Antarctic Writer on Ice

This is a diary with a difference. When well-known author Hazel Edwards (55) was offered a berth to Casey Base, on the Australian Antarctic Division resupply ship Polar Bird in the summer of 2001, she expected fitness (or lack of) would be her greatest challenge. But a three week round trip between Hobart and Casey base, became an endurance test of weeks ‘beset’ in the pack ice.
This e-diary was compiled by Hazel using only the limited email resources available following the collapse of her laptop computer. Via satellite from a beset ship, she kept up correspondence with family and friends, fulfilled publishing commitments to newspapers and magazines as well as conducting polar radio interviews. Surrounded by ‘wildlife experts’ she researched fact, faction and fiction. To relieve the inactivity and close confinement of an ice beset ship, she created ‘The Lachieberg’ a personalised iceberg story which expeditioners could email to their children, started belly dancing classes and even conducted a virtual book launch.
Later, Hazel read the audio book for ‘Vision Australia’ as many sight impaired were fascinated by Antarctica.