Rymill family retracing the steps of their polar explorer from Penola

Members of the Rymill family returned this week from a journey of a lifetime. Peter, John and other family members sailed on a 13 day journey to Antarctica, which retraced the steps of Peter’s father and polar explorer, John Riddoch Rymill.

John Riddoch Rymill led the British Graham Land Expedition in 1934 on which he successfully established that Graham Land was in fact a peninsula, connected to the continental landmass of Antarctica. They undertook two major dog-sledding expeditions, during which the King George VI Sound was discovered and named and the newly discovered peninsula was traversed for the first time.

Peter and John were thrilled that they were not only able to locate John Riddoch Rymill’s northern base, but also that the ship was able to sail far down the peninsula to visit his southern base as well, which is often inaccessible due to ice and bad weather. This scenic trip blew the Rymills away with the unique and magnificent landscapes and an experience that bought them closer to understanding John Riddoch Rymill’s feeling towards the expedition:

“As we sledged along I was impressed by the thought that here was all this strange grandeur around us and that we were the first to see it since the earth began”.

               

John Riddoch founded Coonawarra in 1890 when he had the foresight to plant the first grapevines in the district. Over a century later, John Rymill, his great-great-grandson, is managing director of our family wine company.