Work, Rest and Play

30/12/2006

Christmas was a bit different this year. I did eat about as much as I normally do. The food wasn’t necessarily the greatest (freshness is an issue), but there was definitely lots to eat. My survey equipment arrived so I spent Christmas morning unwrapping all the survey gear and managed to finish one of my priority tasks. We spent most of the day preparing for dinner but managed to find time to build a snowman. I’d never built one before so why not get the assistance of a front-end loader. I think it looked a bit more like the nightmare before Christmas. Mid-afternoon on Christmas day a blizzard hit the station. White Christmas? The definition of a blizzard is low visibility (less than 100m), gale force winds and negative temperatures for over an hour. We had all of that for almost two days. I busied myself with indoors work. The wind was so strong the wind turbines stalled and went into self preservation mode.

I’d been at Mawson nearly a week and really hadn’t done much work. Firstly, it took a while for my survey equipment to catch up with me at the station and then a blizzard came along and took out a couple more days. I started to think something funny was going on when the field training officer (FTO) demanded I do two days field training just as the weather was coming good. Do they not want me to do my work?

We loaded up all our survival gear and rode the quad bikes up onto the plateau within the Framnes Mountains. We rode on snow and ice, strictly to the cane lines (marked tracks) as there are lots of crevasse fields around Mawson. We stopped by a crevasse which ran alarmingly close by the cane line and had a look. The FTO got down and had a bit of a poke at the snow which was over the crevasse gap, to see how deep it looked. One swing of the ice axe and the snow fell away about ten metres down. I took a step back. We visited a couple of spots within some of the mountain ranges and went exploring. Away from the ice it is a very lunar style landscape, with rocks of all different sizes everywhere. It reminds me of how I imagined the moon surface in H. G. Wells The first men in the moon. We wandered into a lake area, at Mt Henderson, clambering along the small rocks which lie all over the mountain base. A very different type of bushwalk. The boot chains and ice axe were most useful.

We then rode the quads along the edge of an ice cliff to Rumdoodle hut. It was fun riding alongside the North Masson Ranges. Huge rock formations jutting out of the ice. Another one of those I can't believe I'm here moments. We unloaded our gear, had dinner and then I got banished outside. That's right. Part of the field training was that I had to spend a night out in a bivvy bag (one person bag you sleep in). I thought it was a bit cheeky. My two travelling companions happily got cozy in the hut with gas heater and beds while I had to go and dig a hole to sleep in. Digging my grave sized hole I couldn't help but think this could be my final resting place. Nice spot for it I guess. I set myself up in the bag really well and managed to have a perfectly fine nights sleep. I’d recommend the experience. I woke up a few times to large wind gusts but generally dozed back off to sleep. I awoke to find the other two had struggled to sleep as they had had their own little snoring war. I slept fine outside with the endless sunlight and snow petrels (small snow white birds who nest in the rocks on the mountains) . Most people complain about how bad it is bivvying out with the cold and lack of sleep. I really enjoyed it. Of course, I wouldn’t go out of my way to sleep outside, although it is nice to know I can survive out there.

The next day we did some training, beyond sleeping outside and riding quad bikes, and played with the ice axes working on climbing steep snow slopes and self-arresting when slipping. Fun stuff. We returned to Mawson and on arrival I went straight to work and did what is called a reference mark survey at the GPS station. One of the more spectacular survey locations. The aim of the exercise was to measure the position of three reference marks (pins in the ground) surrounding the GPS pillar, to determine whether there has been any local deformation at the site. In general, the GPS station determines how the point and thus that part of the continent is moving. The reference mark survey helps determine whether the movement at the GPS site is due to the whole continent shifting or just localised effects. I knocked over the survey with impressive results and was very pleased with my efforts for not only coping exceptionally well with the sleep out but also having the strength to complete another survey task that evening. A successful day.

I kept the working wheels in motion the next day as I had perfect survey weather. No wind. I did a levelling survey from the GPS station all the way down the hill to the tide gauge bench mark. Levelling is usually a two man operation so I convinced the station doctor to be my assistant. She had to be the most over qualified survey assistant I have ever had and was definitely the highest paid. She did a great job, standing around waiting for me to take measurements. I figured it was my chance for revenge, against all doctors, for making me wait every time I go in for an appointment. Most of my work at Mawson is just about done. After New Year I am heading to Syowa, a Japanese base, for a brief visit. The fun doesn't stop.

