 In early 1911 , Mertz went to London to meet with the Australian geologist and explorer Douglas Mawson . Mawson , who had served as physicist during Ernest Shackleton 's 1908 – 09 Nimrod Expedition , was planning his own Antarctic expedition . In his application letter , Mertz wrote that he hoped Mawson would be using skis , as " they have proved so good for the purpose & knowing that I am as good as any one on skys . " While Mawson was intending to recruit only British subjects ( chiefly Australians and New Zealanders ) , Mertz 's qualifications prompted him to make an exception , and hire the Swiss as a ski instructor . First , however , he was given responsibility for the expedition 's 49 Greenland Huskies , aboard the expedition ship SY Aurora , bound for Hobart . 
