Lessons from Antarctica on how to get through winter

While the dark days of New Zealand’s winters don’t hold a candle to Antarctica’s, there’s no doubt they can still affect our physical and mental health. In -45C conditions, the winter leader of Scott Base pans the camera about to show, well, not much. Combine this deficit with three years of pandemic-induced upheaval, the continuing cost of living crisis and a country already struggling with mental health, and we’re sitting ducks for a national downer. (Photo: Christina Hulbe, CC BY-ND)Down in Antarctica, Denby is in his fourth winter of complete darkness. A team of abut 18 staff run the base during its six-month winter – almost half have worked in the defence force.