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.
