroy, Antarctica.
The odds of discovering Lockroy’s unique mercantile experience were seriously stacked against me. My challenge was to sniff out the ONLY RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT on the ENTIRE CONTINENT of Antarctica. Putting this quest in perspective, Antarctica’s geographical land area is a massive 5,500,000 square miles, making it 45% LARGER than the entire USA, which is only 3,794,100 square miles.
During the busy summer months, the total population of the White Continent can spike from 1,000 right up to 5,000 people. Surely, Antarctica’s more discerning shoppers are in the market for the quality of goods found on every other continent.
One of my most noteworthy discoveries as a Black Belt Power Shopper was locating Bransfield House and pinpointing its exact whereabouts on the Ice Continent.
Does Harrods of London have Tuxedo Clad Gentoo Penguins waddling around outside the front door greeting their esteemed customers? No.
Do the prestigious Galeries Lafayette of Paris carry merchandise permeated with the distinct and robust scent of “Eau de Penguin Droppings?” No.
Are thousands of people from all over the globe volunteering to live in rustic conditions with no modern conveniences so they can work without financial remuneration at Mitsukoski Ginza in Tokyo? No.
Move over, icon retailers. Bransfield of Port Lockroy offers it all plus more!
Port Lockroy is located on Goudier Island on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. During Antarctica’s summer months, it is inhabited by four people and 1,500 Gentoo Penguins. The human population occupies a land area the approximate size of a football field; the penguin population occupies the entire island.
Every year, the United Kingdom Antarctic Heritage Trust receives up to 6,000 applications from people around the world who compete to land one of the four coveted volunteer positions working at Bransfield House in Port Lockroy from November through March. The lucky four are chosen based on their problem-solving skills, ability to adapt, people skills, physical fitness, polar experience, and the REAL Deal Breaker - their capacity to tolerate the aromatic stench of “Eau de Penguin Droppings.” Penguins are cute, but they sure do stink!
Volunteers wave goodbye to modern conveniences during their stay at Port Lockroy. First built in 1944 as a WWII British Military base, there is no electricity, WiFi, or running water. The volunteer staff is housed in tight, rustic living quarters, and privacy is virtually non-existent. The old “bucket technique” is used for “facilities.” Sewage is removed from the base in huge drums and transported back to the Falkland Islands for disposal so no human footprint is left behind. The staff depends upon the generosity of visiting ships for shower facilities. Rumor has it that showering might be a once-a-month luxury. (That would rule out a blood-hound-nose like me as a potential volunteer.)
The chosen candidates will be responsible for:
Monitoring Port Lockroy’s Gentoo Penguin Population
Operating Antarctica’s only post office, the Southernmost post office in the world
Hosting the WWII British Military Museum
Assisting visitors in Lockroy’s world-class retail gem, Bransfield House.
Here is my Black Belt Power Shopper Discovery and #1 Recommendation.
All the proceeds from the 2024 Penguin Christmas Cards will help fund repairs to the Bransfield House, which was severely damaged last year by a SUMMER storm that heaped 12 feet of HEAVY SNOW on the aging roof.
Team members from the Royal Navy ice patrol ship HMS Protector came to the emergency assistance of the Lockroy volunteers. The Navy Team removed several TONNES of snow from the sagging roof and prevented it from totally collapsing under the weight of the deluge. Following established damage control methods used on ships, the Navy Team stabilized the building structure and applied TEMPORARY emergency roof repairs. The Penguin Christmas Card campaign will help pay for the PERMANENT roof repairs.
Only 1,000 Limited Edition Penguin Christmas Cards have been printed, and stock is running low. However, there is still time to order a Penguin Christmas Card for yourself or a special loved one before the cut-off date - July 7, 2024.
Port Lockroy merchandise can be ordered at https://www.ukaht.org. While you’re at the website, check out how you can “Adopt a Gentoo Penguin in Port Lockroy.” (No, I don’t get a commission - it’s my way of making restitution to the Adorable Penguins for all the griping I’ve done about their exclusive scent.)
The Penguin Christmas Cards will be given TOP PRIORITY as soon as the volunteers arrive at Port Lockroy in November. The Penguin Post Office will do its best to have the cards delivered by December 25, 2024. Here’s an overview of your Penguin Christmas Card’s amazing journey:
A volunteer will affix a Port Lockroy, British Antarctic Territory stamp to the card, hand sort it, bundle it, and add it to the outgoing mailbag. Weather and ice permitting, the 90-lb. mailbag will be transported on the first ship sailing 1,250 miles north to the Stanley Post Office in the Falkland Islands.
Taking Mailbags Out To Ship On Zodiak Your Penguin Christmas Card could hang around Port Stanley in the Falklands for several days before its mailbag is loaded into the cargo hold of a Royal Air Force flight headed 8000 miles northeast to Brize Norton Air Force Base, Oxfordshire, England. (Who said “penguins can’t fly”?)
Halfway between the Falklands and England, the RAF transport plane will land for refueling and a pitstop at the Wideawake Airfield Base on Ascension Island. This 34-square-mile volcanic island is centrally located in the middle of nowhere in the South Atlantic Ocean, 7° south of the Equator between Brazil and Angola. The island’s 800 residents are ALL connected with either the Royal Air Force (RAF) or the United States Space Force (USSF). Officially, Ascension Island is a U.K. Overseas Territory. Unofficially, Ascension Island is there to help facilitate the safe transport of your Penguin Christmas Card to England.
When the RAF plane touches down at Brize Norton Airforce Base in Oxfordshire, England, the mailbag’s 9,300-mile journey from the Port Lockroy Penguin Post Office will be complete.
The Royal Mail depot in Oxfordshire will take custody of the mailbag, and the contents will be distributed to their intended destinations around the world.
Will your card arrive before Christmas? No one knows for sure. There are many moving parts and unpredictable factors. Whenever it arrives, you will know it was an accomplishment of hard work, creativity, and the combined effort of many dedicated people who got your Penguin Christmas Card to you from Port Lockroy, Antarctica!
WWII OPERATION TABARIN
Fact or Fiction? There are secret military bases in Antarctica.
Fact. The UK established a SECRET MILITARY base at Port Lockroy during WWII as part of its larger military strategy, Operation Tabarin.
Operation Tabarin was established in 1944 to monitor enemy activities, gather intelligence, and assert the UK’s territorial claim in the Antarctic. After the war, the British maintained the base to study weather changes and the environment.
Base Camp A and its operations were abandoned on January 16, 1962. Everything was left in place, and the door was simply pulled shut one last time. The Base remained uninhabited until November 1996, when the British Antarctic Survey renovated it and opened Bransfield House. The UK Antarctic Trust took over the operation of Bransfield House in July 2006, and it continues to receive visitors during the austral summer months.
I stood on the shore, taking in the fabulous view of the mountains, water, and our ship, anchored in the harbor. (See photo above.)
Without warning, a man who was a member of our expedition stood nearby on the rocky shoreline and dropped his pants. He just tossed those bad boys over a wooden sign that said “Welcome to Port Lockroy” and…
Splash! HE DOVE INTO THE WATER!! The freezing water looked like a white and blue mosaic of ice chunks! The water was 29°F - slightly above the 28.8°F freezing point of seawater. He swam around for a bit, then he casually got out of the ice water and put his clothing back on.
The Antarctic is notorious for bringing out the adventurer in those who harken to its call.
If Expect the Unexpected is new to you, check out the previous three episodes of the Antarctica Series. Hang on, the next and final episode is going to be WILD!
T
Trust (ukaht.org)
An amazing place and a fascinating post!
Love! I have volunteered for some cool causes and adventures but I don't think I could with a once a month shower!