Welcome to Casey Station

We have finally arrived at Casey after a few days as guests of the USA and we all keen to meet the locals and get into the groove of life on station.  The first couple of days have been getting familiar with the work environment and what will be required to do over the next few months.  Generally everyone will be working Monday to Friday with also a half day on Saturday.  Saturday afternoon everyone pitches and helps clean the station then it up to the individual amuse themselves skiing, trekking or going for a field trip out to the numerous huts in the area.

On Sunday about twenty of the expeditioners were out the front of the red shed taking their first cross country or "Nordic" skiing lesson.  The weather was a perfect minus 10 degrees and clear skies as far as your eyes could see.  Once you got going it was comfortable to be skiing around in a t-shirt and pants and I quickly realised a guy from the Pilbara doesn't take to snow like a duck to water.  At least I have a few months to get better at it!

Last night I joined the BOM observer and was fortunate to be allowed to release the weather balloon.  Mark the observer releases a 500gm Hydrogen balloon twice daily at 7.15 morning and evening which travels approxiately 10km into the atmosphere with a GPS tracker attached.  The movement of the tracker then provides the temperature, wind speed and direction and the humidity levels as it climbs at about 1000 ft per minute. 

Releasing a 500gm Hydrogen balloon.

Overlooking Crane Cove.

Practicing my expeditioners stance.

First sighting of the locals. (click on image to check them out)