Macca

27/03/2009

After turning back on Davis and Antarctica it was ten days on the ship before we reached our next stop. Ship life resumed with the adoption of routine as the best means of survival. The seas were once again welcoming as the swell was relatively calm. The days passed quickly with the occasional hour forgotten as we crossed over several time zones, making our way east and north.

I awoke one morning to the sight of the green mass of rock that is Macquarie Island filling up the previously clear horizon. We motored up the West coast of the island and made our way to the island station located on an isthmus (like a peninsula) on the northern end of the island. After half a day of sitting around waiting for heli-ops to commence we were flown from the ship to the station and launched straight into the work.

Macca is notorious for having poor weather (windy and wet). Fortunately we were gifted with two near clear days which allowed us to complete all our outdoor work around station and even do a few extra survey tasks as favours for others. We worked flat out on the island as the station resupply was busily taking place. Our work took us all over the station, from our GPS site located on a rock outcrop in an elephant seal wallow of tussock grass to the tide gauges in Garden Bay where fur seals and gentoo penguins are in abundance. It was fun to be amongst the new wildlife and greenery. It was also good to be around new faces, a gentle preparation for re-entering the greater population in Australia.

The Macquarie Island station has a different feel to the Antarctic stations. The buildings are much more basic, with lots of small buildings and cabins, built of timber and corrugated iron, serving specific purposes. The station had the feel of an outdoor education camp or farm. The main living quarters are much more homely, with the kitchen extending into the mess extending into the lounge extending into the bar. There were a few too many people on station during resupply. I was put up in the multi purpose building in a room sleeping twelve, which brought on a few too many flashbacks of staying in European backpackers. I’m sure Macca would be an enjoyable spot to experience a season with a group of 15 to 20.

As we narrowed in on completing our work we made the short climb up to the tee on Wireless hill to watch the sunset one evening. Wireless hill is where Douglas Mawson setup a repeater for his journeys south. On our last morning on the island we walked south along the beach to watch the sunrise with a small colony of king penguins. We finished our work as the first drops of rain fell and jumped on the first chopper back to the ship. They finished up the Macca resupply, said all the best to the wintering crew and we set off for Hobart. Time to go home.

Off Antarctica

08/03/2009

In the last few weeks we have finalised our work around station and in the nearby hills. The weather has turned, with a greater proportion of station bound days due to strong winds which make being out and about less pleasant. We jumped at the chances provided by a few clear days, helping out with a survey on the nearby Sorsdal glacier where a British scientist was studying cryoconites, micro-organisms which develop in small communities on the ice. This got us off station for two days and I enjoyed my last night in the field, sleeping out in the open, under the stars by the side of a frozen lake adjacent to the glacier. It was sad to finish up the field work which I do enjoy, and I took some pleasure in my last helicopter flight over the Vestfolds Hills, looking out over so many lakes I have walked by in the last month.

I managed to stow aboard some small boats one evening for some water sampling and a cruise around the bergs. It was nice to be out on the water and the light on the icebergs was beautiful. During the last week I woke myself during the clear nights to scan the skies and look for the aurora. There is not a lot of activity at the moment, but one night I did get another glimpse of a magical streak of green waving across the night sky. Not as impressive as aurora I have seen before but amazing all the same.

It has been a case of hurry up and wait. The work has been done for several days and aside from writing reports and other busy work there has not been a lot to do. Reading, exercising, watching movies and helping out around station only go so far. It is good to have everything done, but I am no good at sitting around. I always used to look forward to school holidays, but the day they started I would be bored. I guess I enjoy having something to do.

The summer Antarctic season is coming to a close. The ship has arrived and we are to set off for home. It will be a long voyage, three weeks in total, with a stop over at Macquarie Island for a week along the way. I am ready for the voyage and look forward to returning home and exploring new adventures. My second journey to Antarctica has been another wonderful experience. Different to the first time as then it was all new and I had to work it all out. This time around I have been helping others find their way and have smiled at the way people change over the course of the experience. The wow factor had passed this time and it has been a lot more like hard work. A few hiccups and social dislikes along the way made station life less fun, but I countered that by ensuring the majority of my time was spent in the field away from the yahoos. I have enjoyed visiting places for a second time and looking on them with knowledgeable eyes. I have no trouble saying farewell to the icy continent once more and am well and truly ready to get off station and off Antarctica.

