tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65533179509842074432024-02-19T12:26:44.795+10:00Riviera of the South.Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-85471868809109360522012-03-29T00:26:00.000+10:002012-03-29T00:26:00.441+10:0013 Indians in Antarctica and hurry up and wait............for the orange taxi<span style="background-color: white;">Well hello once again,</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">This will be the last post from this ice for this season with only a season wrap up when I get back home. This season my
posts have been a little <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">here there and everywhere</span></span> to say the
least but with work commitments and lots of stuff going on at home. Without
going into too much detail stuff happens all the time back home, sure the world
keeps turning while we are down here and all that. We have mostly good Internet and
telephones to call home and that makes us feel in some ways very close to home.
HOWEVER when something happens back there and you <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">aren’t</span></span> able to be there, as little as
you can do, you really feel the distance. Something about not being able to be
there really drives in the total isolation and helplessness that we have down
here. However all that being said
without the help of friends that really are a second family getting through
those difficult times would be impossible.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The second family came in to help me out this year and several others who were
having a difficult time with "stuff" that was happening back home and
our Antarctic brotherhood kicked in and we looked after each other. Difficult
to explain it to those of you who <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">haven’t</span></span> ever <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">experienced</span></span>
it but its like the <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">mateship</span></span> made in the Armed Forces and so in where you
really do put your lives in the hands in those around you.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Anyway blah blah it’s been a <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">tuff</span></span> one on one hand but a <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">brilliant</span></span>
one on the other. Kicked many </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">goals with much of the work being complete before
<span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">scheduled</span></span>
and more work complete than was expected. Well oiled management team that was a
big one, with my previous seasons the management team although did their jobs
well they were new at this whole Antarctic thing. With the <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">experience</span></span>
these two guys brought came an understanding in both the jobs and the crew that
<span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">couldn’t</span></span>
be in a season no matter the <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">prior</span></span> <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">experience</span></span> and background. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The last couple weeks since my last blog has seen mostly clean up and
preparing the station for winter. The winter crew this year will have 21
persons staying for another 7-8 months before they see anyone else, lucky
buggers, but there will be much work to be done over this time. Atmospheric
work will continue with both the German and Australian <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">LIDARS</span></span>
running those times when there is no cloud.</span><br />
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SO in my last weeks here one of the BIG things that i did was visit our Indian neighbours. India has this season semi finished their newest station on the continent called Bharati. I'm now going to plagiarize from myself out of an article I wrote for <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis/page?id=61307&st=Davis&dt=MjAxMi0wMy0yMw" target="_blank">Icy News</a> with a few modifications in my long winded normal self way!<br />
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Bharati is the brand new Indian station 120km to our South-West in the Larsemann Hills but only a short ½ hour chopper ride with our fantabulas Pilots Frank and Dougie. Originally we were meant to go on Sunday for their ‘Grand Opening’ but unfortunately the ‘A’ factor kicked in with the weather turning, giving us some more white stuff and the choppers were grounded. So Monday the <br />
weather cleared and we had the opportunity to visit our Indian neighbours.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein.</div>
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Pic taken on the way to <span style="background-color: white;">Bharati of the Sorsdal Glassier and its beautiful crevasses!!</span></div>
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Pic Cliff Simpson Davis</div>
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Dougalass our fearless plant operator in the skies!</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Cliff aka Rowdy looking cool with his long locks.............<br />
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Pic Cliff Simpson Davis</div>
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Nick holding back his excitement but concentrating on the backs of his eye lids!!<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Good pic of bridged crevasses above and below a couple more of the wondrous sights seen on the way there.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein </div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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On the way there we passed close to the Russian and Chinese stations and up on the plateau there was a line of their traverse caravans. I'm not too sure weather it was the Chinese or the Russians but impressive none the less.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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On approach to land, you are confronted by something that could mistake for something from the movie Space Odyssey with a very space ship style building. The station has been built from the ground up this season - the only thing done last season was the footings. The station was made out of prefabricated 20’ shipping containers meaning that a majority of the work could be done back in civilization. The new station will summer up to 47 expeditioners with a winter crew of 12. In the background on one of the pics you’ll see their Russian supply ship, the MV Ivan Papanin, with her 18m draft only 25m from shore. Their harbour is nice and deep at 300m. <br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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She almost looks grounded doesn't she but no just very deep water very close. You may also notice the barge on the beach. They were madly trying to load up to get out of there.</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Like a space ship right!!<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Cliff in front of the building as they were still madly finishing loading and working on the building!!</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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One of the entries into the building/mothership!</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Nice and shinny new labs.............</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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With a view that you couldn't get board of...............</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRvx5TbDWVRm6BBk8nNRhSeh4NBX8tK0cvqFiJvmZDF96NlhwqS8Nm43z-YbJvfURae_qwktiJhHSt-Dyorn_31goNK3lAuNzr4lmvmf7oWOD0BD79wG-dni1u2ucbPL2nUHEoVwbcYjM/s1600/IMG_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRvx5TbDWVRm6BBk8nNRhSeh4NBX8tK0cvqFiJvmZDF96NlhwqS8Nm43z-YbJvfURae_qwktiJhHSt-Dyorn_31goNK3lAuNzr4lmvmf7oWOD0BD79wG-dni1u2ucbPL2nUHEoVwbcYjM/s640/IMG_0029.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Walking around the pre-heated walkway between the building itself and the outside. This part was heated to make it easier to keep the inside at a sweltering 25c...........</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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The Australian expeditionars and the first Indian Wintering station leader and a couple of his deputy.....</div>
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On the way home I was able to get some good pics of the station and how quickly it has iced up. Wont be long now and they will be out walking in it............</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOoF5WxGI-RNZN-pxOMCxtr3l15-DubnBGasvPqltHBUKYQRdTFwo0GyLTvDpVSMpfjRdyImoC9SrQ0BPJSDiX1qjLdTsneRjpPIc6MjMQUKEYvYJYiwpYvPL4I9pg4aOKec7sedr23r6/s1600/IMG_2087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOoF5WxGI-RNZN-pxOMCxtr3l15-DubnBGasvPqltHBUKYQRdTFwo0GyLTvDpVSMpfjRdyImoC9SrQ0BPJSDiX1qjLdTsneRjpPIc6MjMQUKEYvYJYiwpYvPL4I9pg4aOKec7sedr23r6/s640/IMG_2087.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Home for the last while and already missing it and i haven't gone yet!<br />
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Station in the foreground and the Sorsdal Glassier in the far background...........</div>
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So we are now in the home stretch............the ship is now coming through
the pack ice less than 100mni from station and we should be starting cargo opps
tomorrow in order to start our long trip home. As per normal it’s a emotional
rollacoaster of a ride but one that money just can’t buy a seat on AND I LOVE
IT. This isn't a job that anyone can do, takes a special type of person and in
talking to one expeditioner before coming down this season told me. First time
you come down for the experience, second for the money and the third because
you don't fit in anywhere else. Don't know if that is exactly true but sounds
good none the less. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Before we leave we have to do one thing that wasn't initially planned at the
beginning of the season. We need to change the Station Leader out from Mawson.
So this is going to happen one of 15 ways but somehow we will get him there how
long its going to take I nor the gods themselves haven't made their minds up,
but it will happen. Then off to Casey to pick up their Summer tradies included
some really good mates, then homeward bound well, Hobart anyway. <o:p></o:p><br />
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While I’m on the ship same as on the way down I’m not going to have access
to Internet so posting on my blog is impossible. SO if your interested
following my travels there is lots of info can found on the AAD web site. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
SITREPS or Situation reports which are what we are doing and the current
weather conditions are available by going <a href="http://its-app3.aad.gov.au/proms/public/schedules/voyage_sitreps.cfm?season=1112&voyage_no=5&ship=Aurora%20Australis" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a> and clicking on the last number along with a map
showing where the ship physically is in the Southern Ocean by clicking <a href="http://its-app3.aad.gov.au/proms/public/schedules/VoyageTrack.cfm?season=1112#Current" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>. There is also a web cam on the ship which you can see
that by going <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/webcams/aurora" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Was just trolling the Internet and found an interesting article about our
friends over at Casey that we are soon to be picking up. Namely one in
particular of the four mentioned in the article, Johan Mets. These guys and
Johan did a marathon..............sorry ill correct myself these CRAZY guys as
we already knew that Johan was crazy did a marathon from the Plateau down to
Casey have a look at the article <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news/2012/ice-marathon#prettyPhoto" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
If your missing my blogs you could also have a look through some of the
Divisions photos they have online <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/antarctic-images/photo-gallery" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Or have a look at an article on Mawson and his men <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news/2012/the-intimate-lives-of-mawsons-men" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">HERE</span></a>.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Or wait till I’m back and you’ll get one lucky last entry before I take a
well earned break from blogging for another season. Lots to do when I get home,
lots............and now only just today am I now getting excited about going
but as I mentioned before I’m also a little sad about going. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
So am looking forward to catch up with as many of you as I can before my
next adventure takes me who know where!!<o:p></o:p><br />
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Take care and bye for now................<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
Michael<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
P.S<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">. with a little bit of a nautical
theme.................“Twenty years from now you will be more</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">disappointed by the things that
you didn't do than by </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">the ones you did do. So throw
off the bowlines. Sail</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">away from the safe harbor. Catch
the trade winds in</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">your sails. Explore. Dream.
