00:02Set in a vast icy landscape in East Antarctica, this small building has long been a refuge
00:09for expeditioners.
00:12Welcome to the grand, old, very salubrious Wilkes-Hilton.
00:18It is by far the most beloved hut that we have at Casey.
00:23The facility dates back to the late 1950s when it was used as a radio receiver hut by
00:29personnel at Australia's now abandoned Wilkes Station.
00:33It's really the only hut that survived from the, you know, being buried in the snow because
00:38it's a little bit higher up.
00:39The rustic hut is now used as accommodation and even though the decor is a bit dated and
00:45the roof occasionally leaks, it's been nicknamed after one of the world's most famous hotel
00:50chains.
00:51One of our expeditions wrote to the Hilton and explained that we call this the Wilkes-Hilton.
00:58So the Hilton Hotel sent us some supplies.
01:01So we have Hilton slippers, we have Hilton gowns and now we have Hilton pens.
01:10The Wilkes-Hilton is about an hour's drive from Casey Station.
01:14It is one of four huts in the area used by scientists doing remote field trips and expeditioners
01:21on recreational leave.
01:22I mean, giving people the time to step down and away as well.
01:26So if you feel like having some quiet time, sort of particularly over winter, you can still
01:32encourage people to go out and do hut visits.
01:34And those who experience a night at the Wilkes-Hilton say it's more memorable than a five star hotel.
01:40This is priceless.
01:42This is, you can't say how many stars this is.
01:43This is, you can't say how many stars this is.
01:44And that's how many stars this is.
01:44And now you can't see what happens.
01:45And now, we're going to see how many stars this one is.
01:46You can see how many stars this is.
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