Playtime - Dessert

After a torrid weekend of trekking around the Mitchell peninsula, many of the expeditoners were sitting on the deck in front of the red shed, enjoying a G&T, basking in the sun's rays and reflecting on a fantastic weekend.  Everyone was sharing stories of what adventures they had been on and what had been the standout when the words "penguin chicks" were mentioned.  The fatigue from our recently completed ski haul was quickly forgotten when the opportunity to travel across to Shirley Island was possible tonight and see penguin chicks.  The sea ice joining the island to the mainland was starting to show signs of breaking out to sea so we had to take this opportunity while we could.  Immediately after dinner a group of six headed down to Shirley and begun searching for the elusive first chicks of the season.  Enjoy the photos.  I certainly had a ball taking them.

 

 

Stealing rocks from another nest is a popular pastime.

The water is beautiful, once your in.

 A proud new parent.

 

 Normally we have to stay 5 metres away from Adelie penguins and when they are breeding the distance increases to 30 metres.  These guys ignored the rules and walked right up to  me.  Cool.

 

 

 

Playtime - Main Course

Last Sunday was a warm up to this weekends demanding travel itinerary.  A plan was hatched mid week for a group of skiers to head out to the Mitchell Peninsula on Saturday afternoon, pitch some polar tents and camp out in the wilderness.  Camp, I hear you ask and it was what I was asking myself as we set off attempting to ski and tow sleds out from station and up the hill towards Kenny, our goal for the night.

Matt, Cam, Brent, Dean, Bec and Dan enjoying a well earned rest.

 

The weather was playing nicely again with absolutely perfect conditions for trekking across the countryside.  The group dragged their way uphill for approximately three kilometres then enjoyed another five kilometres of undulating terrain in and around the Mitchell peninsula to arrive at the campsite for the night at about 7.30pm. 

 

Camping Antarctic style at Kenny.

A couple of pre dinner drinks were enjoyed by the group while Brent took on the role as master chef.  After dinner everyone continued to lap up the perfect windless conditions to watch the sun dip, as it will not set until late January over Antarctica.  Bec produced a fantastic gourmet dessert which was devoured as the weary travellers mellowed, sat back and absorbed the scenery.

 

 Young Cam ripping it up.

Snow baseball anyone?

The morning arrived quickly with everyone waking rejuvenated after sleeping well in their comfy polar tents.  After a quick stretch to ensure all of the moving parts were still able to, the party backed up the tents, loaded the gear back on the sleds and proceeded to enjoy the three hour return ski back to station.

Happy days.

 

 



Playtime - Entree'

The weekends are a busy time at Casey station where most people work until 1pm on Saturday then the minds turn to R&R with many of the punters looking to get off station.  Last Sunday a group of intrepid travellers braved the snow showers engulfing the Clark Peninsula and headed out to ski to the old American station Wilkes, which is approximately nine kilometres from Casey.  Wilkes was handed over to Australia to manage in 1959, who then moved to their new station in 1969. 

Luke, Dean and Dr Nick in another snow shower.

 

 

The group donned their survival packs and skis and headed out onto the powdery surface.  It had begun to snow at 4pm Saturday afternoon would not stop until we had completed our round trip so the surface felt like you were sliding your skis through marshmallow.  The visibility was poor though the atmosphere with the snow swirling around you was quite mesmerising.  Two and a half hours later the party arrived at it's destination, the Wilkes Hilton, complete with complementary bath robes and slippers.

Louise and Colin (the penguin gurus), who were using Wilkes as a base for their research, were very hospitable welcoming in the weary travellers with a warm cup of tea and a couple of Tim Tams.  After a quick rest and a warm up around the unlit wood fire, the skiers again braved the elements and shoosed off into the great white.






Dr Sheri happy for some respite at Wilkes.

The snow had settled down and was becoming firmer and more predictable under foot which made the return journey a more enjoyable experience.  The round trip took approximately five and a half hours and by the beaming smile on the faces of the skiers when they returned to Casey showed either they had experienced a cracker of a day or were just happy to have a hot shower.  Mine was a cracker!

Luke, Dan and Bec heading for home.

Man hauling

I understand the title of this post may sound obscure to some but to come to down to Antarctica man hauling was something I had to experience.  I first read about man hauling when the early expeditioners had used up all of their other options traversing the continent so they had to drag all of the provisions themselves.   Admittedly our trek wasn’t an attempt to win the race to the South Pole, but an overnighter out to Jack’s hut fifteen kilometres away, but I did day dream a little as we marched towards our pole.  

Stu and Gav enjoying the climb.

I was fortunate to be invited to join the travelling party of Stu, Craig and Gav on a beautiful bright sunny and still Sunday afternoon stroll out to another of the outlying station huts.  Reputation preceded this formidable trio, with all three having a history in competing in many endurance events.  I knew I was in for a hiding or an unforgettable experience.

The three amigos.

