The Ice Beneath My Feet

The Ice Beneath My Feet

My Year in Antarctica
Antarctica is windy and achingly cold, incredibly isolated and inhospitable- yet its overwhelming stark white beauty speaks to our imagination.

Diana Patterson was searching for her path in life when she was bitten by the Antarctic bug in her late twenties. She nursed her secret ambition and, with dogged determination, set her sights on becoming station leader at Mawson, one of Australia's research stations- a lofty aspiration, considering that this was most definitely a bloke's world.

Being knocked back four times didn't deter Diana- she never gave up her dream and at the age of 38 became the first woman in charge of this small, mostly male community of scientists and tradies living in each other's pockets 24/7, thousands of kilometers from the comforts of home.

The Ice Beneath My Feet is an intimate and riveting account of Diana's Antarctic dream. The day-to-day reality of life in this frozen environment and the adventures of the delightful, vital characters we meet along the way (men, huskies, penguins!) are utterly captivating, and a must-read for anyone with a love of adventure.

Diana Patterson was the first woman in the world to manage an Antarctic research station. After four extended periods of working in Antarctica, she continues her involvement there through tourism, both as an expert lecturer on scenic overflights and as an assistant expedition leader on a cruise ship. A committed conservationist, she has held a number of senior management and advisory roles with an environmental focus. Now dividing her time between Australia and New Zealand, Diana keeps active through cross-country skiing, bushwalking and mountain biking.

The Ice Beneath My Feet
ABC Books
Author: Diana Patterson
ISBN: 9780733324239
Price: $35.00