Tell us about yourself and your connection to Aurora Expeditions
I am a writer and a great-grandchild of Douglas Mawson. This family connection and my books, An Antarctic Affair (2008) and The Many Lives Of Douglas Mawson (2018) explain my relationship with Aurora Expeditions. I first went to the Antarctic with Aurora Expeditions in 2008, and I was invited again last Summer, to join the inaugural voyage to East Antarctica on the new Douglas Mawson ship. I was also asked to be godmother of the ship. In November 2025, a month before we set off from Hobart, I christened the Douglas Mawson in a naming ceremony at Circular Quay!
What’s a moment with Aurora that has stayed with you?
Visiting Mawson’s Huts in 2008 was a defining moment for me, made particularly special because I shared it with Cecil Madigan’s granddaughter, Julia Miller. Madigan was the geologist at the Main Base, and, when Mawson’s party didn’t return in time from a sledging journey, he was one of the men who stayed an extra winter at Commonwealth Bay.
Julia and I entered the hut together. We had to crawl through the front door, which was choked with snow. Inside, the floor was covered in a layer of ice five inches thick. I was overcome with emotion; it was as if the men had only just left. I looked over at the bunk beds with the names of the men inscribed on them, including those of Xavier Mertz and Belgrave Ninnis, who both died on a sledging journey with Mawson. Only by being there, at the hut site, after having made the long voyage there in rough seas suffering horribly from seasickness, did I fully appreciate the remoteness of the region and the hardships that all the men had endured.
Who or what has had the biggest impact on your Aurora journey?
I feel very lucky to have met Greg and Margaret Mortimer on both voyages. They have both been to the Antarctic too many times to count and yet their obvious love for the region is such that it’s as if they are seeing it for the first time. Their infectious enthusiasm and ability to share the wonder of the Antarctic with everyone on the ship makes voyages with them very special.
What is it about the people at Aurora that makes it special?
The expedition staff are always exceptional too - experienced, competent, and calm. The diversity of knowledge and expertise in the teams is impressive and makes the voyages interesting and educational.
The staff members that I have met have all, without exception, been passionate about respecting and protecting the Antarctic, which is inspiring and in keeping with Aurora’s principles.