Discover.” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";"> </span></span><strong><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "inherit","serif";">Mark Twain</span><o:p></o:p></span></strong><br />
</span>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-54557005864873224282012-03-14T02:03:00.001+10:002012-03-14T04:08:38.123+10:0012 A weekend at BanditsHello Friends,<br />
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well we are currently in the closing stages of the 65 <a href="http://www.anareclub.org.au/" target="_blank">ANARE</a>/ 2011-12 Summer season. The Aurora Australis AKA the orange taxi is 400nmi from Hobart on its way beck in from a successful resupply at /Mawson (Short story on that resupply clihk <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/mawson/this-week-at-mawson/2012/9-march-2012" target="_blank">HERE)</a>. Saturday 17/03/12 in theory it should be departing on V5 which will be a Summer expositionars pick up for both Davis and Casey. Takes about 10-12 days go get here then after a loading up we should be a 5-7 day sail to Casey and a further 7-8 days to Hobart. Now notice that I mentioned "in theory" as nothing goes like you think it dose down here. As i mentioned last season its the "A (Antarctic) Factor", take last season for example. On their way to pick up the summerers from here the ship was beset (stuck fast) in ice for 4 days in a blizzard sooooooo it will happen when it happens.<br />
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Now onto a little bit of more meaty stuff........The weekend before last a group including Rowdy, Horse, Baker and myself went to a field hut called Bandits. Below is a little video from that weekend..................Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwvaRbAZkzolG6ZKKh26N_Yce7D3F_7zPir16Czcr3nvYiddTzL48YBLo18hgQXTfU-gVoLE4q40VI30LHruw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Video Michael Goldstein</div>
Here are a few pics from the Video.......................Below from left to right you have Mark "Barry Gibb" Baker, Davis "Horse' Barringhaus, Cliff "Rowdy" Simpson-Davis and me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXLrqwGKJ3pPTFLyJYHmgEqFK3JCOQFXZMuLl2jEAstnrt65zAAxT3dFcI4nUxcLL4Id_yQKkwJV5bmct4jpl2tgUcggyRZn36Q-7t1nNkxNaqhoj93C-SyePp28-d81pIpz5uPSLLMJv/s1600/P1020505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCXLrqwGKJ3pPTFLyJYHmgEqFK3JCOQFXZMuLl2jEAstnrt65zAAxT3dFcI4nUxcLL4Id_yQKkwJV5bmct4jpl2tgUcggyRZn36Q-7t1nNkxNaqhoj93C-SyePp28-d81pIpz5uPSLLMJv/s640/P1020505.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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The view over Bandits hut with the grounded ice bergs in the background. Bandits is a small island and as you would have noticed from the video that the mode of transport we got there in was a chopper. Well over summer and until the sea ice freezes again that is the only way other than a IRB.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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The island is made up of this black rock that has been eroded into these beautiful almost sculptor type formations.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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A rather grumpy Adelie penguin going through his molt. Adelies go through this after their breeding season where they totally replace all their feathers. They have quite alot too, about 100 per square inch so as you can imagine when they loose them there are feathers flying everywhere. The molt normally takes about 15-25 days and they are grumpy as hell. Think it might be because they are self conscious at that time.............................more interesting info on Adelies can be found <a href="http://www.penguinscience.com/education/ask_answers_5.php" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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A Snow Petrel hiding in a crack. These guys are one of the most beautiful birds to watch flying around..........have a look <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news/2010/tracking-the-secret-life-of-snow-petrels" target="_blank">HERE</a> there is a link to more info and a little video.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein<br />
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Lately we have been getting some wicked light shows. No Pink Floyd isn't playing down here its the Southern Lights or Aurora Australis. Have a look at how wicked this looks!<br />
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Video Michael Goldstein<br />
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While trolling the Internet this week a couple videos were the first one is of a iceberg implosion. I found this one one ninemsn but here its off youtube..............<span style="background-color: white;">pretty</span> self explanatory as to why we keep out distances when you see this one!!!<br />
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This one is very interesting of what can and dose happen under the ice down here...............</div>
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The last little link I wanted to add before I slowly wind up was about a massive Algal bloom that is happening down here currently. So big that if you have a look at <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news/2012/remarkable-natural-event-seen-from-space" target="_blank">THIS LINK</a> that the bloom can be seen from space. I happened to be spotted at the same time as the ship was heading home from the Mawson resupply so they diverted to go and get some samples from the bloom for analysis. Digressing for a moment but we have a team here studying the Elephant Seals on station. Part of what they do is put trackers on them which last about 12 months. One of the Ele seals has been tracked and spent alot of time in this Algal bloom area so it must be very rich in food but more info will come out one the samples have been analyzed i guess.<br />
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Talking about Elephant seals i got up early well i couldn't seep to be honest so i went out and took some pics of the sunrise and the big fellas here they are...........<br />
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Winter is definitely almost upon is with the water very quickly in the last week or so turning into <a href="http://www.athropolis.com/arctic-facts/fact-pancake.htm" target="_blank">pancake ice</a> but yet so amazing to see with sunrise and ice bergs as a back drop.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein </div>
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The ice.............<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein </div>
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Two of the little fellas having a bit of a play fight. You will notice they both have boxes on their heads with antennas on them. These are the trackers i was talking about.<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein </div>
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Cold nup they seem to love it even if they do have to break the ice to get in!!<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein </div>
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This one was falling asleep in there..............<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein </div>
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Anyway hope you enjoyed this blog. Got some interesting things happening over the next week of so and as time quickly runs out on this season so is the work. I will probably only get one more blog in from the ice but I'm sure it will be a good one......................<br />
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So until then be good,<br />
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Michael<br />
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P.S.............
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Effective
communication is 20% what you know and 80% how you feel about what</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> you
know."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> <b>
Jim Rohn </b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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P.S.S............Just got back in from outside and its rockin out there here is a couple I just took........<br />
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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<br />Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-30867882476905152402012-02-25T01:55:00.000+10:002012-02-25T01:55:29.832+10:0011 LONG TIME COMING but here it is........Hello people,<br />
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This one has been a while coming and I do apologize for that but I've been busy. Boating, completing some little projects after hours in the workshop and much watching movies/relaxing. In other words I've been plain slack! But putting this aside i have a ripper of a blog this time for you. <br />
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Firstly there was Australia Day where back home many of you would have been at the beach and playing cricket. Well not too different here to be honest, many of the expatitionars went for the traditional Australia Day swim. I digress momentarily but me on the other hand am still recovering from a swim I did more than 15 years ago in Canada. Mary (Canadian Mum) decided is was a good idea for me to do something called a Polar Bear swim in the annual Bon Soo winter festival in Sault Ste Marie. Only after I had finished talking to her I had talked her into doing it too. The Air temp that day from memory was a balmy -27c. After lunging into the water grabbing the pole at the other side my head went under and I really didn't know which way was up.<br />
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Getting out on the other side wasn't a problem with the exception that I wasn't wearing any shoes. There was a nice covering of snow on the ice but what had happened, all the people that went in before me had dropped water onto it turning it into ice turning it into razor blades. So a short ouchy ouchy hobble later I was in a out door spa warming up with the exception of my head. Now back then my heir was a little more healthy, full bodied and down to my shoulders and being wet and -27c it quickly froze. I distinctively remember the cracking sound as i was trying to squeeze the water out of it. Not to mention the brain freeze for the next 3 hours that incurred. So in short i didn't think I needed to do the swim unless I have the opportunity to do it in worse conditions that that. Instead i was in a boat circling offshore taking photos, which none turned out!<br />
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I was able to get a couple guys to set their gopros up and wear them into the water and here is a video of the day!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzQVRZrHwhXq1Q0Vpllt_TpSHTsbUDAA6wnpo-XDCpkahaOlRIpc0oYQNEcKYxepyzSm0sqt0EUYkOoNZ6Jxw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Video Michael Goldstein</div>
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Here are some stills from the day..............There was the compulsory life guard............<br />
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
Of course you have to swim between the flags...........<br />
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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As they go in..................</div>
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Pic David Barringhaus</div>
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They were running quite fast.........................dont know why!!!<br />
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Pic David Barringhaus</div>
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Brett one of the other Gold Coasters taking a plundge...........<br />
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The new Australians even if they are temporary ones at that. From left to right are Big Al, Perry and Bob the Canadian Twin Otter Pilots and Engineer..................</div>
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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Preparing the pitch...................</div>
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Pic David Barringhaus</div>
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See that cloud of dust..........yep thats me.........</div>
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Pic David Barringhaus</div>
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The good old appeal only difference the backdrop.............</div>
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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And the spectators...............</div>
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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And more spectators these ones didnt watch as much though and snore hummmm.....................</div>
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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Rowdy and Bob showing what they are getting up to for the day............</div>
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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One of the fans...........</div>
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Pic: Bob Heath</div>
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Skipping a fair bit here as I have cant remember what I have done but last week we had a little bit of a blow (40knots over a couple days) and to our surprise there was a Jade Berg/Stripped Berg arrive with the grounded bergs off station. Jade Bergs are quite rare and <a href="http://archive.audubonmagazine.org/webexclusives/frozenwonders-webexclusives.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> to find out more.............But here are some pictures that I took.....................<br />
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From the back side of the burg you can see the stripes.........<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrHWAAcJLCeSO6xfuwIbsYMV25L1iS79gei642EQdsehqrIkr2-wAktOGKSSV9iLXaIdyYkvVGZEbH_ByPOlS78Ni6IAwbikDWoYuHUMw6Y5vVcbB0rdkSClZWoghyphenhyphenJ29DEKI3RctalM6/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrHWAAcJLCeSO6xfuwIbsYMV25L1iS79gei642EQdsehqrIkr2-wAktOGKSSV9iLXaIdyYkvVGZEbH_ByPOlS78Ni6IAwbikDWoYuHUMw6Y5vVcbB0rdkSClZWoghyphenhyphenJ29DEKI3RctalM6/s640/IMG_1422.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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From the side you can see the different colours................</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vU9po9kTizsc8TltI25CPju9JWluE4gi6kBhVKCTSRKhd9etrmRPkoixT4InYhqbajaXgQl-3qvFhqSr6PuI6MOuP0sQslyg5y-agz9ZTiuBrNfUcWQNb9Te0Om9pKBKEo7U8k1VVzm6/s1600/IMG_1454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vU9po9kTizsc8TltI25CPju9JWluE4gi6kBhVKCTSRKhd9etrmRPkoixT4InYhqbajaXgQl-3qvFhqSr6PuI6MOuP0sQslyg5y-agz9ZTiuBrNfUcWQNb9Te0Om9pKBKEo7U8k1VVzm6/s640/IMG_1454.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSflePg1J7furMEYzfd0G-pgY5fV1LlYJQHER9fEjTRY1XPrEc8qqNSh41eF51b35JsD2tNS5YLp1j3lNg5QNt8vWtNO6n6TPwkkPbDu1ZyaX_ohZlXV1Qrub-JCHR7GG41OjBCekHhm5p/s1600/IMG_1455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSflePg1J7furMEYzfd0G-pgY5fV1LlYJQHER9fEjTRY1XPrEc8qqNSh41eF51b35JsD2tNS5YLp1j3lNg5QNt8vWtNO6n6TPwkkPbDu1ZyaX_ohZlXV1Qrub-JCHR7GG41OjBCekHhm5p/s640/IMG_1455.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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A sma peice of Jade Berg had broken off and was quite prity........... </div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Some wicked caves................</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Amazing designs in Bergs and some little mates getting some rest...........</div>
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Pic Michael Goldstein</div>
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Then there was the Captain............hummmm no comment!</div>
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Pic David Barringhaus</div>
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Its hard not to smile when your crusing around down here!!</div>
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Pic David Barringhaus</div>
While boating every now and again we would notice these sometimes very long snake looking things in the water. I was told that they are something called Salps. There are pictures and a story from Dr Clive who he wintering Doc from my first season. Youll also notice a couple familiar faces also there!!<br />
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<a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/casey/this-week-at-casey/2009/december-2009" target="_blank">CLICK HERE.............</a> and more info can be found <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/animals/salps" target="_blank">HERE................</a><br />
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Also in the news is a long time coming, 20 years to be exact. They have now cored 3,769m into a lake under the ice. They are hopeing to find all sorts of things that havent seen the light of day for <br />
a long time. Very intresting article for you to read <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/lake-vostok-life-under-ice_n_1272896.html" target="_blank">HERE................</a><br />
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Also intresting news happened on one of the science voyage where a rare whale was sighted and the article can be found <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-02-23/scientists-capture-footage-of-rare-whale/3846926" target="_blank">HERE............</a><br />
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So all going well here thanks for email Jo and Jeff im fit and well just been lazy. <br />
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Hope everyone is well better save something for the next one.............<br />
<br />
Michael<br />
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P.S..............