Walking on land and water

23/12/2006

As we narrowed in on the Antarctic continent, the ocean which had previously been a wild mess of swell and waves, was as calm as a lake and covered with a thick layer of broken up sea ice. Looking out the port hole was like looking out the window of an aeroplane skimming across the clouds. The sea ice gradually built up more and more creating a white landscape above the sea. The ship slowed to push its way through the sea ice as we made our way towards my exit point, Davis base. The Antarctic wildlife came out to welcome us with seals and penguins drifting by on sheets of ice putting on rehearsed performances for our viewing and photographing pleasure. The approach to Davis was slowed as we had to pass by an 80km long iceberg, which was drifting across our path.

I woke up on the morning of Wednesday the 20th of December to the sight of land. We made it to Antarctica. The ship was stopped in the seaice alongside Davis Station. From the ship I immediately boarded a ‘Squirrel’ helicopter on the helideck and flew to Plough Island about 3km away. We landed on the ice and carted our bags to a CASA aeroplane which then took off from the ski-way and flew across to the plateau above Mawson Station, in the Framnes Mountains. We then threw all our stuff into Hagglunds (a type of ice truck with treads rather than wheels) and drove down to Mawson Station. See what I mean about constant motion. Go go go. I was not all that phased by the excitement of the travel. I actually fell asleep on the flight from Davis to Mawson. There were only clouds to look at.

The rock formations, mountains, nunataks surrounding the Mawson landing strip are spectacular as is the landscape of ice rolling off in all directions. Mawson is an impressive station, named after Sir Douglas Mawson who was a famous Australian explorer in the Antarctic. He spent a lot of time in Antarctica and survived an extraordinary adventure in which two of three of his party died and he had to eat the husky dogs and possibly one of his mates. Let’s hope it doesn’t get to that for me. At the station the view is quite picturesque and the facilities are surprisingly well furnished and comfortable. There are about 30 people here, 18 will stay all year. The accommodation block reminds me of the hotel in The Shining or maybe it is just that these people are going to get couped up in here for the entire winter. All work and no play makes…

I can walk on water. That is, when there is a thick layer of sea ice. I walked from Mawson to Bechervaise Island the other day to help a technician with some equipment, locate some survey marks and visit the Adelie penguin colonies. Some of the penguins had just hatched some new chicks (a few days old) that were very cute. One of the Mama/Papa penguins sits around on the nest with the egg or chick while the other parent wanders off to the sea, which could be tens of kilometres away to get food for itself and the chick. Nice. The predator of the penguins is a bird known as a skewer. They nest within metres of the penguin colonies. I don’t know how the penguins get any sleep. Not many chicks make it. The ground around the colony is scattered with the remains of chicks. Not so nice. We dragged a sled over to the island (you barely notice it as it slides across the ice) and tried to avoid the tide cracks and patches where the sea ice had melted around seaweed (anything other than ice gradually melts into the ice as it absorbs the sun light and heats up more than the ice). It was great to get some real exercise after being stuck on a floating piece of metal for nearly two weeks.

I have started work and undertaken a GPS survey of a tide gauge they have here. The tricky part is that the tide gauge is under the sea ice. To access the water beneath the ice we had to drill a deep hole (nearly 2m down). I then setup a GPS over the water in the hole (above the tide gauge) and another GPS over a point with a known height on the land. From these observations we can determine the height of the water level during the survey and compare these results with the tide gauge observations of water level. This is part of a tide gauge calibration. Unfortunately, my survey equipment did not fly to Mawson with me. Thus, I haven't started my important work here yet. I have small odd jobs to keep me occupied and preparation I am doing but I mostly have to hurry up and wait as the saying goes.

I am at Mawson for a couple of weeks. I will spend Christmas and New Years here with a group of complete strangers. Strange strangers. These people have been here a month already, need I say more. I hope everyone has a great Christmas/New Year time and I look forward to seeing you in the in 2007. I’ll hold back a few stories to tell in person.

Constant Motion

Prepared: 16/12/2006

I am inside the body of this great orange ship (revised colour) which is constantly on the move, taking me further away from home and closer to the Antarctic. There is no escape from the endless rocking motion. The ship doesn’t stop, it just keeps on going. I occasionally break free to the surface only to see water in all directions, howling winds, five metre waves crashing all around. The sight of the ocean is intimidating and spectacular at the same time. There has been a fairly constant cover of cloud with occasional pockets of blue sky. The temperature is progressively getting cooler and the daylight longer. The sun no longer sets. There are often albatross and other sea birds flying alongside the ship, soaring gracefully over the air currents. These birds fly and fly all day long only to rest on the ocean swells. They live in constant motion. Fascinating life.

