And it's from there the Riverina man has watched on as the world froze when a pandemic hit.

After growing up in Hay, the 29-year-old now works as a "jack of all trades" on bases in Antarctica, the ice-covered landmass which is considered virtually unliveable.

It all started when an advertisement popped up on his social media calling for tradesmen to work on the stations on the southern-most continent.

"I applied for the first year and didn't get it, but I applied the second year and got through to the next stage of the application," Mr Kenton said.

"I got flown to Tasmania for a workshop for three days which involved team-building exercises to test how you would react to different situations. Then, eventually, I got a summer season."

Mr Kenton flew down to Antarctica for the first time in 2018 and spent six months at Casey Station. The cold weather was a shock to him on arrival, but Mr Kenton said he struggles more acclimatising to the Riverina's heat when he returns home.

After finishing his first season and then taking a six-month break, he then journeyed on the ice-breaker Aurora Australis for his next stint in 2019, taking up residence at Davis Station.

"I am a fitter and turner. The main trades you have are plumbers, sparkies, and diesel mechanics," Mr Kenton said. "I float between all those three trades to help them out or repair other parts.

"I am on the projects team as well, and we are involved in building a new powerhouse down here, so there is plumbing and carpentry involved in that."

The primary way that the pandemic has affected those living on the icy tundras is that Mr Kenton's return home date is slightly up in the air.

The ice-breaker Aurora Australis was discontinued earlier in the year, and while construction of a new one is underway, COVID-19 has slowed down production, meaning a 12-month trip has been extended to about 17 months.

"When the ship came down in February to drop off supplies and pick up the summer crew, they were quarantined in the bay for a few days because that was the very beginnings," Mr Kenton said.

"We all thought it would blow over, but then we saw on the news that it wasn't. But for us down here, there has been no social distancing. We were one of the only ones to have an Anzac Day ceremony."

Mr Kenton joked that luckily the bar has always stayed open, and the crews do not have to worry about booking a table. He added it has been surreal to watch the pandemic unfold.

g"I think it is a bit hard for everyone to fully understand what it has been like for people back home," Mr Kenton said.

"We have missed the entire year pretty much, so things like going to the supermarket and having to social distance seem bizarre. It's almost like we will have to be reinducted into normal society."

Mr Kenton said now is almost the perfect time to be in Antarctica, away from the ramifications of coronavirus spreading throughout the world.

Adding that while it can be a "cold and brutal" place to live sometimes, there is nothing that can quite capture the beauty of it.

"I am much happier to be here, rather than stuck home during COVID," Mr Kenton said.

"Once the winter started, all the ocean froze up solid around the station so we could drive out onto it.

"The seawater and the freshwater combine and create a nice solid blue ice, which is slippery but beautiful. Driving along it is pretty special, as you are amongst icebergs."

While Mr Kenton loves being down there, living at the end of the world comes with its challenges. From strict regulations when it comes to going out exploring to the isolated nature of the gig, it can sometimes be tough.

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"The water situation can be a bit dire as well," Mr Kenton said.

"We can't make a lot of freshwater this close to the ocean. The ship provides with about 200,000 litres of water and then we have to make a further 1.2 million litres of water out of a reverse osmosis machine."

Mr Kenton said he would forever appreciate the once-in-a-lifetime - or twice in his case - chance to live in Antarctica.

"Hopefully I can come back again, but after a longer trip back home because I do miss it," he said.