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Nobody
can make you feel inferior without your permission. <b><br />
Eleanor Roosevelt </b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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P.S.S...........In the first blog entry you might remember me talking about the Dwarf Minki Whales <br />
I am going to be doing a talk about them next week so I have made this little video <br />
I though i might as well chuck it on!!!<br />
<br />
Enjoy!!!<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzTWumburayzA5UGepZWAMYPkeGkHZS_i-atN4IXbhYTitKkRtTqjE9AzV2Xb-0-_kQQkQR-DC7baijSDs-LQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br />Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-80977805840327179532012-01-24T01:48:00.000+10:002012-01-24T01:48:22.994+10:0010 Boating boating and more boating..............Hello All,<br />
<br />
Well been a busy week with the wharf job now moving quickly, which i covered last blog, along with the boating season in full swing. This definitely has been one of the biggest highlights to my season so far and we have been in the water every opportunity we could get. Wednesday, Thursday and twice on Friday as well as working on Thursday and Friday tuckered this little one out. So here is a little video of whats happened so far.....................<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyBsqdgxJQd8hzlLdKpkiF-f-eEcLbvQfBK1Si-LcJQzRdpwEsbdMDR9mliiAHgvGUuMIfhISR6ExL31gBjIg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Video Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Here are some of the pics from that video as well..........<br />
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Some <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/animals/penguins/adlie-penguins" target="_blank">Adelie Penguins</a> on a little burgy bit just chillin............<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCp3L2FuH4o-4se8LocSRXk_Nar4aejJkkWPyJRZtyYKx_VlfiqmTTqv4yJxWNY4405GzGAgldsKKiQcwxdeo9cm1Y7v4qWllBXx09tVgHMCwa0qrmhVjNDZ_qJl0n4WBnkVNA0znl5DDU/s1600/boating+140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCp3L2FuH4o-4se8LocSRXk_Nar4aejJkkWPyJRZtyYKx_VlfiqmTTqv4yJxWNY4405GzGAgldsKKiQcwxdeo9cm1Y7v4qWllBXx09tVgHMCwa0qrmhVjNDZ_qJl0n4WBnkVNA0znl5DDU/s640/boating+140.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Ben Honor</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Here is some pics from the science trip we did in the boats to <a href="http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=799" target="_blank">Kazak Island</a> and below you can see the boats on Kazak with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorsdal_Glacier" target="_blank">Sorsdal Glassier</a> in the background.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknGPK2dyq0H7OaF9DaftH2dyGWwzLOSBZEBetZORILbNX6vDHSzoHNTnGYqi24nwWHeDOsN8-TAc-YrLNnPHMPdOb4oQxMnGZaD7fvnLkp4NMEsqrj6-c486SXUqrV9xnxtAKpyhB-10F/s1600/IMG_1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiknGPK2dyq0H7OaF9DaftH2dyGWwzLOSBZEBetZORILbNX6vDHSzoHNTnGYqi24nwWHeDOsN8-TAc-YrLNnPHMPdOb4oQxMnGZaD7fvnLkp4NMEsqrj6-c486SXUqrV9xnxtAKpyhB-10F/s640/IMG_1034.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Couple of the guys went for a walk up the hill to admire the view...............<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqe83sknLg3g8PyAiNaFeQOzcvhbhP3wyFa1aTR7_-4ETOv4VskfvecVSyZM6lLe4EQ2p4E_B3c2XN__hzoIg5gCkNb3uRae5McEGwRWQQdsWoZOeNSL7SloXgPE8bEzr_FQk3pQy_GYb/s1600/IMG_1036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyqe83sknLg3g8PyAiNaFeQOzcvhbhP3wyFa1aTR7_-4ETOv4VskfvecVSyZM6lLe4EQ2p4E_B3c2XN__hzoIg5gCkNb3uRae5McEGwRWQQdsWoZOeNSL7SloXgPE8bEzr_FQk3pQy_GYb/s640/IMG_1036.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Bob wearing his <a href="http://www.mustangsurvival.com/recreational/deluxe-anti-exposure-coverall-and-worksuit?division=professional" target="_blank">Mustang Survival Suit</a> which we use while boating. As you can imagine the water is rather cold and wearing a suit like this one reduces the chances of exposure however if you not out of the water quick enough the damage is going to be already done!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekOj4t4NycCmEh6usJsifMdx_h_5ln2tbHQDJgEikbXZ5D6FkUkNc3A-byl39IhwzkY2ZH9cTASdYqjEzgijAyAJFu_5kkhT2rkFgpYHlsDcT7WpBc1pHCoL5pnN0Exwu2vmkiWii08sa/s1600/IMG_1040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgekOj4t4NycCmEh6usJsifMdx_h_5ln2tbHQDJgEikbXZ5D6FkUkNc3A-byl39IhwzkY2ZH9cTASdYqjEzgijAyAJFu_5kkhT2rkFgpYHlsDcT7WpBc1pHCoL5pnN0Exwu2vmkiWii08sa/s640/IMG_1040.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
A couple of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skua" target="_blank">Skua</a>.........they will have a go at basically anything from penguin eggs to penguins themselves to seal<span style="background-color: white;"> poo. Real scavengers....................</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1hCYxnnqNbhZvuhrDhcBS41PpA0eykNmViQPblMnUoxPYi017CPXO1KqIPV5OARYaYpFnAngHPVS7YsjU-pbWnLLfzLA1yaL-VFYJ5jJD689muAuVrMuw_oJgW2WPIwioBP33CBsX73G/s1600/IMG_1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo1hCYxnnqNbhZvuhrDhcBS41PpA0eykNmViQPblMnUoxPYi017CPXO1KqIPV5OARYaYpFnAngHPVS7YsjU-pbWnLLfzLA1yaL-VFYJ5jJD689muAuVrMuw_oJgW2WPIwioBP33CBsX73G/s640/IMG_1065.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
A couple of the guys putting up the gear on the other side of the island. Don't really know much about what they did but from what i do understand there is a camera taking time laps pics, solar powered and it also takes weather data to correlate to the pics..................<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmjcWq_nEqvG68PuvLwvWo4VEhYrR0X92KdYu1DcU7zAwNOg_fMOXpwDH8zNZ2CLQykAI0RvzpmgqFCNvqqgiqwNeFggUFPNQ9-HBXo5HnHq0xEaxIvdfrVr3gZxQmOxB049khW_z4GvY/s1600/IMG_1082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmjcWq_nEqvG68PuvLwvWo4VEhYrR0X92KdYu1DcU7zAwNOg_fMOXpwDH8zNZ2CLQykAI0RvzpmgqFCNvqqgiqwNeFggUFPNQ9-HBXo5HnHq0xEaxIvdfrVr3gZxQmOxB049khW_z4GvY/s640/IMG_1082.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Cute one but then again you've seen a few in past blogs so I'm not even going to tell you what type it is!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEVLYkpz4k1DT0mU4guIUyAUdlDeU3gSCE1G50CmMdhnCgpiXR09djiNMH-4ZwR3DPme14feLzH68W59U3CqOTfZlK82PYVKBa9VlX6fR_o2KCGMt-LuseHpRzQuNfV0BeeWZd5pWgT2_/s1600/IMG_1107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEVLYkpz4k1DT0mU4guIUyAUdlDeU3gSCE1G50CmMdhnCgpiXR09djiNMH-4ZwR3DPme14feLzH68W59U3CqOTfZlK82PYVKBa9VlX6fR_o2KCGMt-LuseHpRzQuNfV0BeeWZd5pWgT2_/s640/IMG_1107.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
A <a href="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/leopard-seal/" target="_blank">Leopard Seal</a> lounging about with lunch all around him. The Adelie Penguins oblivious to the cunning might of this fierce predator but at the moment happy catching some rays from the sun. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Si1w911WWEbSOzG00Av1RZC7ykinhQG9qiNIb5q2fHXPPK6wSzA06sCQHPFHBxA6QuEuUB0HmXAnsruuabhatftYH7MP611ruUi5RB3EIPtwgQnv5tymg8PdxFa5-mFokY4GRqSM-Gg6/s1600/IMG_1114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Si1w911WWEbSOzG00Av1RZC7ykinhQG9qiNIb5q2fHXPPK6wSzA06sCQHPFHBxA6QuEuUB0HmXAnsruuabhatftYH7MP611ruUi5RB3EIPtwgQnv5tymg8PdxFa5-mFokY4GRqSM-Gg6/s640/IMG_1114.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Some time ago i was told about a National Geographic photographer encountered one and the story is incredible click <a href="http://pageslap.wordpress.com/tag/leopard-seal/" target="_blank">HERE</a> to see the pics and video. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOc3qlIeL94LoMX59UurE6JsmEtXUw9CkmQ9ErA-yJKi4nHWx8yuQNdrRbTkpeDpDOOiPHw3V4CeiQIijeeS8u-00GTsPTsSSrX4uVhzOR7kJSe_KRsYCi9WEXbuXOEzZhO2aRAvTVvlVO/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOc3qlIeL94LoMX59UurE6JsmEtXUw9CkmQ9ErA-yJKi4nHWx8yuQNdrRbTkpeDpDOOiPHw3V4CeiQIijeeS8u-00GTsPTsSSrX4uVhzOR7kJSe_KRsYCi9WEXbuXOEzZhO2aRAvTVvlVO/s640/IMG_1117.JPG" width="640" /></a> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Below is a Ross seals are named for James Clark Ross, the commander of the H.M.S. <em>Erebus, </em>an British exploration ship that entered the Ross sea during a period of Antarctic exploration from 1839 to 1843. Ross seals may reach lengths of 2.5 m, and may weigh as much as 200 kg. Females are typically larger than males.<br />
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Ross seals look different than other seals. They have a smaller, wider head, and a short snout area. They also have a small mouth, and the shortest hair of any seal. Instead of being spotted like other seal species, Ross seals have a streaked pattern on the sides of the neck and down the throat. Sometimes the streaking pattern resembles a mask.<br />