I stumble along the corridors like a drunk, bouncing between the walls, I am thrown around my bunk and showers could be considered an extreme sport. The other day I managed a double somersault which would have scored well had I landed it. There is the continuous sound of the engines and the crashing of the ship over the waves. Each crash sends huge shudders through the ship. There is also the intense shrieking sound of the stabilisers beneath the ship. A lot of people have been bed ridden, some from the first night of the voyage. I genuinely have not seen some people for over a week since boarding. I am sorry for them, but also pleased that I have been strong enough and sensible enough to keep my act together throughout the journey. I have maintained a sense of normality – exercising everyday, not skipping meals, not over sleeping and generally just taking it easy. It is exhausting keeping it together all the time.

I find talking with the other people on the ship and observing their passion in their field of research inspiring. A wide range of specialties are represented onboard. The meteorologists focus on the sky and the wind and the different cloud formations and how all the elements of the atmosphere influence our weather, while the geologists sample all different types of rocks and the different minerals contained within to date the rocks and gain a greater understanding of the history of the Earth. I think I will look at the sky and rock outcrops I see in my travels a little differently from now on. It has given me a greater appreciation of simple things I generally take for granted but when you think about are really quite amazing.

Events for the week included the sighting of the first iceberg, 89 metres in length (a few metres shorter than the ship). It appeared on the horizon as a small white lump and progressively got bigger and bigger as we narrowed in on it. Everybody got up on deck to take plenty of photos. The first feature to look at in almost a week. It was fun. It was also pretty bloody cold. The first iceberg also brought in the first snow fall. Perfectly formed little snow flakes sprinkled across the ship. We then went a couple of days without seeing any bergs, but now there are usually a dozen or so around us at any one time. I have done two shifts on iceberg patrol. Counting and measuring the length of icebergs that drift within 6 nautical miles of the ship, to support glaciology studies. Measuring is a simple process of reading an angle using a sextant and using the ships radar to observe a distance range to the iceberg. It is then just a matter of simple trigonometry to calculate the approximate length of the iceberg. The biggest berg I’ve seen so far was 2km in length.

Respect was payed to King Neptune and an entourage of his minions who boarded the ship as we crossed the line of 60 degrees latitude. The king granted us all safe passage through his realm after we each kissed his fish and feet and graciously accepted a douse of a concoction of whale blubber and seal snot.

Thousands of dollars were raised for camp quality in an evening of mass head shearing. A number of blokes said goodbye to there locks, including your humble narrator. That’s right. I now have more hair on my scruffy beard than atop my head. About $250 was raise to shave me down. For the novelty I chipped in $50 to get a TV presenter from Totally Wild (and ex big-brother housemate - Wes) to do me the honour. The hair is much easier to manage now (zero effort) although I am noticing the cold a bit more.

We also had a fund raiser trivia night for camp quality. I hadn’t been to a trivia night since I was living in Darwin. A fun night, lots of laughing and I even managed to contribute some answers. During the night I had one of those moments where you go hang on I’m in the middle of the Southern Ocean, on a ship, joking around in a trivia quiz. This is ridiculous. I’ll tell you what else is ridiculous. This time last year I was snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef just out from Port Douglas, as I made my way down the east coast of Australia. Now I’m beyond 60 degrees latitude and on my way to the bottom of the planet. It seems, like the ship and the albatross, I too am in constant motion.

Delayed and Departed

Prepared09/12/2006

The voyage has commenced. The original departure day of Tuesday the 5th got pushed to Friday the 8th, one full week from the scheduled departure day. The delay was due to cracks in the fuel tanks which required repair. I was supportive of this decision, namely because I would prefer the ship wasn’t broken before taking on the Southern Ocean. Also, the delay meant I got to spend a few extra days enjoying the sights of Hobart and the surrounds. We visited the cliffs at Eaglehawk Neck and then stopped by Port Arthur, went for a bushwalk up Cathedral Rocks (on the West side of Mt Wellington) and got to see the new Bond film. Not a bad way to spend a couple of days.

