The coldest, driest, wildest, iciest and most inhospitable continent on the planet is a plethora of superlatives like no other. Governed by the whim of the most basic elemental forces, Antarctica’s apocalyptic ice shelves and glacial deserts span more than 14 million square kilometres of the world’s most southerly territory, enshrining its rocky surface in vast ice sheets more than one kilometre thick.
For the most part humans never venture here, and save a few thousand impermanent inhabitants the land is left to the penguin packs, blubbery seals and majestic snowy albatross colonies. What’s more, with temperatures recorded here in excess of -89 degrees Celsius, the wildest and most inaccessible swathes of the land are largely unreachable; a place where few, if any, have ventured before.
But, for the most intrepid explorer types, this alien world remains one of the most-coveted of worldly destinations, where free from the politics of borders and the crowds of mass tourism, people can follow in the footsteps of Scott, McMurdo and Ross. If that sounds like you, then be sure to ask your Antarctica tourist guide for tips on the various research stations and trekking excursions that can take you deep into the ice shelves and glacial valleys of the continent.