A quiet week. Stranded on station at Davis until the weather allows a trip to the Grove Mountains, once again in the deep field. There is another GPS station out of action in ‘The Groves’ and we need to get there and show it the attention it deserves. A couple of other people on station are looking to join us as a bit of a jolly (refer below) which should make for an interesting trip (if it eventuates). The week has been spent preparing for the next trip, writing reports, slushying (refer below), waiting around, catching up on some sleep and then there was Australia Day.
Australia Day started with a 7 – 8km Fun Run into the Vestfold Hills to Lake Dingle and back to Davis Station. Only six people were wild enough to enter, with other potential competitors being put off by the cold temperatures and 40 knot head wind. I ran with a fellow nutcase, crazy Karl, and we finished equal first. It was a brilliant run along a dirt track amongst the rocks in this very lunar style landscape. The run was a tough slog on the way to Lake Dingle as we ran straight into the wind, but on the way back we barely even noticed we were running (more like floating). I got a real buzz out of the run. On our return we mustered up a few more adventurous types and had a quick swim in the Southern Ocean. A lot of people were too scared to get in due to the below zero temperatures, but it wasn’t that bad. Although the sight of a huge elephant seal in the water as we were preparing to jump in put a few of us on edge. To think that in 2005 I had just arrived in Darwin and ran in the Australia Day fun run. There were hundreds of people at the event and it was stinking hot. I would have loved to have had a swim after that but was put off by the threat of jelly fish and saltwater crocodiles. Freezing temperatures and giant elephant seals couldn’t put me off having a splash in the water in Antarctica. The rest of Australia Day was filled in with bbq and spit roast dinner, alcohol consumption and live music.
Slushy – Chefs slave. Generally two or three people are allocated the role each day. Involves cleaning up in the kitchen, helping prepare meals, cleaning in the general living area, and pretty much doing whatever the chefs asks. These people also get control of the music heard around station for the day.
Jolly – Joy flight. Whenever someone goes on a trip somewhere just for the fun of it, which isn’t work related. My work in the field is normally jokingly referred to as a jolly.
SL – Station Leader. Boss of the station, makes the decisions and reports back to the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) head office in Kingston (near Hobart).
Wallows – area on station where the elephant seals…wallow. The seals make their way up from the water and lie around in the dirt making lots of coughing and snorting noises.
Hagglund – small truck like vehicles which can be driven over snow or ice. They have treads rather than tyres, seat four or five people comfortably, can carry a large load and drag trailers etc.
Skiway – where the planes land. A landing strip prepared on the ice. Helicopters are used to fly people to and from the skiway at Davis while Hagglunds are used to transport people at Mawson.
Sling load – a load of freight slung beneath a helicopter.
Polar pyramid – four pole tent used in the field. Two layers with enough space for three to sleep but normally shared by two. During the night clothes can be hung around the roof of the tent to dry (this works) or stuffed in the sleeping bag to stay warm.
FTO – Field Training Officer – Outdoor education people, brought down to train expeditioners in how to survive in the field down here. They also tag along on really good trips to new and potentially dangerous places (due to the unknown). I had one day of field training at Mawson which was more of a play day. You normally are required to have more than one day of field training before going into the deep field. I didn’t have any trouble, I guess common sense can take you a long way.
Rat pack – Field Ration Pack. Food supplies pack for those having extended stays in the field. The food is pretty basic with lots of muesli, crackers, rice, pasta, just add water meals, some flavourings and lots of tea and chocolate.
Sched - Scheduled time to radio base and check in. A chance to talk to someone different when out in the field in a small party.
Sit Rep - Situation report provided to base during sched documenting state of party, intended travel plans, weather observations, etc.
Sorels – big, warm rubber soled shoes supplied to all expeditioners.
Winterers – people who will stay on station all winter and therefore all year.
Summerers – people on station for the summer season only. This included your humble narrator.
Round Trippers – people who travel to Antarctic on a voyage, jump off and do some work really quickly while the ship visits other places and then jump back on the ship and return home on the same voyage.
Wednesday – known as the day set aside for relieving physical pressure within males and females which builds up when away from special friends. Wednesday jokes are fairly regular around station.
Showers – they have water restrictions in force at Davis to ensure the supply lasts through the winter. They do make water on station, either through desalinisation or melting ice, but this stops in the winter and the supply has to last. Thus, showers are normally every third day and toilets are flushed based on the slogan “if it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down”.
RTA – Labelled on freight and rubbish which is to be Returned to Australia.
V2 – Voyage 2 - name given to the voyage I was on when I travelled to Antarctica.
V4 – Voyage 4 - name of the voyage I will travel on when returning home.
Sunset – haven’t seen it yet and when they do happen the sun doesn’t stay down for long. The sun doesn’t set for a long time during the Antarctic summer. During the winter it doesn’t rise for a few months. Dark, cold and windy. There is a great scene in the animated film Madagascar where the penguins escape from the zoo in New York then hijack a ship and make there way to Antarctica. They finally get to Antarctica and the scene shows the four penguins standing on the ice with the ship in the background in the middle of a blizzard with the snow blowing everywhere and the wind howling. They stand there for a little while until one penguin turns to the others and says “Well, this sucks”. They get back in the ship and go to Madagascar.
Donga – where someone sleeps and keeps there personal stuff. Normally a shipping container converted into simple style accommodation. I am in one which has two bunk beds and currently accommodates three people. It is located about 50m from the shoreline. There is a communal bathroom and laundry in a separate building about 30m away. All in all it is like being in an Australian beachside caravan park over the summer holidays. Although there are penguins and seals, the beach is more like rock and dirt and the water is bloody cold.
