This week at Mawson station 5 February 2010
Much of the on-station action this week has centred on return-to-Australia (RTA) activities, as the station prepares for the arrival of Aurora Australis and, more importantly, the containers full of supplies for the coming year. Pete, Ian and Jeremy have been leading the charge to weigh and sort all our containers into neat stacks, with assistance from the entire station. Stay (plastic guide dog) has also been on hand to offer assistance, establishing herself as a skilled Cat 950 operator. Some of the rubbish has been hotly contested, with lengths of old rope and bent metal being scavenged by dedicated dumpster divers.
In order to maximise use of the available shipping containers, station cleanups have been ongoing. Teams of volunteers have been roaming the grounds with sharp eyes downwards looking for stray rusty nails, cables ties and other pieces of loose rubbish. Although few, we take pride in our station – especially with an array of fresh faces arriving shortly.
The Garbage People
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Off station, Search and Rescue (SAR) training ramped up with the majority of our crew participating in the major training exercise. Located in the Rumdoodle area, the two-day exercise involved casualty handling, search techniques and leadership training. Our ever reliable deputy station leader, Jim, spent an afternoon lost (again) in the mountainous region. Jim, we're re-evaluating your 'Trip Leader' status. A second exercise to locate a seal lost inland was successful, but alas help arrived about 100 years too late. With SAR training complete, it is now up to Duk and Nick to decide who will best suit the SAR leader role over the winter.
SAR team heads out
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Vertical rescue training
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Around the station the weather continues to be fantastic, with many bright, calm days to encourage outdoor activities and photography sessions. Occasional peals of thunder heard come not from the sky, but from large chunks of ice breaking free from the plateau in the warm weather, splashing into the sea. Entire evenings have been spent watching the newly formed icebergs inch though the water on their journey to the open ocean.
The station has sprung to life with a diverse variety of wildlife too. Seals, mostly Weddells, have taken residence on the rocks in East Bay and spend their time lazily rolling about, yawning and groaning. In the evening they'll jump into the water and dazzle onlookers with their effortless acrobatics. Maria "Seal Whisperer" Tomasi whiles away many hours watching them at play, and we sometimes wonder if the seals consider her an honorary companion.
Emperor and Adelie penguins are also appearing on the station regularly. Unfortunately for photographers, these guys look somewhat mangy – many are moulting and are quite grumpy about it. The usual haughty grace of the emperor penguin is somewhat offset by tufts of light brown feathers sticking out at odd angles – and they know it. A few pods of whales have also been spotted by keen observers, both in West Bay and the Kista Straight. The elusive creatures rarely stay long enough to be photographed, however.
Lazy afternoon nap
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The Seal Whisperer has a captive audience
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An Adelie pops out to say hello
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Emperors waiting for their feathers to fall out
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With luck and good weather, Aurora Australis will be moored in Horseshoe Harbour by the time the next edition of This Week at Mawson is ready – an event that everyone on station is enthusiastically looking forward to.
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