It is an imaginary dot in a vast field of white; the farthest south anyone can go; one of only two places on Earth where all the lines of longitude meet, where if you make one full turn your feet pass through every time zone, but where the Earth itself does not spin, and the ground beneath you is still. Unlike the North Pole, it is also the site of a surprising amount of human activity: dormitories, offices, trucks, pool tables, shower blocks, saunas and science. There are two physical markers to tell you that you’re standing at the South Pole. One is ceremonial, a red and white striped barber’s pole topped with a mirrored globe and surrounded by the flags of the first twelve countries to sign the Antarctic Treaty. This is where the dignitaries go to have their picture taken, and where you can lean in and see your face, weirdly distorted in the globe’s mirror, with ice and sky and buildings stretched out behind. Not far away is the ‘real’ Pole, marked by an understated steel rod and topped with a small brass cap.