Stand out

13/02/2009

All the distant field work is complete and we are now working within the Vestfold Hills until the ship arrives. Too much time has been spent on station so we are making up reasons to be away. Not too hard when there is always something that could do with some surveying. The routine of station life is enticing, but we want to make the most of the field time we have in Antarctica. No fly days due to poor weather can prevent expeditions but we try and sneak in trips in weather windows and find other ways to get out in the hills.

A brief visit was made to the old wallow, where the elephant seals wallow? We did a quick survey of core samples some biologists had taken through the layers of filth. There were about fifteen seals laying all over each other, dozing, burping, farting, snorting and generally enjoying lapping it up in their own mess.

With a few weeks left to go we have completed several survey tasks on station and have moved on to surveys in the surrounding hills to monitor lake levels. To make it more fun and overcome no fly days we are doing the brunt of the work on foot, stationing ourselves at a hut and walking to the surrounding lakes. Others are grasping the opportunity and tagging along for a jolly, helping us carry equipment between lakes and enjoying the sights of the less explored locations in the hills. Our first trip was to Ace lake apple, north of Davis, on Long Peninsula for two days. We surveyed four lakes and spent some time on the coast watching and listening to icebergs crashing against each other and breaking off chunks into the sea. We also stopped by an adelie penguin rookery one evening as the sun set and got amongst the hundreds of penguins. Lots of puff ball adolescents grumpy as they were beginning to drop their fur, chasing the adults around after a feed. For our second trip we walked out to Brookes Hut, east of Davis. The snow would have prevented helicopter flying, but it didn’t stop us pushing out through the frosting of snow to survey ten lakes along Broad Peninsula. The weather gradually improved as we navigated our way between lakes over three days before returning to station as the sky turned white again. We have a few more trips planned and are just keeping ourselves busy in these last few weeks.

With the build up of snow blizz tails, I have incorporated saunas into my station life. An hour of sauna with short breaks every fifteen minutes to dash out into the snow to wash off the sweat and make a few snow angels. The body doesn’t know what is going on. My sauna mate and I get a few odd looks from others heading off to bed as we crash about in the snow in our jocks.

I am keeping myself amused with plenty of reading, exercise, movie watching, getting to know others and helping out around station. The ship is due in a few weeks and I look forward to heading home, visiting Macquarie Island along the way.

Cup of tea

24/01/2009

Two weeks were spent at Davis. Sitting around was a common pass time as well as bla-di bla bla bla ... Lets fast forward to the good bit ... We loaded up two helicopters and flew south-west from Davis along the coast of ice and glaciers cracking off into the ocean. The helicopters dropped two of us at Law-Racovita Base for a week of surveying in the Larsemann Hills. Law-Racovita consists of a hut, as well as two apple and two melon sleeping huts. The base was originally setup by the Aussies in the mid 80s. However, in 2006 the huts were presented to Romania to serve as their station when on Antarctica. The Romanians were not using the base this season so it was available as our work station for the week. The base is located towards the south of east Broknes Peninsula which also hosts the Chinese station Zhong Shan and the Russian station Progess II. Over one full week we ran a GPS campaign and undertook a precise height survey from Law base to Zhong Shan. The work kept us busy, but the real fun came in meeting new people from different countries and observing how they live in Antarctica.

As if working out of huts positioned alongside Russia and China was not enough we were also visited several times by the Indian Antarctic expeditioners who flew in on helicopters, piloted by a Kiwi and a Scot. A few tens of kilometres further to the west, India is preparing to build another station in the Larsemanns and were working in the area from their ship the Emerald Sea. The Indians also brought down on their ship an older scientist from Estonia who had arranged with the Romanians to stay at Law-Racovita. The Estonian scientist shared the base with us and we had a short ceremony when we raised our respective National flags. He spoke English well and was most welcome as he brought many Antarctic stories, and boxes of fresh food and alcohol brought down on the ship from South Africa. Just to add to the international flavour of the Larsemann Hills, the Russian and Chinese bases were also visited by His Serene Highness, Prince Albert II of Monaco who was doing a whirlwind tour of Antarctic research stations. We didn’t meet the Prince but we waved as he flew over head while we were working. Fitting.

