Kellie Lafranchi June 5, 2017
What’s life really like at the end of the earth? Follow photographer Kellie Lafranchi’s memorable journey aboard the expedition ship Polar Pioneer as it cruises to the frozen continent of Antarctica.
Some places leave an indelible mark on your soul. I learned this first-hand when I visited the southernmost continent on earth, Antarctica. It was the final destination on a three-month trip that was in itself over a year in the making.
This long trip had allowed me to photograph and explore many places, meet incredible people and capture their stories along the way. But it was this, my final destination, that I was looking forward to the most. I had never set foot in a polar region and after months of waiting and preparing for the harsh conditions, it felt surreal to think I had almost made it to Ushuaia, Argentina; ‘the end of the earth’ and my gateway to Antarctica.
One of our final stops was Port Lockroy Harbor. Now converted into a museum, this former naval base now has a working post office—and naturally, everyone was keen to send a letter from this remote spot. Getting there was an adventure in itself. Located across a frozen seabed, passengers waited on board while staff checked the ice to ensure it was safe to cross.
We were to be the last ship of the season to visit the post office, as the ice was now softening. It was a strange, surreal feeling to hear the squishing under foot, yet simultaneously aware you were walking across a frozen ocean.
The dream-like experience sums up how I felt during much of my journey to Antarctica. To describe the scale of such a vast place, one mostly untouched by civilization, and communicating a sense of how small you feel within it, is difficult—often bordering the impossible.
