Ground based measurements of stratospheric NO2 made from Arrival Heights, Antarctica, are compared with TOMS satellite total ozone measurements and upper air meteorological data. The observations show the seasonal effects of partitioning on NO2, and the influence of wave driven transport on both the NO2 and O3 column in spring. We conclude that stratospheric air appearing over our site in spring during low pressure conditions is representative of the cold core of the polar vortex, which has effectively been isolated from lower latitude air. Within this core, photochemical processes influencing the ozone column amount and NO2 levels can proceed without marked influence from transport effects.