We set off from the station at 5pm after Gav (aka chef, Gavinator?) finally arrived after  his afternoon nap and usual fluffing about.  The weather was playing nicely today and provided the party with plenty of fantastic photo opportunities as well as a lovely Antarctic suntan.  The mood was jovial as the group meandered along the moraine line heading out to Jacks and the banter was as entertaining as it was colourful.

  Happy days.

A tricky traverse to avoid the unpredictable sea ice.

 

The sleds and harnesses made the trip surprisingly comfortable with the group able to make the trip to the hut in approximately three hours.  Once settling into the hut and refreshments had been but on ice, Gav served up an absolute feast for the ravenous bunch.   After a couple of quiet ones and a few smoked oysters a reasonably early night was enjoyed by all.  I base this assumption on the sun hadn’t gone down when I went to bed.  The return trip the next morning wasn't approached with as much enthusiasm as the previous afternoon and we all arrived safely back at Casey at around 10am.  A fantastic couple of days was had by all and it was definately one for the memories.  I think the guys were over me saying repeatedly,  How good is this?, Can you believe we are man hauling in Antarctica? 

The view from inside Jack's hut.  The flat area between the rocks in the forground and the island is all sea ice which is expected break out in the next month.

.

The Locals

While working in Antarctica you come across many people with unique stories of where they come from, what they do whilst on the continent and what they are planning in the future.  Two such people are Colin and Louise, aka the penguin gurus, who recently featured on 60 Minutes highlighting their penguin research and monitoring around Casey station and the nearby Shirley Island.

Coming in from a dip.

 

On Friday I was fortunate to be invited by Colin to join them that evening while they mapped the breeding areas around parts of Shirley Island.  The weather was clear and quite fresh so we packed our mandatory survival kits and photography equipment  and  off  we trekked to Shirley at around 8.30pm. 

Arriving at Shirley Island the party goes into sensory overload.  The sight is spectacular, the noise is like a children’s crèche at 8am in the morning and the smell is well, overpowering.  I don’t seem to be as affected by the aroma as others in the party so I put this down to sharing our house in Dampier with a few ducks and four chooks.  The Adelie penguins appear to have laid their eggs for the year so now it is time for the blokes to stand around and look after the eggs, keeping them warm and protecting them from the skuas and petrels.  The penguins will need to stand vigil over the eggs until Christmas when the first are expected to hatch.

Adelie penguins obviously happy to be sitting on eggs.

 

Shirley Island is a photographers dream with beautiful light and plenty of action to attempt to capture.  The Southern giant petrel flying low over the penguin rookery was a highlight as were the Adelies launching themselves from the sea,  landing on the sea ice in a bolt upright stance  any Romanian gymnast would have been proud of.  A lazy Weddel seal enjoyed the late afternoon sun on the sea ice while the Adelies happily migrated from the ocean back up to the rookery. 

Southern giant petrel

The time disappeared quickly and three hours and three hundred photos later we grouped back together, enjoyed a picnic of hummus, bread and some of Jarrod’s fantastic pecan pie , then strolled back to station quietly reflecting on a fantastic evening.  Special!

South polar skuas.

 

 

Louise the penguin whisperer.

 

An Adelie catching some rays.

A Weddell seal impersonating a rock.

 

An intruder trying not to look cold.

 

 

The Real Antarctica

The summer expeditioners have been in Antarctica nearing a month and are all getting into the day to day groove of life around Casey Station but are beginning to ask such questions as, So what is over that hill? and, Where are the magnificent vistas I have been told  about?

Suddenly on Monday morning a plain bulletin was placed upon the station noticeboard declaring in bold lettering "Field Travel Training."  After recently experiencing Survivor Antarctica the group were quite hesitant in approaching the FTOs (Field Training Officers) for more details of these imminent training days.

Our worries over potentially having to go through the whole sleeping in a twistie packet on snow and ice again were quickly laid to rest when the FTOs carried out their briefing the night before departure.  Field training is about helping the expeditioners gain the necessary skills to travel around the area between field huts and base and to be able to cope if the conditions turn against your travelling party.  Out of the field shed came five quad bikes fully loaded with our personal survival packs, bike retrieval kits, special bike bivvys (bigger twistie packets to be tied between bikes so you can shelter against the weather) and enough food to sustain five hungry men for a few days. 

 

 

Off into the wilderness we rode kitted out with radios,GPS and the usual map and compass to test our skills in navigating around the Mitchell Peninsula.  Ian our FTO was very patient with the group of lads who were all gobsmacked with what we had just been exposed to.  Out through penguin pass we travelled towards the obscurely named hut "Kenny".  The source of the name soon became apparent as we crested the hill to finally spot our lunchtime resting location.

Kenny is one of about six field huts which can be used for science bases or for weekends away from base.  Our party took some respite from the quads and enjoyed lunch in the most pristine environments imaginable.  From Kenny we continued to navigate our way around the peninsula practicing different survival techniques and improving our bike handling skills as we travelled.  Our destination for the overnight stay was Robbo's hut approximately 20km away from Casey Station so after safely arriving and radioing back to base that we had arrived safe and well we explored the area aound Odbert Island.  There were Adelie penguins everywhere on the island and snow petrels swooping all aound the skies.  Unfortunately the sea ice was too unpredictable for travel so we had to admire the scenery and the fauna from afar.

