The Warragul Ranges Probus Club recently enjoyed a visit and talk from Antarctic expedition leader David Knoff.
Mr Knoff, a Melbourne-based author and guest speaker, was welcomed to the club to talk about his experiences working at and leading teams based in the most extreme Antarctic conditions.
In particular he touched on his time as station leader at Davis Research Station in early 2020 where the advent of COVID around the world led to his team being stuck there for 537 days, well beyond the initial plan.
This was due to the ship that was supposed to pick them up not being completed in time while the ship that had brought them there had been sold.
Mr Knoff discussed his experiences in the sub-zero climate, including the challenges of keeping his team going in one of the planet's most difficult environments.
Despite being well stocked with supplies as is standard for these research stations, the mental side of things was a constant test, Mr Knoff said.
One story involved a mission to medically evacuate a team member, an effort that required working with both the US and Chinese at the height of the pandemic where the normally collaborative environment in Antarctica was anything but.
Mr Knoff said that in spite of everything, almost half the team still went back to Antarctica again in the next few years.
The Probus Club warmly welcomed Mr Knoff, who was one of a host of guest speakers from various walks of life the club has welcomed in recent times.