Australian icebreaker back in the water after two days stuck on Antarctic rocks

Australia's icebreaker has been refloated after a blizzard snapped its mooring and pushed it onto rocks in Antarctica.

The Aurora Australis was dislodged on Friday night from its stricken position into Horseshoe Harbour near the Mawson research station, after 37 people had been safely taken ashore earlier in the day.

The Australian Antarctic Division, which chartered the vessel, says there is no evidence of any oil pollution.

A P&O Maritime crew used internal ballast transfers and work boats to refloat the ship during a rising tide, the division said in a statement on Saturday.

It is consulting with other national Antarctic programs about transporting the ship's expeditioners from Mawson station back to Australia.

The US Antarctic program is already using an LC130 aircraft on Saturday to fly more than 30 expeditioners from Australia's Davis research station, who had been scheduled to return home on the Aurora Australia after the summer, to Casey research station.

The expeditioners will then be flown home on the Australian Antarctic Division's A319 Airbus in coming days.

The Aurora Australis had been grounded since Wednesday.