 

 

 The view from Robbo's.

Jarrod the Chef and Dean.

Dean at Robbo's.

A little Adelie Penguin going solo.  Check out the glacier tongue in the background.

 

Survivor Antarctica

Survivor Antarctica has come and gone and I proudly did not get voted off the continent.  Survival training is a two day course to give all the expeditioners the skills they need to be able survive the harsh conditions they may encounter while enjoying the wild expanses of Antarctica.  We began the day being kitted out with more gear and given the selection of very tasty dehydrated food to carry for provisions for the next 36 hours.

 

As a group we proceeded to navigate through the the wilderness that surrounds Casey Station using a compass, charts and a GPS arriving in just over an hour at Shirley Island.  Anyone who was watching 60 minutes last month may recall the Adelie penguin colonies being monitored at Shirley Island.  Colin and Louise (penguin gurus), who were featured on the show, are back again this summer to continue their study into the impact the changing environment has on the Adelies.  We then drilled the sea ice between the continent and the island to ensure it was safe to walk across.  

Shirley Island is a pristine environment that we were very fortunate to be able to experience.  The penguins dance, sing and generally do anything just try to get the attention of the opposite sex.  The little man below happily sauntered past us to check out his options in another group of ladies who were positioned behind us.  They have no fear of Australians dressed as big bananas.

Are you looking at me? A curious Adelie penguin at Shirley Island

 

After 30 minutes of enjoying Shirley Survivor Antarctica turned serious.  We continued to develop our navigational skills whilst hiking another couple of hours to our camp for the night.  "Camp" is better described as a windswept snowfield just near a rocky outcrop and we were instructed to make the best out of it.  Out came the ice axes and saws and the scene became an Antarctic version of "The Block".    Some went for the minimalist look, yours truly went a little art deco while others such as Luke the sparkie went big is beautiful.  A great deal of fun was had in the construction phase though all the structures had to do was to protect you from the conditions we may face throughout the night.

 Tradesman of the week Luke the sparkie carving out his palace.

 

In our survival kit we were given a sleeping bag, a thin mattress, a bivvy bag and a pee bottle which are all self explanatory apart from the bivvy bag.  The bivvy is a light thin bag which feels like it is make out of twistees packet and is made to protect you from the wind.  The idea is to roll the bivvy out when the weather closes in on you, climb inside then make camp the best you can.  This sounds quite easy but when you have to climb in backwards to come out forwards and the breeze is starting to blow around 30 knots, easy tasks become more difficult.

 

So after a peaceful nights sleep in my version of the Taj Mahal and a piece of tin foil, we trekked for two more hours in minus 10 degrees back to the serinity of the Red Shed of Casey Station.  I've never seen a better looking coffee machine and danishes in all of my life.

Our party were preparing to drill the sea ice before we crossed it to Shirley Island so these guys cruised over to check us out.

Matty the diesel fitter drilling the sea ice.  At this point it was 1.3 metres thick.  It is still safe to walk on with caution when it is only 300mm.

Have a look at this good looking Rooster.  I don't know if it is a male or female and they are definitely not called roosters.  I'll check with the penguin gurus and get back to you.( I have since checked with the penguin gurus and they can't tell me what a male penguin is called.  All they knew is the non breeders are called losers. Seriously!)

Bob, Vicki, Luke and Andries enjoying a coffee at the Ice Cafe'

 

Blizz risk - HIGH

 

My first blizzard gusting up to 80 knots

 

The first complete week on station has been a mixed bag of experiences with the weather being the biggest player in this part of the world.  The week commenced with perfectly clear skies with the temperature hovering around minus 10 degrees.  This may sound cold but without any wind it is nearly t-shirt weather.  I knew something was around the corner when the BOM forecasters started to get a bit twitchy with the prospect of  change in the air.  The blizzard risk rating was to be HIGH on Wednesday and Thursday with winds expected to average around 65-70 knots.

Wednesday arrived and all on station were cautiously watching the windows and the live weather station in the mess.  Talking to the more experienced expeditioners the general rule about being outside when a blizzard is happening is that your body weight to wind speed ratio cannot exceed 1:1.  So if the wind speed gets over 75 knots it is more than likely I wont be able to walk against it.  In saying that I should be able to walk comfortably in 90 knot winds by the end of the summer down here the way the chefs provide for all of the crew.

Tonight we begin preparation for survival training which has quickly been dubbed "Survivor Antarctica".  I am led to believe the training involves hiking for about six hours using compasses, GPS and charts then camping in your own ice shelter that you have to construct out of solid blocks of ice.  I can't wait!

 

Sunset at around 10pm

Sauna and Spa to aid recovery after ski training

View from the lab.  The scientists are often found here day dreaming out the window.