Wairoa soldier returns from once-in-a-lifetime Antarctica mission

Wairoa Corporal Brian Jane at work in McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Wairoa Corporal Brian Jane, 27, has just returned home from one of the harshest environments on Earth – Antarctica.

The Hawke’s Bay combat driver who loves working in extreme places with the New Zealand Army experienced his latest adventure in the coldest place in the world, where summer temperatures reach −10C, and daylight never disappears.

Jane was part of the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF) commitment to Antarctica New Zealand programmes, which each year, send about 100 NZDF personnel to work on the icy continent in roles lasting from two weeks to six months.

He led the day-shift transport section at McMurdo Station, overseeing the movement of freight and shipping containers across the base.

“Once a ship arrives, the entire base splits into day and night shifts,” he said.

During this season, two ships were unloaded.

“The first ship took us approximately seven days to unload and commence re-loading all the old containers that are required to return to New Zealand and the United States.

“Then Royal New Zealand Navy ship HMNZS Aotearoa was in port to conduct a bulk refuel to the base,” he said.

Driving nine-speed Rd Ranger Cascadia freightliners with 40-foot trailers across gravel roads and snow was all part of the job.

Brian Jane driving in Antarctica.

A former student at Wairoa Primary School, St Joseph’s Intermediate, and Napier Boys’ High School, Jane called the Antarctic deployment a “once-in-a-lifetime experience”.

“To have the opportunity to experience life on the ice allows people who have never been here, me included, to be exposed to and understand some of life’s most outrageous climate conditions and how people down here adapt to live with it as a day-to-day normal occurrence,” he said.

The most challenging part was adjusting to 24 hours of daylight.

“When you wake up in the morning prior to shift, it’s daylight. When you are getting ready for bed, it’s daylight,” Jane said.

“The body clock gets pretty weird with getting into a routine, but mentally you have to tell yourself that it is time for bed, otherwise you find yourself still wide awake late at night despite knowing that you are up early for a shift the next morning.”

Jane said what stood out most was the dedication of those who work on the ice.

“I admire the commitment of everyone down here to be able to spend months away from family, loved ones, and home to ensure whatever job they are in is accomplished.”