The Larsemann Hills is a nice spot to visit if you ever get the chance. A splatter of mountains wedged between the coast and the ice plateau, about 100km from Davis Station. Helicopter is the best form of transport, flying over icebergs and huge crevasse fields, where the plateau runs into the ocean. Conveniently, Australia has a small field base setup in the hills. Law Base. This consists of two apple and three melon huts (named according to shape) and Reid hut. After spending some time in polar pyramids in the snow, huts are welcomed as luxury stye accommodation. Mattress beds, couches, dining table, gas stove, heater and electricity powered by generator. It all sounds pretty basic, which it is, but you don’t go on holidays to spend all your time in the hotel. You go on holidays for the adventure, to see something different, to see something amazing.
Your humble narrator visited Law Base under the guise of work. Two GPS units were set up over two survey marks in the hills and left to collect data for the week. I like to think that when the GPS are collecting data I am also working. We spent two full days in the Larsemann Hills even though it took a grand total of about two hours to install the GPS units. The rest of the time was spent exploring and having fun.
The Larsemann Hills could be considered a naturally formed amusement park. You can wander along beaches covered in ice, gaze at giant icebergs in the bay and listen to the penguins squawking out on the ice flows. You can walk over frozen lakes and smash ice shards watching them scatter in all different directions across the ice. You can sit by the edge of lakes and catch snow falling into your hands. You can edge your way through ice caves and admire the streams of water running from the ice melt. You can watch the sun set into the plateau and see the sky come alive with colour. You can scramble up rock faces and climb mountains. At the peak of each rise you can see even more beautiful sights and interesting areas to explore. You couldn’t help but feel completely free wandering around this place, going wherever you liked, walking towards whatever caught your eye. No restrictions, no time constraints, no worries.
