Hobart was a great warm up to Antarctica today – it was foggy and 11 degrees when I arrived, to be met by Margie and her very sweet 5 year old daughter Mali at the airport. Some coffee and a few extra layers of clothing and then it was off to the Antarctic Division for my kitting appointment.

The AAD’s clothing budget is in the order of a million dollars and it was kind of like going into Kathmandu with a gift voucher and a personal assistant. I was the last person being kitted out for Voyage 1 and I got two bulging bags of wonderful STUFF that I wanted to get dressed up in immediately.

In fact I had my chance pretty quickly – by the time I had to get ready for the Hobart Council Antarctic Season Reception tonight it was chilly enough for this thin-blooded northerner to get into a layer of thermals.

The Aurora Australis is standing at the dock and the first briefing is tomorrow afternoon. It’s nearly starting to feel real.