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Ross seals are thought to number the fewest among Antarctic seal species. No long-term studies have been done on their populations, but scientists do not consider them to be threatened or endangered.<br />
Info found <a href="http://www.buschgardens.org/wild-world/zoo-research/antarctic-study-trip/ross.htm">http://www.buschgardens.org/wild-world/zoo-research/antarctic-study-trip/ross.htm</a><br />
More pic of Ross Seals click <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?q=ross+seal&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBAU433AU433&prmd=imvnso&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=rnAdT-ieO8TwrQej2N3fDQ&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CBEQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=567" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.polartrec.com/expeditions/oden-antarctic-expedition-2010/journals/2010-12-29" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a web site explaining the four types of seals and so far I've shown you 3 thus far and the only one remaining is the Crabeater Seal, hopefully ill get one of them before I get home for you.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYlwhWg6wRxOp9dBh6kuAx4fuhEf4r5s3L3N7T82gSBXEFfsuBm0O7jYWMP7dE3NfO0vMHAoz51vv1mXSIn-lLd2CjuRusNBuCsgMNUyhZz9DbfM2CcRXsjej7BHYOhXd2bBWcvQrKZ_N/s1600/IMG_1120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYlwhWg6wRxOp9dBh6kuAx4fuhEf4r5s3L3N7T82gSBXEFfsuBm0O7jYWMP7dE3NfO0vMHAoz51vv1mXSIn-lLd2CjuRusNBuCsgMNUyhZz9DbfM2CcRXsjej7BHYOhXd2bBWcvQrKZ_N/s640/IMG_1120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Burg in the sunset.............<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSB2Fhfc3SS9CDiyBe2lUxiN-l0RstyjHFuCLGS5kGsSMoiRh-dl9B9IIRmecJinMROdUcBwwIeYlxW-ZtLjnZcPB1s5ee1vSEnpOFG_r3zAWs2V5rmqm48vhSJNH3bEz6fUe8JVxtX8ef/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSB2Fhfc3SS9CDiyBe2lUxiN-l0RstyjHFuCLGS5kGsSMoiRh-dl9B9IIRmecJinMROdUcBwwIeYlxW-ZtLjnZcPB1s5ee1vSEnpOFG_r3zAWs2V5rmqm48vhSJNH3bEz6fUe8JVxtX8ef/s640/IMG_1125.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
A holy one................pun intended!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBxhE0ZXJAMs3_U21uDvSllR7MogZ0DTH0jXojNd7xgpC6JwvKeAWrwXf33mKJkBmXRy-0ntqf8SBuatTtZ3GWdolOsi1I25QPunJWDWKPrVHdsmTdx-uQ174kRCaPHzaJEN_ms7p8AcS/s1600/IMG_1129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBxhE0ZXJAMs3_U21uDvSllR7MogZ0DTH0jXojNd7xgpC6JwvKeAWrwXf33mKJkBmXRy-0ntqf8SBuatTtZ3GWdolOsi1I25QPunJWDWKPrVHdsmTdx-uQ174kRCaPHzaJEN_ms7p8AcS/s640/IMG_1129.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
One of the other boats in our group. To go out on an Ice Burg cruise there has to be a minimum of two boats in the group. Mainly as the other is the boat that will be helping you. Depending on where your going at times you might have to have all three, like the trip to Kazak where we needed three. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchrMgr1CzFuPjG5dN83iv-itERNr5KsPBbQ-WoC-pCx8eqD1ZAD5ZilJiMgZa9-3fRYkD-5_tgnw3K7GF9-A8E_rN6yvbtLT4orh4I628fvpxfSyUfTAcAkj2aJR05P8HiJF99pnfQS1c/s1600/IMG_1136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgchrMgr1CzFuPjG5dN83iv-itERNr5KsPBbQ-WoC-pCx8eqD1ZAD5ZilJiMgZa9-3fRYkD-5_tgnw3K7GF9-A8E_rN6yvbtLT4orh4I628fvpxfSyUfTAcAkj2aJR05P8HiJF99pnfQS1c/s640/IMG_1136.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>More amazing sunsets...........................<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IXEJCPxYvlR7fqbR9UHravC7LcG3WeM3ivfqCaUTltQzwje1EaD0nFDY4gmZSVoXLBy2-Nq-pxO_XWMpUwwg-0yJDmCzlaKf8YrxlvcsFoOWEdU5N-LB733svntKVeMq8XJ6nhNLuVlD/s1600/IMG_1151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IXEJCPxYvlR7fqbR9UHravC7LcG3WeM3ivfqCaUTltQzwje1EaD0nFDY4gmZSVoXLBy2-Nq-pxO_XWMpUwwg-0yJDmCzlaKf8YrxlvcsFoOWEdU5N-LB733svntKVeMq8XJ6nhNLuVlD/s640/IMG_1151.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0MSkVIQ333TYFuHv8zMPfT1dlQ1Dd_szgRXhMkuxw1dvF78sEEv6fY8cywfekw3fHrf7r97x5PKJFeT9f5kUjerEJ_JOz11GEpk9uNBzMLPpdxe48gjnsDwqzCcsR4qCexGrliBq8xj2/s1600/IMG_1156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0MSkVIQ333TYFuHv8zMPfT1dlQ1Dd_szgRXhMkuxw1dvF78sEEv6fY8cywfekw3fHrf7r97x5PKJFeT9f5kUjerEJ_JOz11GEpk9uNBzMLPpdxe48gjnsDwqzCcsR4qCexGrliBq8xj2/s640/IMG_1156.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein<br />
</div>If your interested in some of the science that the Australian Antarctic Division is doing in Antarctica including Davis Station <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-antarctic-magazine/issue-21-2011/australian-antarctic-science-season-201112" target="_blank">CLICK HERE.</a><br />
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More reading with the Australian Antarctic Magazine <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-antarctic-magazine/issue-21-2011" target="_blank">CLICK HERE.</a><br />
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Interesting story in The Age about Mawson <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/national/in-the-footsteps-of-mawsons-heroic-adventure-20120108-1ppvp.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>.<br />
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So life continues and the darkness is now growing closer as each day passes. Until recently we haven't seen much else other than the sun but now as each day passes we are loosing on average 15 minutes of sunlight a day. The next exciting thing is going to be the <a href="http://www.antarcticconnection.com/antarctic/weather/aurora.shtml" target="_blank">Southern Lights or Arora Australis</a> and attempt to <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?q=southern+lights&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBAU433AU433&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=qX4dT7S9IIfXrQfYmsiTDQ&ved=0CF8QsAQ&biw=1024&bih=567" target="_blank">photograph</a> them.<br />
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Time is now running out quickly and as much as i am looking forward to leaving i am already not looking forward to leave.<br />
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Anyway hope everyone is well and holding to their new years resolutions!!<br />
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Bye for now,<br />
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Goldie<br />
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P.S................... <span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> <b> <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Arnold</st1:place></st1:city> Schwarzenegger </b><o:p></o:p></span>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-82028661586516850752012-01-16T03:56:00.013+10:002012-01-17T10:44:40.776+10:009 A Classic resupply, wharfies and the beginning of the boating season.......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hello people,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Well this week I have a little bit of a mixed bag for you and to jump right in we have the first video. There is a little bit of recap going on here as i have been able to get my hands on some footage from several different people and edit into a couple short videos for you. The first couple are of subjects past like the this one about resupply. Greg one of the Comms dudes here and my fellow Station Boating Officer but more about the latter a little bit later, Comms is a position that is quite varied but basically you need to be a computer, phone, 2 way, satellite whizz and that he is. Greg wrote a script to capture images from the web cams on station along with the ship and did a majority of the editing to make this video. All i did was put music and the fancy title and credits and make it my own, so enjoy his hard work that I'm going to take all the credit for............<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVb7sxwQPmwbbj-jpIXyaC0PjCprgYt8eB73SHJPYj75yLM0AslbtSO0ih5iusEfPvm7jUThnNnCDNEujC3Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I know I've already covered this one as well but sometimes I get footage that is too good to miss and I've already covered that subjects and this is no exception. The Tourists and the KK or <a href="http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/our-ships/kapitan-khlebnikov" target="_blank"><span style="color: #2288bb;">Kapitan Khlebnikov</span></a> that i covered in <a href="http://rivieraofthesouth.blogspot.com/2011/12/7-tourists-third-christmas-in.html" target="_blank">BLOG 7</a>. Well here is a little time laps of that day that one of the German Lidar Scientists shot from the window in the LQ..........Again enjoy Timos hard work that I'm going to take credit for!