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The memorial at the Mt Erebus crash site - Source: ONE News -
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Mount Erebus is always there. Always smouldering. Always close.
In a spiritual sense it hangs over Scott Base. In a literal sense, it stands above us.
The volcano is about 40km from the setup here. It's near, but you don't see it everyday. Sometimes, for days on end, the cloud curls around the peak and hides it from view.
Erebus is taller than it looks from sea level. Perhaps it's some sort of optical illusion, I don't know.
On a clear day, the winds near the top can still blow your socks off. It can be crisp and sunny at Scott Base, and blowing gales up the mountain. The old heads watch the summit, judging which way the smoke spins, furls and disappears.
Talking about the crash isn't taboo at Scott Base. But it's still raw, it's still ginger.
Those who know Antarctica best, the most experienced, the wisest, seem to hurt the most. I wonder if in their eyes, it's the only blight on such a beautiful continent. The imperfection.
Tomorrow Dan and I leave Antarctica.
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