Antarctic attracting more ships and people

THE nearest to Antarctica I have been is Gough Island, about 1 700 nautical miles west-south-west of Cape Town.

- BRIAN INGPEN

IGARKA alongside L Berth, loading for Antarctica in December 2009. She was one of several ice-class vessels designed to service Russian Arctic ports. Bank Line used four modified vessels of this class for its round-the-world cargo service that has since been discontinued.

(BRIAN INGPEN COLLECTION)

Yet that icy continent holds a special fascination for me, and Antarctic expeditions are of interest, probably because of an outstanding teacher I had when I was a kortbroek at Pinelands Blue School.

Although I have introduced the wonderful Ms Dixon before, I remind folks that she was half-blind and governed us with a heart of gold and an 18-inch ruler that she applied to our stern should we - boys or girls - disregard her strict classroom rules. Because order and structure prevailed in her classroom, Ms Dixon could teach creatively, uninterrupted by unruliness. We behaved, and worked conscientiously. She was a highlight in my very mediocre school career.

Hardly had our Grade 6 year started when Hannes la Grange became the first South African to reach the South Pole and Ms Dixon abandoned her usual lesson programme to tell us about him and about Antarctica. (Many current teachers won't depart from their sacred, straitjacketing CAPS, even to include some fascinating event that involves remarkable human endeavour and achievement.)