Family man south

Press, 9 May 1978, Page 21

Family man south

Perseverance has led 34-year-old Paul Dennison, of Wellington, to a winter in Antarctica. As radio technician at | Scott Base this year, he | has achieved an ambition I of five years standing. ' Paul was first accepted to I go South in 1973 but had to withdraw after breaking his leg in a rugby game. Paul’s interest in the Antarctic dates back to 1956 when as a schoolboy, he helped in a fun d-raising effort to finance the purchase of a husky dog for l Sir Edmund Hillary’s party. A senior radio tech-

nician with 13 years Post Office experience, Paul is maintaining the telephone and telegraph links which keep the 11 Scott Base staff in contact with the outside world during the winter months. There are three transmitters at Scott Base. One is used for teleprinter and telephone contact with New Zealand, and one for

communications with field parties during the summer season. The other is on standby. During the summer a large part of Paul’s time was taken up with servicing the transmitters and portable transceivers used by field parties on various parts of the Continent. The aspect of wintering at Scott Base that most

appeals to Paul is the close comradeship. He believes that living and working with different kinds of people broadens one’s outlook on life. Paul is one of two family men wintering this year. He has a son of 11 and a 5-year-old daughter. How does the family feel about his being away for a year?

“My wife has been pretty good about it. She has always encouraged me to go and I really appreciate that. My son writes to me a lot and is strongly interested in the Antarctic.”'

His family are living in Invercargill for the year — which is about as close to the Antarctic as the ordinary New Zealander can get. .