We finally boarded the ship on Friday the 8th of December and set off on our journey in the late afternoon. Everyone on board was excited and full of energy as we made our way down the Derwent River and waved goodbye to a haze Hobart. I stayed up on the Heli-deck and looked out to the rugged coastline of Southern Tasmania as the sun set and the sky changed through all the colours. As I said my farewells to the land a circle of yahoos played hacky-sack behind me. It is surprising how much enjoyment a little bag of beans can bring. Whatever floats your boat I guess (pardon the pun – I have heaps of them). I preferred to enjoy my last glimpses of the Australian land and was mesmerised by the colours in the sky as the silhouette of the land melted into the darkening sky. I stood alone on the deck and tried to steady myself for the adventure before me, which was finally starting to seem real.

We have now been at sea a full day and I am surprised that I am feeling quite well. I am told that the water is particularly calm and that I should enjoy it while it lasts. A few people have changed a pale shade of green and have retired to their bunks after a short career as taxi drivers for their lunch from the mess hall to the toilet bowl. I slept well. I’m not sure if that was due to the seasickness pill I took (25mg of Avomine) or the gentle rocking of the bed. At the moment the expectation of me seems to be to eat, play, occasionally get sick and then get rocked to sleep each night. It’s like being a little kid all over again. Whenever I feel a little queasy I wander up to the deck and breathe in some of the sea air and look out to the horizon. The land is not there anymore, it is all ocean. I think it will be quite a sight when I see the land again. However, first I should see some icebergs.

Introduction

There is a big, red ship currently sitting at the wharf in Hobart. On Tuesday the 5th of December I’m meant to get on this ship and it is going to take me, along with about 100 others, across the Southern Ocean to Antarctica. A voyage which takes about two weeks. I’m not sure why the ship is red, maybe so it goes faster. It could be a three week journey otherwise. I’m not sure how I will go with seasickness. I don’t have a lot of experience on the water. Once when I was rowing down the Yarra in Melbourne it got a bit choppy and I didn’t feel too good. I could be in big trouble. I have been working on a little mantra, which I plan to chant to myself while on board, which goes "Don’t vomit, don’t vomit, don’t vomit". However, a lot of people have told me it is all psychological so I have changed my chant to "Don’t think about vomiting, Don’t think about vomiting". Hopefully, it works. Otherwise, I’m loading up on drugs for the return trip. Seriously, the boat is an impressive sight especially when you know you are about to get on it and travel to the bottom of the world.

Work is sending me to Antarctica to do some survey tasks. Geoscience Australia routinely send down surveyors to undertake different survey duties throughout the Australian Antarctic territory. This year, I’m one of the lucky ones. We have been assigned an abundance of tasks, possibly more than can be done in the time we are there (just the 2006/07 Summer), although I’ll give it a crack. Excuse the next bit where I will list some of the work, this is more for my own personal reference at the end of the trip. I’ll see what did and didn’t get done. Hopefully, more on the ‘did’ side. A brief list includes updating deep field permanent GPS site equipment, setting up new permanent GPS sites in the middle of nowhere, visiting the Japanese Syowa base to do a quick reconnaissance survey of the VLBI antenna, maintenance surveys of the permanent GPS sites at two of the Australian bases (Davis and Mawson), more equipment upgrades, tide gauge levelling, surveying ground control for aerial imagery and other non-surveying scientific tasks. Most of the work we are doing is relatively simple, it is the location which makes it exciting. We will get to visit some of the most remote, pristine and amazing parts of the world. Someone has to do it.

"It's a dangerous business going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

This week I stepped out my front door and found myself starting fires, putting out fires, doing doughnuts on a quadbike around one of the Big Brother ex-housemates, drinking Tassie beer, eating spectacular eye fillet steak in Salamanca and looking out over all of Hobart. This was all part of the pre-departure training held at the Australian Antarctic Division. The main aspect of the training was safety and all that kinda stuff but it really just provided a chance to meet a lot of the people who will be on the voyage down south. Lots of people doing interesting and exciting things in Antarctica. Geologists, biologists, chemists, pilots, chefs, tradesmen, weather forecasters, TV crews, etc. Personally, I got a bit tired of being friendly with people and telling them what I was up to on the ice. Unfortunately, that was only three days of three months I will be spending with these people. This could be a long trip. Hobart is a nice place. Right on the water, looking up to Mount Wellington, lots of parkland and old buildings, great places to eat and drink, and a lot of friendly good looking people. It’s hard to believe they are all brothers and sisters.

I have been told umpteen stories and odd facts about Antarctica, but I’ll save them for when I’ve experienced them. I have said my goodbyes to family and friends and trees. The parting words from my parents were the same as when I went up to work in the Northern Territory. "Don’t do anything stupid."