Icestock

Thanksgiving in McMurdo (not that it bothers me) wasn't great, Christmas was just depressing despite the alcohol fuelled fun. New Year though, an event that's usually a bigger let down than The Phantom Menace, was pretty damn good.

I'd been to a couple of music events down here, Freezing Man (named after the American hippie fest Burning Man) and The Zim Brothers' Christmas, and knew there were some pretty good musicians around. What hadn't been shown prior to Icestock though, was the fun loving atmosphere of McMurdo. Icestock, however, had this in abundance.

What could be better than seeing in the new year than at a mini festival? Seeing in the new year at a mini festival with excellent funky tunes, a professor in a penguin hat, a bassist in a purple pimp suit, a totally free midnight meal to head to, a party in an empty fuel container after that, half a bottle of good quality whisky and the midnight countdown in full sunlight.

A mini festival

A professor in a penguin hat

A bassist in a purple pimp suit

Midnight countdown, sunglasses at night

Awesome.