Want to Run World's Southernmost Post Office? Join the Line

Imagine a life in extreme cold, with no modern comforts at your disposal, cut off from the outside world, with only acres of snow and colonies of smelly penguins for company.

The prospect of such hardship is certain to give many cold feet, but not the 1,000 people who have applied to work at the world's southernmost post office in the Antarctic wilderness, the Daily Mail reported Friday.

The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust (UKAHT) said it had received so many applications to work at the Antarctic post office at Port Lockroy that its website crashed thrice.

Port Lockroy stands on a grizzled outcrop named Goudier Island, which is the size of a primary school playing field. There is no running water and the average temperature at the place hovers around -10 degrees Celsius.

It was established as a base in 1944 and operated as a research station until it closed in 1962. In 1996, it was restored as a living museum under the Antarctic Treaty.

Those who applied were told that they must have the ability to put up with 2,000 "smelly" penguins for company.

Applicants included ex-servicemen, scientists and students.

The staff will spend from November until March running the shop, post office and museum operation at Port Lockroy, which is visited by 18,000 cruise ship passengers each season. The base is also home to the only gift shop in the continent.

Candidates are required to be able to "carry a big, heavy box over slippery rocks and slushy snow whilst dodging penguins", to go without a shower for days together and survive with no heating or running water.

The location is so remote that even helicopters are unable to reach there, which means the nearest doctor is three days away on a ship.

There is also no internet or wi-fi connection, no central heating, no phone signal, and no means of communication with the world other than through VHF radio.

The job advertisement by UKAHT says it is looking for people with the "adaptability to different situations".

It adds: "Are you happy not to shower for up to a month, live in close proximity to three people and 2,000 smelly penguins for five months?"

The trust said that the living conditions at the station would be comfortable, though basic, with no power, heat, water, and with limited communication.

Being the southernmost tip of the globe, there is no darkness, with daylight 24 hours a day.

The salary for working at Port Lockroy is 1,100 pounds (nearly $1,700) per calendar month. Expenses and subsistence are covered by the UKAHT.

A good physical condition and medical fitness are a must for the applicants.