How to Guide for Families and Friends

One of the things that we generally miss out on celebrating with family and friends are birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Mother's/Father's Day and all those sorts of days that are all about gathering people together. Although with 21 men on the station this year, I'd be surprised if anyone gets a Mother's Day present... alright, that's a lie because mum sent one to me.

Apparently a very odd story, but definitely a good Mother's Day present for me...

The first thing to do is to know your expeditioner well or get to know them if you don't. Next, pick out one or more things to send to them and wrap in a box or envelope or other such thing. Write strict instructions that the parcel should be delivered on a specific date to the expeditioner and then write the address as found on this page. After that you should check the shipping/flight schedule, the lunar calandar, consult some sort of almanak, ask the locals if their bung knees are playing up and post the package in the hope that it'll arrive at the AAD in time to be sent to the station before either the expeditioner leaves that station or winter arrives and nothing can get in.

Unfortunately we're in the middle of winter so no cargo will arrive and I'll be out of here by about the time the next opportunity comes along, so don't send anything to me. Feel free to send something fun or completely useless down to the station just for the hell of it as I'm sure someone will get a laugh.


My family has been spectacularly brilliant and hilarious in helping alleviate the problems with missing these days by sending in a box of stuff at the beginning of the season and writing dates on everything for when I'm supposed to open them. There were chocolates that I didn't need, but were delicious and t-shirts that I did need, but didn't taste as good, plus a few books that have been well digested except for the one about the discovery of vegemite because I'm still getting through the other ones I brought with me. Mum did pretty well at having a box of stuff put together from all the family - made me laugh a lot.

Multi coloured birthday beanie from the multi talented Jannelle of Macquarie Island.

A polar bear made from really tiny blocks from a formerly really tiny person, Jen. Think I might give the making of its own post.

Thanks for sharing the love on my birthday Liv!