Another quick one I'm afraid as it's been a long Christmas Eve here, with a few navigational challenges. We've been navigating so far my using magnetic bearings taken from our two GPS units but today the bearings started taking us wildly off-course, and what's more the two units we have were giving differing bearings by more than 20 degrees.

We've phoned Andy and given it to him as a little Christmas conundrum, but it wasted a couple of hours today and put an annoying kink in our route before we realised what was going on. We can travel due south easily enough, and have been doing so this afternoon on the E 154 meridian, but there are a couple of complicated waypoints at the South Pole station itself that we're supposed to hit, in order to avoid runways and scientific work that's being carried out.

As a result, it's been a frustrating day, though the weather and surface improved as time went on, so things are looking up for Christmas Day. We won't be celebrating in our little tent a great deal, I'm afraid. I have one card to open from a very special somebody, and I've brought Tarka a tiny present (don't let on, but it's some teabags and milk powder; we haven't had a cuppa for two months now). I've no idea if he's brought anything for me, but if he has I hope it's edible!

The photo is of me (looking pretty knackered) with the card that Intel sent us via satellite. Other than that, it'll be business as usual for us, and another nine hours of travel. Wherever you are, another huge thank you for following our journey as it unfolds, and I hope your Christmas Days involve a little less rationed food, a lot less distance from your loved ones, and a little more rest than ours will...

Happy Christmas