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dytUViTYcJ985fNPnKOsrWN7nAGKyc1Tu0hv6cgFvjPW_5XQvFCosGN-WB6wypSLZErWTr_PMJDlRQTtn7bFQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Boating time now and with the next little video you'll understand why I'm getting excited about that. This season I was lucky enough to have to get my Coxswains ticket before I came down. This for those of you who don't know what a Coxswain is is a person that has a boat licence that enables them to take paying passengers in a commercial boat. Down here we use commercially registered IRB (Inflatable Rescue Boats) to both do work (as in science or dropping people off at sites), recreation (ice berg cruises) and in both cases Coxswains and a competent crew member must be in each boat. A competent crew member is someone that has completed a internal course in the boats back in Hobart and are very handy to the Coxswains while in operation. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Along with completing this course and getting on the ice both Greg (who's handy work you have just seen in the above video) and myself have also been made the Station Boating Officers. Now that's a position that is going to make you pretty popular in the social standing here on station as its pretty darn special out on the water on a good day. One of my most memorable experiences in the three seasons i have been coming down was out on the boats last season and that is a day I will talk about for the rest of my life. You can see that day in all its pictorial glory <a href="http://www.absoluteantarctica.blogspot.com/2011/01/19-new-years-one-perfect-special.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> but ignore the first bit as it can be a little disturbing just go to the bottom of the page and you'll see what I'm talking about.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So Davis is very different to Casey in respect to ice. The sea ice is our friend when it comes to resupply as it makes this very easy but once the ice deteriorates to the point that nobody can go onto it then its just a nuisance. Last week we received about 5 days of 25+ knot wind from the North East. Now that's the predominate direction for the wind at Davis and digressing for a moment this is also why the buildings are all built in a North Easterly direction. This reduces the amount of blizz trails or snow accumulation around the buildings. Anyway after working through 25+ knots at about 1.5c and a wind chill of around -8c for 5 days it finally happened. I awoke one morning to find no ice and the excitement started, this would mean that soon i would be out on the water!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is another little video where i again have been given footage from both Greg and Timo and made this little masterpiece!!!!!!!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxWjCVWLRyE8C3yb7Q9qttyPhVXhq-jlt6hmPnveqm-N361aKu57uC_A5gXZmO0pT-OLe74Wl4wnJBWvY0v8A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I guess I should explain a little bit more about that Station Boating Officer. There are several positions on station such as Fire Chief, SAR leader, Medical Assistants (assisting in the event that the Doc has to preform a operation the Sparky or Plumber or Deiso will be your Anesthetist ect) are positions that we as a community fill to ensure the smooth running of activities. You soon learn that your mates are much more than just mates, you really do rely on them in certain circumstances with your lives and this is where working here is sooooooooooooo unique. I have said it before and ill say it again, i have mates back home that took a long time to forge those friendships with but down here I have now got mates that i WOULD put my life in their hands and trust that they would do the right thing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Right enough of the dibble for this blog lets talk about work and what I've been up to. Probably the biggest project for this season here has been an extension to the wharf. There has been a core team of Kenny (who is also the Big Kahuna this season), Rowdy who if you don't know by now just look back over this season and last seasons blogs and he is in quite a few, Horse, not so much myself and a few others on the job from time to time. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxzp-AWKCY5PRPjcp0RVSlBympB1jWX1EsNUNtCAtIeJBKXR_lYYB2M57hHkU0zPLILEKSR8sk3PSErfzyzFQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldtein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Your now almost up to speed the only other thing I have to cover it the Davis Games Grand Final night we had last night. Over the past several weeks we have been playing in a tournaments of Ping Pong, Darts, 8 Ball Pool and Poker. To give you a quick run down of my achievements in the lead up to the Grand Finals night and it is quick. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Darts was first and Nick the Wintering Lidar Scientist put me out in the first round. Ping Pong next and for some reason i think it was Johnny (fellow Gold Coaster) kicked me out in the first round. Poker was next and although i was not the first off the table I didn't make it through to the next round.Pool was marginally better making it through to the second before being booted. But there was one more game i didn't know I was in until Friday and that was doubles Ping Pong. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was teamed up with Josef another of the German Lidar Scientists and after kicking some but in the first round i knew Josef was a gun and I was only there for my good looks. Kicking some provable in the second round against the Deiso duo Angry and Jose guess who we ultimate faced<span style="background-color: white;"> </span>up against for the finals. My fellow Gold Coaster and nemesis Johnny who booted me out of the singles and Nick how booted me out of the first round of Darts. So after a couple of hours of sledging in the lead up to the show down it was on. Winning the serve we commenced to wipe the table of them and in the second they did the same to us. Into the last it was neck and neck all the way to 9 all out of 10 points when it went to 1 serve each where we made them crumble under then pressure and we walked away the victors and the Davis Doubles champions for the 2011-2012 season .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is a fue pics from the night and below is Johnny before i wiped that smile off his face..........LOL</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3U4mBxXrBECNOp1qIXOZfs4Wlsd_R4sgpHuTpGRhMoG2rIClW111dKy_8nEDs5XPWV52Lfzp-hh15_sQPBvKPoKHLRqtwUjnYsO6rsPkUk0Kg_f46ATd4WV0Ubls8XbBNl6Fdo5pAizS/s1600/DSC_2031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3U4mBxXrBECNOp1qIXOZfs4Wlsd_R4sgpHuTpGRhMoG2rIClW111dKy_8nEDs5XPWV52Lfzp-hh15_sQPBvKPoKHLRqtwUjnYsO6rsPkUk0Kg_f46ATd4WV0Ubls8XbBNl6Fdo5pAizS/s640/DSC_2031.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Me and my game face..............</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw3nLbQqEvqyoomJ6AsPImbTsycR5yyV2trnXndOpe9BSMmAH86ZCq1mPT10HB8YnkE3aHFkMpS4o2IsMAzScYyPaQq41A_ItJd0Gifd4Of0LAIXNOneGJyQSM0euiLKOZM8eutopoaP1/s1600/DSC_2069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMw3nLbQqEvqyoomJ6AsPImbTsycR5yyV2trnXndOpe9BSMmAH86ZCq1mPT10HB8YnkE3aHFkMpS4o2IsMAzScYyPaQq41A_ItJd0Gifd4Of0LAIXNOneGJyQSM0euiLKOZM8eutopoaP1/s640/DSC_2069.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Cant hold it for long that the only problem.............</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC3Q5jfuz7p6v90r-UfgVnO_B9guCN2bhvMxa0E3LshhiEaWwKvpKh3aDmU99bddZ8B59DMOQCzv24TJL5rWouJvyhdN9QFHbKL1IxgfZFu53sNuZxUz7tgLU1DNThAqXUzfGwIWdo9NK/s1600/DSC_2070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC3Q5jfuz7p6v90r-UfgVnO_B9guCN2bhvMxa0E3LshhiEaWwKvpKh3aDmU99bddZ8B59DMOQCzv24TJL5rWouJvyhdN9QFHbKL1IxgfZFu53sNuZxUz7tgLU1DNThAqXUzfGwIWdo9NK/s640/DSC_2070.jpg" width="524" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: left;">The winners doing all the usual handshakes.................</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIw-5PKIWzrlb0xKKmPsNWHHVRMOZkuYtwyC6mE9pwIATlspMtjzS9IN52vzHttF0XQMQejakfknqX5cHtAxTW6dl3Zu2rcEY6o6zYqe-lV7hWPNa8juEFctmjHV31CfXlvVUV5CWb55z/s1600/DSC_2036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIw-5PKIWzrlb0xKKmPsNWHHVRMOZkuYtwyC6mE9pwIATlspMtjzS9IN52vzHttF0XQMQejakfknqX5cHtAxTW6dl3Zu2rcEY6o6zYqe-lV7hWPNa8juEFctmjHV31CfXlvVUV5CWb55z/s640/DSC_2036.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Glory and our little hand made trophies that Chris has spent weeks and weeks and a total of 40 minutes to make.............</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmORMUCKj5C75CsWCwnQhPVIaeiXQbAS_qhY3tY57u0IbvoiExM9t1gvxuK5p08OQjnpmuqkYWD7WwN_ZqUfAj31eLqgIM1GYbwckeekiAy6BP3nFNKzCAc2s64khgN-meeBBoZCLbCCU/s1600/DSC_2089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRmORMUCKj5C75CsWCwnQhPVIaeiXQbAS_qhY3tY57u0IbvoiExM9t1gvxuK5p08OQjnpmuqkYWD7WwN_ZqUfAj31eLqgIM1GYbwckeekiAy6BP3nFNKzCAc2s64khgN-meeBBoZCLbCCU/s640/DSC_2089.jpg" width="534" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Timo playing darts...........</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7xznTN9gytDNJKacXaTECwjFCJmhFg9Rxm38mME2cflxMbv887f4RwEQQlvHDnkftAa3UkJIYCx4ptX46CKG4hLkMKxYzEeS_oLG5Rm0dULH0lZo-gI16Pz9FsGmNo-PUbgrcbZH9CyJ/s1600/DSC_2021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7xznTN9gytDNJKacXaTECwjFCJmhFg9Rxm38mME2cflxMbv887f4RwEQQlvHDnkftAa3UkJIYCx4ptX46CKG4hLkMKxYzEeS_oLG5Rm0dULH0lZo-gI16Pz9FsGmNo-PUbgrcbZH9CyJ/s640/DSC_2021.