Alta Zietsman, one of the members of Marion Island’s 73rd Overwintering Team, made contact with RSG (Radio Without Borders/Radio Sonder Grense), an Afrikaans radio station. RSG proved to truly be a radio station without borders, as those that like to make contact with South Africa’s Marion Island would know this is not always an easy task.
Alta mentioned in her interview with Christelle van Tonder that RSG is one of the frequencies that can be picked up at the island’s field huts. This is a great way of quickly catching up on the latest news back home in South Africa before continuing to the next field hut around the island.
At first, 13 months of complete isolation on a sub-Antarctic island sounds like a long time, however with all the work and social interaction with team members and of course with RSG in the field huts, time on this majestic little piece of land in the middle of the southern Indian Ocean seems to go way faster than one would image.
Follow the link below (note the interview is in Afrikaans) to listen to the connection made between Alta and RSG, broadcasted LIVE this morning.
Interview also available at RSG – Potgooi
Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, o3 March 2017.