Cape Denison Mawson’s Huts Historic Site

Cape Denison on Commonwealth Bay, George V Land, is where Douglas Mawson based the Australasian Antarctic Expedition of 1911–1914. The huts are still standing — remarkably intact given they sit in what meteorologists consider the windiest sea-level location on the planet, with katabatic winds routinely exceeding 150 mph. Inside, expedition gear, supplies, and personal effects from over a century ago remain in place. The Mawson’s Huts Foundation has been working to conserve and restore the structures since the 1990s. It’s a gut-punch of history sitting on raw Antarctic rock.

Access is by expedition cruise ship; Commonwealth Bay is ice-choked and landings are weather and ice dependent — many voyages attempt but cannot reach it. When conditions align and Zodiacs can put boots on shore, this ranks among the most significant Antarctic heritage landings available to non-scientists. Listed as an Antarctic Specially Protected Area.

Mawson's huts. Windiest place on Earth.