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Dave with his 8 ball trophy showing why he didn't become a bikini model...................yuck!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPkNm6NuKEKQSEBO_jbKaxCpohbnWW9ZIsb_cBa4PplbGDOoZ1VwTu7i66xV1eF5A-cQQLfiVoRqTZhaD8_8u8z2X6GY7wjidcUZZiN5QirLAFluKNP7saZ3N4Uh_zjIvGY_NlHPzZvsq/s1600/DSC_2118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPkNm6NuKEKQSEBO_jbKaxCpohbnWW9ZIsb_cBa4PplbGDOoZ1VwTu7i66xV1eF5A-cQQLfiVoRqTZhaD8_8u8z2X6GY7wjidcUZZiN5QirLAFluKNP7saZ3N4Uh_zjIvGY_NlHPzZvsq/s640/DSC_2118.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Another pose and I don't even want to know................</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Xg6kwS599EcF4wRg52gOpuAKaIikV0cLOW_OGsXeiEfJ8sPLiwER4RERQTHBq_UxGdGyj6HrvyToXDKjWHtl_j4WLowcOAWj77d-9sJ33P13Kb2Qk3UjzyPCOSmErkjwY4VQKmL-A142/s1600/DSC_2119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Xg6kwS599EcF4wRg52gOpuAKaIikV0cLOW_OGsXeiEfJ8sPLiwER4RERQTHBq_UxGdGyj6HrvyToXDKjWHtl_j4WLowcOAWj77d-9sJ33P13Kb2Qk3UjzyPCOSmErkjwY4VQKmL-A142/s640/DSC_2119.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Glen one of the marine biologists and his Poker trophy.............</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9rWUJcuAK9xg2lDUPtEQpMNqC5bfEwM79OpKbzYrVpwg1tyCExpQ0_nLwlpQHvjAz0yb6OOvjsC5sx8sQNbBejvg0Eso48d8ayF-3_E5SFzc0Tcy_x4cO6VKczpaKO0OS82vnP2tYnR0/s1600/DSC_2113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9rWUJcuAK9xg2lDUPtEQpMNqC5bfEwM79OpKbzYrVpwg1tyCExpQ0_nLwlpQHvjAz0yb6OOvjsC5sx8sQNbBejvg0Eso48d8ayF-3_E5SFzc0Tcy_x4cO6VKczpaKO0OS82vnP2tYnR0/s640/DSC_2113.jpg" width="602" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Big Al and Adam in the Darts showdown.................</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GGBo0jPF_Nu6pzMVecITMXKhkFumf0EGXkWnToeqcMPFYjBGtVkgXtvQMN1Gj4iVd30LJhfgM-8g5Vx6YGcrdeYjBXr2oRzmb4OVqAkYMDGsOQFSzQz7PXBZkTIhM5YxX-u1vvrTDCqd/s1600/DSC_2125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GGBo0jPF_Nu6pzMVecITMXKhkFumf0EGXkWnToeqcMPFYjBGtVkgXtvQMN1Gj4iVd30LJhfgM-8g5Vx6YGcrdeYjBXr2oRzmb4OVqAkYMDGsOQFSzQz7PXBZkTIhM5YxX-u1vvrTDCqd/s640/DSC_2125.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">All the trophies...............................</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtfLiMRWFDBsBvLhWJuhesagfbM95eXJQNb4lsnktd_lQu1P94D__xUPFo7J9theaDqfAEZ7hJ0Wgins_K_7mz2wEb-QqLaxG1KFWyqs4Tt5qoWgAczWzZrAutH8fr6rXlni-iSTun1D6/s1600/DSC_2091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtfLiMRWFDBsBvLhWJuhesagfbM95eXJQNb4lsnktd_lQu1P94D__xUPFo7J9theaDqfAEZ7hJ0Wgins_K_7mz2wEb-QqLaxG1KFWyqs4Tt5qoWgAczWzZrAutH8fr6rXlni-iSTun1D6/s640/DSC_2091.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Picture Jan Wallace</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So big weekend off the back of a big week. We have been kicking some goals in our work and now we are on the downward stretch to the Aurora Australis coming to pick us up in about 10 weeks and time is going to fly. There is so much still to fit in both work and fun. How am i possibly going to be able to do it, ahhhhhh don't you worry about that believe me i will be able to!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hope everyone is 1/2 as well as me and you'll be doing just fine...........</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ciao for now,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Goldie</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">P.S....................<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Life is not so much a matter of 'finding' ourselves as it is a matter of making</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> ourselves."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> <b> Alan Loy McGinnis </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-46092053129739047062012-01-03T21:14:00.000+10:002012-01-03T21:14:37.929+10:008 The silly season in Antarctica.........Christmas and New YearsHello friends,<o:p></o:p><br />
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let me start by saying a belated MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR. My greatest wish is for each and every single one of you (yes you too you know who you are) a safe, healthy wealthy and most importantly happy new year. I’m going to digress a little for a moment then ill be back on track and I have mentioned this before in my <a href="http://www.absoluteantarctica.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Absolute Antarctica</span></a> blog but if you come down here for the adventure, it’s been a place in your dreams, love the cold its a absolutely mind blowingly incredible place. If your intentions are however for personal development and growth then it’s the wrong reasons. That only comes as a by product of daily interaction with an amazing group of incredibly diverse and like minded people who I am so proud one of.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Being part of this did and has change my life from the moment I stepped foot on this incredible continent. It continues to allow me to grow in directions that I NEVER thought I would. Another of my wishes again for each and every one of you is to feel the same way about something, no anything even if it is something that anyone else would turn their nose up at. GET PASSIONATE about life and don’t waste it, LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST. My life before i begun work down here well, it was an existence and something I look back on now and think........................WHAT THE HELL WAS I DOING! I can’t imagine life now another way, I might not be an expiditioner forever however I now have a passion I didn't even know that I had. <o:p></o:p><br />
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Saying all that makes me feel like one of those motivation speakers but those of you who know me know that I can at times be opinionated. However if my little rant only makes one of you think for one millisecond that I'm right then without you changing a thing then my job is done, don't worry it wont stop me next time ill go for making 2 people ponder life.<br />
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Life down here gives you lots to think about and the infamous rule about not talking about religion and politics is out the window here. Mainly as we all have a mutual respect and tolerance for each other. Ive talked about that word before too tolerance and yep ill say it again it is the least most understood word. Down here we don't live harmoniously all the time, however if there is a problem and we discuss it then it makes you think more about your neighbour. <br />
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Just got back from dinner and a couple games of darts. We fill a lot of time in here with darts, 8 ball/pool, ping pong, read in the library, watch movies in the cinema, socialize at the bar or just sit around and talk in the luxurious living areas. Then again there is also relaxing in our rooms but there is one thing that I don't partake much in, reading newspapers. <br />
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After the game of darts I sat in the living area and was reading an ebook where I noticed a quote from an unknown author and it reads <br />
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<em><strong>" Wake up and stop falling prey to the conditioning of the media and society around you. It's only those who are awake that live in a state of constant amazement."</strong></em><br />
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You know its not until you take away all the continual bombardment that the media in general that you realize the impact on your life. You are only open to the media through the Internet and the papers they print out for us and that's if you put yourself in a position to it. A majority of the time only scan the newspapers at lunch and look quickly at ninemsn when on the Internet. Its amazing how much depressing stuff there is out there and when your not confronted by it all the time the difference is very noticeable. The simple things but especially how disconnected you feel from family and friends is what I miss more than anything and when talking by phone or getting emails its the little things that when talking with people back in the real world.<br />
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By real world I mean that being so disconnected you start changing your priorities which is good and bad. Good as the there is nothing wrong with a change of priorities every now and again i think it makes you reassess the ones you had. However bad as its amazing how sometimes the small things that you normally wouldn't think twice about make you blow your top. That's where a backup system, namely your mates, comes into their own and a quiet word from them telling you to pull your head in works the charm.<br />
