I am a software engineer living and working in Brisbane. I first heard about Douglas Mawson's amazing escape from the crevasse, when I sheltered overnight at Mawson's Hut, while cross-country skiing in the Kosciuszko National Park. Many years later I decided to write a narrative poem about his feat to inspire my children and others.

The painting is by Brisbane artist Scott Breton, winner of the prestigious A.M.E. Bale Travelling Scholarship.

The photo of Mawson is reproduced with the permission of the South Australian Museum.