Overwintering team: SANAE 43

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Personnel transfer to ice shelf

SANAE 47
SANAE 46
SANAE 45
SANAE 44
SANAE 43
SANAE 42
SANAE 41
SANAE 40
SANAE 39
SANAE 38
SANAE 37
SANAE 36

Heavy lift carne in operation


Beneke de Wet Team leader, electronic engineer and Technicolor Darth Vader. As team leader Beneke is responsible for the day to day management of the research station, its associated activities and all safety aspects. He is also the communications officer and as such responsible for all communications systems, i.e. the V-sat (telephone, fax and internet), HF and VHF radio systems. He monitors and maintains some of the scientific projects, including the SunSAT VHF packet radio system, the Trimble GPS system and the Galileo SEATEX GPS system. Beneke grew up on a farm outside Swellendam in the Western Cape and spends as much time as possible at interesting places around the world. He has been in love with the Middle East ever since he arrived there in 1997 and overwintered on Gough Island (1999-2000) and Marion Island (2001-2002). While in Antarctica he spends his time nunatak-hopping in hot pursuit of leichens, creating weird composite images, stuffing around with Linux, is totally addicted to aurora watching, has taken to date 4723 pictures (digital, not counting slides) while south of 40deg latitude. PS. He turned 30 this year and is not quite sure whether this is a good or bad thing.
	Leon Engelbrecht Electrical engineer The mini fluorescent bulb replacement specialist of the team. But he is also good with a lot of other things, some of which we don't mention. He's responsibilities include the maintenance af all electrical equipment and installations in base and the supply of filtered stable electricity to the various communications and research systems in base. Leon is from Roodepoort in Gauteng where his loving wife Sonja, the cheeky dog Nikita and an assortment of cats are patiently waiting upon his return. He loves all aspects of nature and decided to visit Antarctica to experience its pristine beauty and freshness. He also needed a break from crime, pollution and the madness called life with other humans.
Mark Loubser Mechanical engineer Mark is responsible for the base mechanical systems. Power generation, water supply and waste treatment, vehicles, fuel supply, pump systems, air handling units and generally everything moving (but not breathing). Home is Durbanville in the Cape and he always wanted to see Antarctica for himself. Mark will marry his fiancee, Juliane, if she lets him get away with this one.
	Deon Gouvias Diesel mechanic
Marius Welgemoed Diesel mechanic
	Rupert Niemand Medical doctor
Shorty Terblanche "The Travelling Metkassie" Meteorologist and deputy team leader Shorty is the meteorologist for the team. He is responsible for all weather data sent from the meteorological office to South Africa that is used for forecasts and research data. This is his 4th trip to one of the research stations. His hobbies include photography and his life dream is to be a professional wildlife photographer. When not in the cold South he lives on a farm in South Africa and love horses, dogs and wildlife.
	Struan Cockroft Scientist
Pieter Wolmarans Scientist A lot of people (including my parents) call me Kees I'm the HF-Radar guy. I basically spend my time keeping a huge HF radar on-line 24-7. In between I try to annoy the other people and beat the doctor at table tennis for beating me at pool. From Springs, Gauteng. I have a brother who is now a proud new father. I have some friends too (who know better than to get married or something big like that while I'm away). I tried to study at RAU, but spent too much time with JOOL!. I developed a fancy for sport climbing and bouldering. Had a tame introduction to mountain biking too, while I was in the States, but haven't done much since I've been back. Potchefstroom is a bit flat. Obviously I don't do much of that here in Antarctica. Programming odds and ends, shell scripting, reading and sleeping is some of my favourite new-found (re-discovered) hobbies. I would like to play a guitar better than I do a three-valved brass instrument with a decent sized mouth piece (that would exclude the standard trumpet) and I would like to spend some time with a special girl. I guess 50% isn't too bad considering the viable options. When I grow up I'd like to be a rich lay-about who does freelance Books-on-Tape and voice overs.