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Well that's enough of some of my more inner thoughts for this blog I'm thinking better get on with the topics at hand, Christmas/New Year and or course lets start with Christmas and a recap of the last 3 seasons.<br />
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My first season down south (63rd <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/australias-involvement-in-antarctica/anare-is-created/what-is-anare" target="_blank">ANARE</a> will talk about a little later too) and here is me and Rowdy sorry I mean Santa.............<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdjzJcDxIGkGPSQMXCNGRbMN3EtTPjnTYQBASg3hZyUSMiTuyrWg0J7qD0h0aY5JDCIMC4gmY77EaCbfC8NSWl1KGBHvJ8X2WZ-hjmYlXekH5oWS8d0CP0hGvRldGjxQ9pD0XQiPhjKGy/s1600/_MG_1314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdjzJcDxIGkGPSQMXCNGRbMN3EtTPjnTYQBASg3hZyUSMiTuyrWg0J7qD0h0aY5JDCIMC4gmY77EaCbfC8NSWl1KGBHvJ8X2WZ-hjmYlXekH5oWS8d0CP0hGvRldGjxQ9pD0XQiPhjKGy/s640/_MG_1314.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Second season (64th <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/australias-involvement-in-antarctica/anare-is-created/what-is-anare" target="_blank">ANARE</a>) and here is me (in my $5 suit) and Rowdy again this time Rowdy is exhibiting a unique hair style to signify his second time on the Antarctic continent............don't know about his apron though!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM8kWBxRZcundKXu81DzQV2r5YB55hraFBA4BdCk4-Z2-Xt45B71KkWgYTDWJhoTFAs5yiKESjquqPF4-8Flr11gGCNqWwA_04jz0wmTfBGgcCm5HJRJXPA0Rm5oNn1BbuzQftILmRYUM/s1600/IMG_5157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM8kWBxRZcundKXu81DzQV2r5YB55hraFBA4BdCk4-Z2-Xt45B71KkWgYTDWJhoTFAs5yiKESjquqPF4-8Flr11gGCNqWwA_04jz0wmTfBGgcCm5HJRJXPA0Rm5oNn1BbuzQftILmRYUM/s640/IMG_5157.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And here we are current from left Rowdy, Major no i mean Private Ryan as he got a demotion when he left the ranks of <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/20894/Tradesperson-2012-_Updated-061210_.pdf" target="_blank">General Trades</a> and changed to an <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/20912/AGSO-JD-2012-_updated-221210_.pdf" target="_blank">Aircraft Ground Support Officer</a>) and me again in my $5 suit.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqHOiRhj5EJCF5n8tDKHweQyRb3ZIJ5ECAtNwJXw9honSdlCKHfFay9bMMTCc6Bw_7AZc2h6HvD8dKsXviL7FZMGj-c2wmbELBYDLKbv6f6OWUufUGEtX2fNaNh_ECfd7jFvCc7zJMit8/s1600/P1020380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqHOiRhj5EJCF5n8tDKHweQyRb3ZIJ5ECAtNwJXw9honSdlCKHfFay9bMMTCc6Bw_7AZc2h6HvD8dKsXviL7FZMGj-c2wmbELBYDLKbv6f6OWUufUGEtX2fNaNh_ECfd7jFvCc7zJMit8/s640/P1020380.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">So onto the celebrations and the day was as you would normally expect back home.............. Beautifully set tables and decorations...............</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUVUwwRydAf9GHxPCopVf6NkE49s3gzRhxNCzvlJ8VTrJ6S9FSAuf_uy6W_VjRzdY7nPaRonugsD5PFG76Pap5KMFAr94KEto61CChpM2tKJHa3GvXXx8akRDse2wd1IHzPHBTGv3hjZ3/s1600/IMG_0523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUVUwwRydAf9GHxPCopVf6NkE49s3gzRhxNCzvlJ8VTrJ6S9FSAuf_uy6W_VjRzdY7nPaRonugsD5PFG76Pap5KMFAr94KEto61CChpM2tKJHa3GvXXx8akRDse2wd1IHzPHBTGv3hjZ3/s640/IMG_0523.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Louise Carrol</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Santa arrives................and yes he has a very dodgy looking reindeer towing him and an elf that looks more like a court clown!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUAj8sYja3zpzyAEpGGLQYD3pox-VRgb07AISuHR_3BEX6v5jY15EYq2ZN0Bup3-YjxuiRE4qtKz43MsBf2X9KfkfQm38Khq_nM62dZJIuMfX5TS9MQll5aZ4dv7MwOZJixumIalDR01C/s1600/P1020348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfUAj8sYja3zpzyAEpGGLQYD3pox-VRgb07AISuHR_3BEX6v5jY15EYq2ZN0Bup3-YjxuiRE4qtKz43MsBf2X9KfkfQm38Khq_nM62dZJIuMfX5TS9MQll5aZ4dv7MwOZJixumIalDR01C/s640/P1020348.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is a closer look at the reindeer...................</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD64laJGq3eAlobv1rphrczG7mXuocCiRXbgSVgB25wNtLMGB6lR1666Q0KHoRdVBjioc1yzurB9UJPLj2fu-FxjccWq5wFEUR4JCbLG5zOVOR8YBKybRuJOPOk6nrwuhzlfHU_KrJYlDC/s1600/P1020354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD64laJGq3eAlobv1rphrczG7mXuocCiRXbgSVgB25wNtLMGB6lR1666Q0KHoRdVBjioc1yzurB9UJPLj2fu-FxjccWq5wFEUR4JCbLG5zOVOR8YBKybRuJOPOk6nrwuhzlfHU_KrJYlDC/s640/P1020354.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Presents were given out................Here is Brent another Gold Coaster to digress for one second this year there are more people from the Gold Coast than ever at 3 and a heap more from Qld in general............</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOn7pih6DfVwxnkSgFBHnpfiMEr519lG5688jvcKABIhjJkTGu_MPB1GQzKGfTR9SPCRA4OCvMSVmZI2QajiyzjH-RCOQUHecSwkYKFflmJBpKnWqZkavRr23MZP2O8inhmPHvjpq4G8n/s1600/P1020365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOn7pih6DfVwxnkSgFBHnpfiMEr519lG5688jvcKABIhjJkTGu_MPB1GQzKGfTR9SPCRA4OCvMSVmZI2QajiyzjH-RCOQUHecSwkYKFflmJBpKnWqZkavRr23MZP2O8inhmPHvjpq4G8n/s640/P1020365.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Another Queendlander Ben, think he was so excited about seeing Santa his legs came off..............</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWQt6VAsIpceqxL4-F5_OPP66h7ljG2XvUZb5xu5bv1MxGA3Cbdo9r1qPLqNY_h8a7fWtkf1hOvohMco_FNS7igZMjxAmxxBip70TiIiLMpc_Re7IiVhzrEm8hrawF4pzwG9c53ymQHJj/s1600/P1020366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWQt6VAsIpceqxL4-F5_OPP66h7ljG2XvUZb5xu5bv1MxGA3Cbdo9r1qPLqNY_h8a7fWtkf1hOvohMco_FNS7igZMjxAmxxBip70TiIiLMpc_Re7IiVhzrEm8hrawF4pzwG9c53ymQHJj/s640/P1020366.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then after unwrapping them we has a play................</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgJSTSFl-5cjWOTolQWpeH-ajmEVwm0_c6GpFw7idTUw1g-ZHUc_aEN_Fxc99PqOEQHYmbAzB4w-Q8gPbM40Cjdne5YdlCc4-MB1B6kgRTbR1veXbOjnP4TRdTJHwriU09jit5JbtO0QI/s1600/IMG_0527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMgJSTSFl-5cjWOTolQWpeH-ajmEVwm0_c6GpFw7idTUw1g-ZHUc_aEN_Fxc99PqOEQHYmbAzB4w-Q8gPbM40Cjdne5YdlCc4-MB1B6kgRTbR1veXbOjnP4TRdTJHwriU09jit5JbtO0QI/s640/IMG_0527.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Louise Carrol</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Think Brent got a little too excited and poor old Dave..................well he took a couple but he was ok.......</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCkuL7HKRrPBFAmDZGQc6UksQyTrLo9JRaYFOrBaCQsJ4x31EoHE5ebol_BTA6oQbwyTj_aH87TbrBvvY1M0oWUILAPVmrNd8Rs4GX_2bltehz8RZyLsrn0jCWH984hRt9LJd15w09UHb/s1600/IMG_0528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjCkuL7HKRrPBFAmDZGQc6UksQyTrLo9JRaYFOrBaCQsJ4x31EoHE5ebol_BTA6oQbwyTj_aH87TbrBvvY1M0oWUILAPVmrNd8Rs4GX_2bltehz8RZyLsrn0jCWH984hRt9LJd15w09UHb/s640/IMG_0528.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Louise Carrol</div><br />
Ahhhhhhh Rowdy and bubbles think he has gone back to his childhood at that moment.............<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxUyXjBPzA8d-9sqMNFogGP6_YYFEGhD06ZPti91B4VULMCViMYzlrBF5x-yxwl2gC2fuW8N9IzbAl8dHMejtAOZKsYjjSNF8GRfpMCjUr2v0oZgzrfESkNQl1K3w1UJGqlB3Y7rtYX4c/s1600/P1020382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxUyXjBPzA8d-9sqMNFogGP6_YYFEGhD06ZPti91B4VULMCViMYzlrBF5x-yxwl2gC2fuW8N9IzbAl8dHMejtAOZKsYjjSNF8GRfpMCjUr2v0oZgzrfESkNQl1K3w1UJGqlB3Y7rtYX4c/s640/P1020382.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Then the food came out.........................and what a feed it was!!!!!!!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMvzaQtK1PDaHgsEYV9p2hd9rUmOP_t8zfHh4kbvZHI7YogMdwiyvxDkIB3wb4fzRHrIY6Jufh1i5BhQC-RegurrZiEkGVxGMjolTg8bzSMUrXIw7XcxIym4YFXwBr7AOWCIfnkVfFQQ3/s1600/IMG_0531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMvzaQtK1PDaHgsEYV9p2hd9rUmOP_t8zfHh4kbvZHI7YogMdwiyvxDkIB3wb4fzRHrIY6Jufh1i5BhQC-RegurrZiEkGVxGMjolTg8bzSMUrXIw7XcxIym4YFXwBr7AOWCIfnkVfFQQ3/s640/IMG_0531.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Louise Carrol</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And like you guys at home we had our own heat wave going on.... ...........if you look in the background you can see a TV with the current weather outside displayed...............</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh07odIxQqQrozV-noJhXjLhR2dXIb9NlP9PePYYOvZY-PSCcowPLB7AX5UMjXfA_RS75ebM4l6KahLMusAeCivAzj1I7Lh4iE6nAokMErr60Zo2LAnT63I7on8ob5DE0hyphenhyphenbbr2al9TEV/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDh07odIxQqQrozV-noJhXjLhR2dXIb9NlP9PePYYOvZY-PSCcowPLB7AX5UMjXfA_RS75ebM4l6KahLMusAeCivAzj1I7Lh4iE6nAokMErr60Zo2LAnT63I7on8ob5DE0hyphenhyphenbbr2al9TEV/s640/IMG_0538.