Changes in the Wind

 

CHANGES IN THE WIND

With the arrival of the first aircraft bringing our Summer expeditioners in just over a month we are starting to feel a little pressure to get a few things done. Having new people arriving feels like a big part of our journey will be finishing. A couple of our wintering crew will be leaving us to go home when the summer crew arrive ( we will only get two smallish aircraft ) and that feels like the end of "us".. which it really will be. After 8 months of not seeing any other humans in the flesh other than the 20 of us, it will be sad to have our group broken up. But the arrival of the aircraft will also be great as hopefully we will find a couple of much awaited mail bags arriving containing all sorts of goodies sent by family and friends plus many things ordered by us online when we have been missing whatever it is that we have ordered. This will be the first new supplies we have received since the big RAAF airdrop in May so it will be very exciting. 

Below:     When I first arrived at Mawson Station on the RSV Nuyina way back in March, in the mail bag for me were about 15 shoe boxes that my wonderful wife and family had sent. These boxes live in a drawer under my bed, and every month, on the first day of the month, I get to open one or two and get something special from home. Best day of every month I can tell you! There aren't many left so hopefully there will be a few more coming in the mail bag with the plane. MVP box ( Most Valuable Present box ) is the ones containing Salt and Vinegar Chips and Turkish Delight!!! They are in decidedly limited supply on station.

 

                Alongside this change is the rapidly growing amount of daylight we are experiencing.  We have had very good weather over the last month with lots of blue skies and sunshine. But the wind is still here as ever and the temperatures have been colder too ( often less than -20 C air temperature ) which makes it very challenging when you are working outside. This month has seen me on a couple of trips. First was a three day round trip to the Taylor Emperor Penguin colony west of the Station. The main reason was to service an automatic camera which takes multiple pictures a day of the breeding colony so an estimate of the success or otherwise of the breeding season can be made. This year is also a little different as we are looking out for signs of the Avian bird flu which has slowly been making its way south and could have a devastating impact on the penguins. Fortunately so far we have seen no signs on any birds being sick or any abnormally large numbers of dead birds. It is early days though, as  migratory birds such as Petrels which travel to areas where the Avian Flu is present have not yet returned. They may bring the disease with them and only time will tell what the result may be.

                Above: Me servicing one of the automatic, solar powered cameras at the Taylor Rookery. You have about two minutes with your hands out of your gloves at -20C before your fingers start screaming about the cold and stop working very well. Then its a game of tuck them under your armpits to warm up a bit before having another go. Your gloves cool down very quickly without your hands in them so it pays to have them inside your jacket when you are not wearing them so you have something semi-warm to put your hands back into when you are done.

Above: Taylor Rookery. There are not as many birds here as at Auster Rookery, but it is still a spectacular sight.

Below: As the penguin chicks get bigger they are too big to fit under Mum or Dad any more... so they will emulate their Dads who huddled together over the long winter incubation period in order to keep warm.

        Photo: Andrew Brock

    We stayed at the nearby Colbeck Hut for two nights. As you can see from the below photos its not exactly 5 Star accommodation but it does the keep you alive and is much better than sleeping in a tent which is the only other option!

        The trip home was broken up by visits to some enormous icebergs that are currently trapped in the sea ice. The most impressive of these are the Jade bergs, made up almost entirely of fresh water that has a high mineral content and gives them a distinctive jade green colouring.

      Above: This is a BIG berg... you just make out an expeditioner standing to the right side of the berg and he is still a long way away from it!

Below: A similar sized berg of the more rounded variety, and a berg dropping green gems onto the ice as it slowly deteriorates ( Centre and Bottom pics).

            Below: Even in the middle of nowhere you can find traces of the Emperor penguins.

On the trip home from the Taylor Rookery we stopped off at Proclamation Point, where in February 1931, Douglas Mawson jumped ashore with his men, used some rocks to hold up a flag pole ( there is no dirt here! ) ran up a flag ( the Union Jack to be precise.. as this was officially the British, Australian, New Zealand Antarctic Expedition.. BANZARE is the inevitable acronym ) and proclaimed that this was now British Territory!

        Being the Flag Officer at Mawson Station, I had carefully prepared and packed a flag to emulate good old Dougies' activities and so the flag waving and historic explorer posing began. Most of us had a go but I went first.. after all... I brought the flag.

        The plaque left by Sir Douglas Mawson at Proclamation Point. We were not sure if it is the original or not. Still, its pretty neat to visit the spot as not many people will.....ever.

        Two weeks ago I ventured back out to the Auster Emperor Penguin Colony to see how the chicks out there were faring. We went on a beautiful sunny and warm day ( positively tropical at -15C with no wind!) and found them out and about soaking up the sun. Again there was no sign of Avian Bird flu thankfully!

                Above: Hitching a ride on Dads feet... the ice is cold you know!

                Below:  More food Mum.... I'm fading away!

        

        One of the highlights of our week when back on station is the drawing and painting sessions held on  Thursday evening after dinner. Generally a photo of one of us is wheeled out ( often a not very flattering photo ) and the artistically talented and artistically challenged alike have a crack at creating their version. We have found that results may vary in terms of quality but it's good fun. At the end of it all the subject of our works get to pick a winner from the displayed masterpieces. 

Last sessions A Grade, Blue Ribbon prize winning portrait was created by none other than yours truly, Leonardo Da Caithness. My old art teachers at Yarram High School, Mr Pearson, Mr Hoare and Mr Rojo would be horrified I am sure.