During the week we were definitely in the thick of international Antarctic activity. Our work took us through and around Progress II and Zhong Shan. Working along the ridge overlooking the stations we couldn’t help but sneak a peak and watch the stations in action. The Russians were busy building new living quarters as their previous main living building was burnt down at the start of the summer. The Chinese work extremely hard and it was interesting to see how quickly building operations progressed while we were there. OH&S restrictions are not prevalent amongst the Chinese and they don’t muck around when it comes to getting a job done. Teams of builders walking the tightrope of steel frame beams, tens of metres high, was not uncommon. Both the Russians and Chinese were generous and friendly. We were taken on tours of both stations and shared cups of tea with the more confident English speakers. At Law base we had a few Russian visitors who we invited in for tea or beer, depending on the time of day. One evening we drank tea with two Ruskis who brought a guitar and played Russian folk songs. Tea was definitely the link that brought us all together. The offer of a simple cup of tea is universal and led to many interesting moments. I look forward to drinking more tea and seeing where the interactions take me in the future.

We finished our work, no worries, even though the Australian pilots came to collect us a day early because they were worried the weather would turn. It didn’t. After establishing ourselves as part of the community it was with some sadness that we were lifted out of the hills and flown back to Davis. That was the last of my big field trips for the season and I now face the challenge of being couped up on station for the next five weeks. Bugger!

I had been to the Larsemanns two years prior and had a great time then. It seems to be one of the places where I come away with fun stories. One evening I managed to sneak in a new contender for my top memorable/stupid moments. It just happened to be exactly one year ago to the day that I launched myself off Kawarau Bridge near Queenstown, New Zealand. That day I paid the exorbitant fee and swung on the bungy after briefly splashing through the cool running water of the cyan coloured river below. Well I think I topped it this time by going swimming with the Ruskis in the ice cold water of Antarctica as the snow was falling and the sun set for the first time for the season. Afterwards we were all up for a warm cup of tea.

Take some time

06/01/2009

The last week has been spent in the Southern Prince Charles Mountains (PCMs) at two sites either side of the southern sweep of the biggest glacier on Earth, the Lambert Glacier.

We flew out in the twin-prop C212 aircraft, which first headed southwest around the Ingrid Christensen coast and then over the Amery ice shelf to refuel at a depot at Beaver Lake. We then continued south over the Lambert glacier and passed by many mountains and nunataks as we made our way through the PCMs to Wilson Bluff. Flying over the glacier and mountains it is hard to grasp the magnitude of what it is you are looking at. The grand scale of the place is extraordinary as the glacier overwhelms the mountains peaking out at the surface.

At Wilson Bluff we quickly setup camp of two polar pyramids in a sheltered valley of snow adjacent to our work site. Over the next three days we got all the work done and were then gifted two extra days on site due to new years and poor flying weather. Seeing in the new year as the sun passed behind a mountain in one of the most remote places imaginable and at the most southern place I will ever get was a real thrill. We scrambled up a small rock outcrop which afforded 360 degree views around our local area and opened up the sight across the ice to the nearby mountains draped in snow. With the bonus time we also went on a few exploratory walks around the base and up to the top of the bluff. I had been to Wilson Bluff before and it was interesting to visit again. It definitely wasn’t as enchanting an experience as the first time. It seemed as though nothing had changed and the place had just remained still waiting for my return. I was the last person there two years ago by the way.

After five nights at Wilsons the aircraft returned and flew us over the Lambert glacier to Dalton Corner at the southern tip (or corner) of the Mawson Escarpment. I had been to Daltons two years ago as well and was surprised at how quickly the memories and details of the local area returned to me. At Daltons we simply had to pack up some equipment but this was made more difficult due to the location of the gear two kilometres and quite a way up from the landing site and camp. Over the course of a day we slogged up and down the rocky glaciated soil and piece by piece transferred the equipment to the ski-way cache. Again we were given an extra day on site, this time due to a station imposed no fly day. We didn’t mind as we could think of worse places to be left waiting, such as on station. We made use of the time with a bit more exploring and then mucked around doing some crevasse travel training and mock crevasse rescue.

The grandeur of the ice and mountains in this area is truly spectacular, while little things like the patterns of clouds in the sky and the creaking and cracking of the glacier can be breathtaking. One evening when the wind had a rest and everything was still I took great enjoyment in lying on a rock absorbing the warmth of the sun while gazing up at the wild brush strokes of cirrus clouds dancing through the blue sky.

At the end of the trip we were collected by the aircraft and treated to a rare gift, a flight at low level along the Mawson Escarpment with the back door slightly open so we could lie on the rear landing and look straight out at the mountains, glaciers, crevasses and pools of melt as they passed below. This joy was repeated as we travelled back around the coast, over sea ice, ice bergs and islands, and made our way back to station. Not to let on too much about the amazing time we had.

