Australia Day on Ice.

It doesn’t matter where you are on the 26^th of January if you are Australian.  The day generally involves going to the beach for a swim, a relaxing game of cricket, some lamb on the BBQ and a quiet couple of bevies to keep one well hydrated on a very demanding day.  So while in Antarctica why should it be any different?

It was all smiles before the swim.

The day started with a gourmet brunch prepared by our two fantastic chefs Jarrod and Scott and their trusty sidekicks the super slushies Angela and Maree.  After brunch it was the time I had been waiting all season for… the Australia Day swim.  It is a tradition at the Australian stations to have two dips in the Ocean each year, with the other being the mid-winters swim which is down right ridiculous.  For the mid winters swim a hole is cut into the sea ice using a chainsaw and there is a person on standby to keep the surface water from re-freezing between the swimmers.  Our swim was mild in comparison, air temperature -2.5 degrees, wind approximately 10 knots and the water temperature about -1.6 degrees. 

The look on my face doesn't hide much.

Private Ryan trying to walk on water.

The experience of running and diving into the ocean down here was quite surreal and unexpected.  I didn’t experience any pain or cold from the water but after swimming about thirty metres out to some sea ice the body began to slow down.  After a quick break on the ice and a horsey to get back in the water, I set about getting back to the boat ramp as quickly as possible.  Lucky we had Luke the lifeguard attendant on patrol in case anyone got in trouble.

 Deso Matty and I heading back in.

 Luke the Lifeguard.  Luke experienced issues with body parts as he exited the water.

After a quick warm up in the station spa, it was time to prepare for the afternoon’s cricket match.  The communications team worked their magic and were able to stream Triple J’s Hottest 100 countdown across station which made it feel just like everyone’s backyard at home.  The match was to be held between Australia v’s The Rest of the World and was played in great spirit with a little fancy dress thrown in.  I opened the batting and fell victim to one of the local rules, hit it over the red shed and it was 12 and out.  The Australians put on a solid batting performance with the tail wagging madly against a very suspect international attack.  In reply the Rest of the World team, with the benefit of some dubious umpiring decisions, took the chocolates by 70 runs.

Young Cam hitting out.  He looked good so I ran him out.

Anna the Swedish viking.  Fancy dress was taken to a new level.

Young Cam sporting his Poiter haircut especially for the day.  Business at the front, party behind.

The best part of the day was still to come.  Tania had booked to get an Antarctic experience of her own by getting aboard a chartered Qantas 747 from Perth, flying directly over Casey station and down along the coast over glaciers, volcanoes and the usual icy highlights.  It was a goose bump moment when the plane appeared on the horizon and performed a massive sweeping turn above the station.  So near but so far away.

Tania's flight cruising past at 10,000 feet.

The Australia Day festivities continued til late into the evening with a bit of kick to kick of the footy and a chill out on the helipad.  The tunes were still cranking so a few of the girls decided cage dancing was their thing and the boys, well, did what boys do.  Thanks Cam and Tim for another memorable moment for the day.

 

Australia Day- From Casey Station looking up at Qantas!

And this is the view point from Casey Station, Antarctica as seen by Dean Murray and Mark Johnston on Australia Day 2013, waving to their girls, Susan Bradford and myself! It seemed so much closer from the Air! From my window we were clearly able to see little people running around and vehicles! The Qantas plane banked around in a figure 8 type shape about three times to ensure everyone onboard got a great view of an Australian Station on Australia day! Dean also took some photos of some petrel chicks in a rock nook (he is so much turning into a twitcher!) and a huge leopard seal also paid them a visit with a sunbath in the snow in the same vicinity.

 

 

Antarctica on Australia day 2013 (by Air)

 

Antarctica on Australia Day 2013 via Qantas

Happy Australia day!!! and what an awesome day it was!

Susan Bradford and myself (Tania) headed down on the Croydon Antarctica Flights with Qantas to check out where the boys were working at Casey Station. Mark is also a Plumber on Casey Station (working with Dean Murray) and will be doing a 12 month stint and has newly arrived on Boxing Day via the ship. It was very exciting to hear the boys voices over the intercom radio of the Boeing 747 speakers as we circled over Casey Station about 3 times ensuring everyone got a view of the brightly coloured buildings and the surrounding lakes. The whole vibe of the cabin was electric and we felt like celebrities as we squealed with delight in hearing our names over the intercom and then were inundated with so many peoples stories and questions about their work. Living in Dampier, WA, I was amazed at the amount of other "pilbara-ites" on the plane and how so many paths had been crossed unknowingly. The great thing about this flight is that you are free to move around the cabin as much as you like and the feeling was relaxed and friendly. There was much excitement onboard as after approximately 4 hours of flying directly south of Perth we could start to see the first of many massive icebergs bobbing around in the ocean. The two commentators were extremely knowlegeable and had 15 to 20 years of experience each of this beautiful region which made the trip even more enjoyable. In short - we saw many glaciers, a small volcano, old remains of Russian stations and old airstrips, a giant hunk of ice falling off a massive cliff face and then seeing the waves being dispersed, Casey Station very clearly and the most beautiful blue coloured waters (that I wished I could dip a paintbrush into and paint straight onto a canvas!). We spent approx 4 hours flying all over Antarctica and then it took another 4 hours to come home again. It was a magnificent trip and I would recommend it to anyone as it is truly amazing.

So it was nice to sort of spend Australia Day with Dean, even though he was below on the ice and I was flying half way to heaven!

 

The icebergs are starting

Tania

A perfect blue paint pot!

Casey Station from the air

Perfect conditions for the entire trip, very little cloud cover.

The staff at Casey Station were mainly on the helipad area, in front of the big long red building in the photo, so I have been told.

 

Bergs off the Starboard Bow!

Life at Casey station is starting to return to normal after the couple of hectic weeks of resupply and the new winter expeditioners starting to find their feet.  Groups are starting to get off station on the weekends trekking and skiing into the distance to get a taste of the real Antarctica.  The summer melt is in full swing with huge streams of melting snow and ice scouring the continent searching for a way to the ocean.  These streams limit what vehicles can be used for weekenders so the expeditioners look elsewhere for their ice fix.  With a few keen skippers and a couple of IRB's laying idle, Saturday afternoon was an opportune time to hit the water and enjoy a berg cruise.  So I'll let the photos tell the story.  Enjoy!