The Groves

26/12/2008

Every summer many Australians take to the beach and bustle themselves into busy caravan parks to get away from the city and enjoy the sun and surf. South west of Melbourne there is a particularly popular little beach side town called Ocean Grove, which is also well known as the Grove. I have been to the Grove a few times to visit friends, enjoy a bbq and listen to the cricket, as flies and mosquitoes swarmed. This time around though, my summer season has begun with a visit to a place a little less populated, a touch cooler and a place not supportive of insect or any life whatsoever. My summer has begun with a visit to the Grove Mountains, which is more affectionately referred to as the Groves.

Our Antarctic field training finished with a slogged out 14km walk back to Davis station, along a frozen fjord and over the lunar rock strewn landscape of the Vestfold Hills. We set out early as we had heard a whisper on the VHF that it was possible that we could be going into the field that day, and that if we missed this opportunity we wouldn’t get another chance until after Christmas. This turned out to be true and on arrival at station we were told to get our stuff together and be at the helipad ASAP. In the space of two hours we were flying back across the Vestfold Hills and up over the plateau in a helicopter. We arrived at the skiway and loaded most of our cargo into a C212 fixed-wing aircraft and took our seats for the two hour flight to the Groves. I say most of our cargo was packed, because several survey items were destroyed in a tragic helicopter sling load accident (they dropped our boxes from a great height and they died on impact). The incident is still under investigation.

The Groves would have to be one of my favourite places in the world. The sheer sense of isolation does it for me. The mountains are a scattered group of very striking mountain tops and nunataks, jutting out like icebergs in an ocean of ice, about 500km South of Davis station and the closest other life forms. I visited the Groves two years ago and returned this time to upgrade a remote GPS station we have operating in the area. The work is relatively simple techo stuff and simply involved lugging a lot of equipment up a mountain and plugging it all in. All the brain work was done in Canberra earlier in the year.

Three of us camped out in a thin valley of snow resting on the ice sheet at the base of one of the nunataks. There was a persistent wind which kept the polar pyramid tent flapping through the evening while we tried to shade our eyes from the 24 hour sunlight and sleep. We were fortunate to spend the summer solstice out in the field, although everyday is a long day down here when the sun does not set.

We completed the work with a day to spare and took the opportunity to have an explore. With boot chains on and ice axe in hand we soldiered off on the ice and skirted around the moraine field to get a closer look at the nearby mountain formations. The wind howled in our faces, at least the sliver of skin we had exposed, as we were kitted out in full windproof clothing with beanies and balaclavas a must. The wind blew snowdrift at us as we pushed on over rolling waves of ice and crept over small crevasse fields which had fractured around the exposed rock features. The walk was what I would call a real Antarctic experience and brought the efforts of early explorers to light. I am extremely fond of the Groves and fully appreciate the opportunity I have been given to visit this incredible place.

We were fortunate with the weather on site, with relatively warm weather of no cooler than negative ten and the wind although sometimes gusty never got too violent. We were collected after four nights by the C212 boys and flown back to station for Christmas. The "helicopter dropping our important survey equipment" incident continued to cause me headaches, and my patience has been pushed to the limits. The disruption to our work program I can handle as it is unavoidable now and we simply have to minimise the impact on our work. I have found myself more annoyed at the response of several key personnel and have had to look beyond my disappointment as a negative attitude is not healthy in a place like this. Nonetheless, I survived another Antarctic Christmas and couldn’t resist over indulging in the food. We continued working over the holiday in preparation for our next field trip, away from the masses and back into the deep field.

Field training

19/12/08

Three days of field training to satisfy a paper work issue so I could go and do my work. I didn’t make a fuss as it sounded fun and gave me an opportunity for a pleasant walk in the hills, to wet my appetite for the more satisfying field trips yet to come.

Helicopter dropped a party of eight of us at Trajer Ridge hut not far from the rise of ice to the plateau. We started off with a cuppa tea and then went for a circuit walk up and down some hills, practising walking on ice and snow and cutting steps. We then began the walk west to Davis. Different party members each had a go at navigating as people brushed up on reading maps, using a compass and GPS and leading the group. We passed by the occasional penguin as the walk took us around hills, over lakes of ice, and across plenty of snow and rock. We slept out one night in the bivvy and spent the other night at Watts hut. Overall it was just a nice walk in the hills and a good way to get to know a few more expeditioners. All the oddities of being out in the field returned quite quickly. The Vestfolds are a nice place, and we will return to them for some work later in the season. For the time being we have higher priority places to visit.