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Louise Carrol</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">Just in case you cant see it..............it reads Current wind WSW 10 knots Gusting to 11 knots current temp +2.7c Dew point -2.6c wind chill -3.2c and Barometer 986 hPa and it was 4:29pm.............</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">It is so amazing sitting there with some new and a lot of old friends eating Christmas lunch/dinner looking at the grounded ice burgs off the station. Missing family is always there in the back of your mind however tough it might be you are soon having far too much fun eating and carrying on with all the normal shenanigans to ponder too much. That is saved for phone calls and the emails of pictures of what the family got up to for Christmas. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">New Years on the other hand well take a look at the pics for yourself and you judge...........................................................</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17tX4kv_YaYH7m-KKaLK2nMTTMq8MjzPCaE4Le-zPlZj5tvnMsA2Vjuj1q8SPFVigSCKFejvW84_-obcDEU53jNYcFV4UDbvprO4G3AhyphenhyphenVBD2wAnbSgC_5FqtcoVq6G78_1m3CQbOEY2y/s1600/IMG_1292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17tX4kv_YaYH7m-KKaLK2nMTTMq8MjzPCaE4Le-zPlZj5tvnMsA2Vjuj1q8SPFVigSCKFejvW84_-obcDEU53jNYcFV4UDbvprO4G3AhyphenhyphenVBD2wAnbSgC_5FqtcoVq6G78_1m3CQbOEY2y/s640/IMG_1292.JPG" width="425" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsAK_7p039oNTCz0T8lfW0WlIfJQRXrDoqdVrqccXN-dNTCR-LPZAQ36sOziraFJmnVFnvmNNFAqWjcf1s85npmHAfeprbxc-AMtQiIukq-hCG7BefnzzG6eWw8RWrK9lsV_YpOOrqZlt/s640/IMG_1305.JPG" width="426" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsVF0TWoRs64JdwWqcHygOdd5qeoETJKiMJqbezYJ_R9vyd4qalmrwTZtjxiwT-uIKUKX_e8-E3ehKdc8rBgsNNQQi8GQf2Ao9BYrNYnsOhTFB5QXDXVFLxDIb_Dg-gKISMPasQ4iNeAY/s1600/IMG_1307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJsVF0TWoRs64JdwWqcHygOdd5qeoETJKiMJqbezYJ_R9vyd4qalmrwTZtjxiwT-uIKUKX_e8-E3ehKdc8rBgsNNQQi8GQf2Ao9BYrNYnsOhTFB5QXDXVFLxDIb_Dg-gKISMPasQ4iNeAY/s640/IMG_1307.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFPcdR0DpeB14tOYQwctAjYvcoFyHSvDsBn7wEotUKEoOqPXchf269Eq1alBbIIHCdv_R0Mhs8rKoxxWKULI4bqptAgEJ4DM4gNOJJYUeYNENNoq8Pvj233M5vWJEBcvVYxBRviQnxR8w/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQFPcdR0DpeB14tOYQwctAjYvcoFyHSvDsBn7wEotUKEoOqPXchf269Eq1alBbIIHCdv_R0Mhs8rKoxxWKULI4bqptAgEJ4DM4gNOJJYUeYNENNoq8Pvj233M5vWJEBcvVYxBRviQnxR8w/s640/IMG_1317.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QFyqFUfylow7DxnTCx47xH5wV7b2w0z4PR09ghH05c1UPqU8USW5mf5Ge-1TI-UhoXqxm3bw0yMVsIKGIvS1iOE4ikgsoulYT3HoR-myA6BTXy__J0eM9hIk4tar3s-xgXluzogVCdWB/s1600/IMG_1319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QFyqFUfylow7DxnTCx47xH5wV7b2w0z4PR09ghH05c1UPqU8USW5mf5Ge-1TI-UhoXqxm3bw0yMVsIKGIvS1iOE4ikgsoulYT3HoR-myA6BTXy__J0eM9hIk4tar3s-xgXluzogVCdWB/s640/IMG_1319.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Yk0s0exqB788kFULuAuqER7FFdCtmyWRADoUvprwIHIzkVeHKbrhysGzZFpMn4h8axoMD7ZwUlb8ISkwjdLATTztDykYFKzy58_wU4s6-nKZ4d_97RDurofVCw1gXKllvUBaWFkmdNTb/s1600/IMG_1322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Yk0s0exqB788kFULuAuqER7FFdCtmyWRADoUvprwIHIzkVeHKbrhysGzZFpMn4h8axoMD7ZwUlb8ISkwjdLATTztDykYFKzy58_wU4s6-nKZ4d_97RDurofVCw1gXKllvUBaWFkmdNTb/s640/IMG_1322.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTo5um_bXqiccF60-1MefJ3PLZWMsr_vCLb4NuE1NcdmzW9SQmUU1G_vS5KhjGHyDxYry11wes37_OhBy4bwHhxMWF3jmWeqfcJgi7dQhjUuY05XuSmxPRdAQ_ftM_RZ3AONzOFybpNMZH/s1600/IMG_1323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTo5um_bXqiccF60-1MefJ3PLZWMsr_vCLb4NuE1NcdmzW9SQmUU1G_vS5KhjGHyDxYry11wes37_OhBy4bwHhxMWF3jmWeqfcJgi7dQhjUuY05XuSmxPRdAQ_ftM_RZ3AONzOFybpNMZH/s640/IMG_1323.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-ygaJ5y7PtjXo7E_B3hJfLLJ6dTMr92oTd1Xe8nFko6uoXD73ykXkKFziqMEnDepkVNDpvb9mkUCmRNlPv7X5pe1B55tFbWggZL161T7Nn1Yo4JlItsBX2xXtrgJYd2oGfOJm4q3pL42/s1600/IMG_1325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-ygaJ5y7PtjXo7E_B3hJfLLJ6dTMr92oTd1Xe8nFko6uoXD73ykXkKFziqMEnDepkVNDpvb9mkUCmRNlPv7X5pe1B55tFbWggZL161T7Nn1Yo4JlItsBX2xXtrgJYd2oGfOJm4q3pL42/s640/IMG_1325.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDJS9JPN0Z2-FSXk8lAht5YjTbRpY9sWutvDn_2PXdW5-GS9rGILPhNoUmXsLpYm-HLXDJhpMG09IGU-jzZXopXP5aG1wBa5SNvHDpY7HudoGVeYYnFk67pCx3E8tAl1mpUFKQtfX1185/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDJS9JPN0Z2-FSXk8lAht5YjTbRpY9sWutvDn_2PXdW5-GS9rGILPhNoUmXsLpYm-HLXDJhpMG09IGU-jzZXopXP5aG1wBa5SNvHDpY7HudoGVeYYnFk67pCx3E8tAl1mpUFKQtfX1185/s640/IMG_1341.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Greg Wilson </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanrwiEAa3WnXkXk8aslOUooBQOQFmP5NC2iGh4soZaPOIX-OBv2tTRwEZ1s1y6hJvvwbWzxFnLsCh2wUkcwjoe7hp78jfiE5m40ZiqjRZbd9OriaPwgfdJhTOpWlCDG31MxzkoHHN214R/s1600/IMG_1359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhanrwiEAa3WnXkXk8aslOUooBQOQFmP5NC2iGh4soZaPOIX-OBv2tTRwEZ1s1y6hJvvwbWzxFnLsCh2wUkcwjoe7hp78jfiE5m40ZiqjRZbd9OriaPwgfdJhTOpWlCDG31MxzkoHHN214R/s640/IMG_1359.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dRBE16N26l13iyfSNjaiyYsxBjaUyZnpI5Tmv638PI5_jYcNHjqA11QjZ-1PzSUTKei1sLGXr71e_XDCO9bfdrbBUwAUjtPocPiJchyF_kuYWV_tBPImvncZqGthjgYM1ZxgUQycmjAI/s1600/IMG_1398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dRBE16N26l13iyfSNjaiyYsxBjaUyZnpI5Tmv638PI5_jYcNHjqA11QjZ-1PzSUTKei1sLGXr71e_XDCO9bfdrbBUwAUjtPocPiJchyF_kuYWV_tBPImvncZqGthjgYM1ZxgUQycmjAI/s640/IMG_1398.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Greg Wilson </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSux8-h8Auckqlqk4n9j4u-qVPKdLdtnPHAUo3h6ZwPO5dQhwBfX0uOd3fmEaWlP1NuZahnT_oVpoKwl1Sr8wRCdF3bsW60E7YTKUmlNLG_olhFRI9I-1uj2mceiFf8dPALNqIPcUN3qo6/s1600/IMG_1467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSux8-h8Auckqlqk4n9j4u-qVPKdLdtnPHAUo3h6ZwPO5dQhwBfX0uOd3fmEaWlP1NuZahnT_oVpoKwl1Sr8wRCdF3bsW60E7YTKUmlNLG_olhFRI9I-1uj2mceiFf8dPALNqIPcUN3qo6/s640/IMG_1467.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Greg Wilson </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS1eavIhQmsPj_cDQtFZXJPBFeLpKLvGyn_RA5ZGs8CCSspjuQlpQ8NMTzK9HvLgg7hlXaQTMuG2GCVmXfKPHhAFjyJN7c9TFiVfqDKsbMEkUn2_f35gNK6a8QYP8t9NFgCE-BqZqaOxX/s1600/IMG_1482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsS1eavIhQmsPj_cDQtFZXJPBFeLpKLvGyn_RA5ZGs8CCSspjuQlpQ8NMTzK9HvLgg7hlXaQTMuG2GCVmXfKPHhAFjyJN7c9TFiVfqDKsbMEkUn2_f35gNK6a8QYP8t9NFgCE-BqZqaOxX/s640/IMG_1482.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Greg Wilson </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Ben the fairy..............he is such a show off!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4qw7ZyDNb9og9UltvTSNfYcvUkNFSZj8XomgnoDTSomEeyn7GynuasQQ0FQAMu0KNaV-Uj0EwTX4SRULtN7HlZTMRMdZXnKtr1Hos_PQoeDBA7ezP4R5PnT3eNND_F59coSA4XEwhU9A/s1600/P1020393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV4qw7ZyDNb9og9UltvTSNfYcvUkNFSZj8XomgnoDTSomEeyn7GynuasQQ0FQAMu0KNaV-Uj0EwTX4SRULtN7HlZTMRMdZXnKtr1Hos_PQoeDBA7ezP4R5PnT3eNND_F59coSA4XEwhU9A/s640/P1020393.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoCPtZ7zqyBRghyphenhyphenOitgkBBjnZLEP2u0JOAYlum5LZKqZj6SRK7kfGefCW9ekQfjYctSZ_bVQVafaHnY_16pmysZZXrPHqH0sbxZ6QoSS04QbIY6aoh0-HGYx2laxdMCIQ8i0r8Jz_w1yH/s1600/P1020395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoCPtZ7zqyBRghyphenhyphenOitgkBBjnZLEP2u0JOAYlum5LZKqZj6SRK7kfGefCW9ekQfjYctSZ_bVQVafaHnY_16pmysZZXrPHqH0sbxZ6QoSS04QbIY6aoh0-HGYx2laxdMCIQ8i0r8Jz_w1yH/s400/P1020395.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooEYhOubQIjCmDNg6cN0EiaPwqSmQP_8inLNGcNJfo2nd2Iziff77AhvXWy3pZ-1RviXOqDqogYvYefm0j18k-kfp19y0BO2lvQB4GM-YZYqr9zjA9pa4dvQMPvUTHUQZRRcTESLiqOuM/s1600/P1020400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooEYhOubQIjCmDNg6cN0EiaPwqSmQP_8inLNGcNJfo2nd2Iziff77AhvXWy3pZ-1RviXOqDqogYvYefm0j18k-kfp19y0BO2lvQB4GM-YZYqr9zjA9pa4dvQMPvUTHUQZRRcTESLiqOuM/s640/P1020400.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0DMnbPZdG3PxmUdge3VncYVNOPN0VznjG-XGSxjjeCUdo3Ck4bjahyphenhyphenEGGnegFJvuPBYlOvMeDrfCjzA-74f6B144rtyMwS1ZGAb4VGlF7S-UawigIsmEofzk3JdpUEe0m3v_VPRF8SeK/s1600/P1020405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0DMnbPZdG3PxmUdge3VncYVNOPN0VznjG-XGSxjjeCUdo3Ck4bjahyphenhyphenEGGnegFJvuPBYlOvMeDrfCjzA-74f6B144rtyMwS1ZGAb4VGlF7S-UawigIsmEofzk3JdpUEe0m3v_VPRF8SeK/s640/P1020405.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9tjBFMSY0L37xjWd3NA-3G4aD1fDA6TgB7PtonlBcviqneB_sbVnZ7jJQ0c67_ORkh78RnEBVCHvlS1nwAsFRVmS509P-4Qb9kMPWB3XB_loCoQ8Ct44uOxl0JgfUojYpdi7SOQGXvga/s1600/P1020407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9tjBFMSY0L37xjWd3NA-3G4aD1fDA6TgB7PtonlBcviqneB_sbVnZ7jJQ0c67_ORkh78RnEBVCHvlS1nwAsFRVmS509P-4Qb9kMPWB3XB_loCoQ8Ct44uOxl0JgfUojYpdi7SOQGXvga/s640/P1020407.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjSrZNQFGcy0q_iE9yYwbF02r58SOxDGhmNtwqHH1h5xqpXkwTI940WOtdvjFrY4N3EEGZ8oPUyGj2II4mwy5-4iK3HnwZ6mDQcCzNHjN385GdNtAdpYay5hSINBs50Oc70cEV6zZjbhG/s1600/P1020414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLjSrZNQFGcy0q_iE9yYwbF02r58SOxDGhmNtwqHH1h5xqpXkwTI940WOtdvjFrY4N3EEGZ8oPUyGj2II4mwy5-4iK3HnwZ6mDQcCzNHjN385GdNtAdpYay5hSINBs50Oc70cEV6zZjbhG/s640/P1020414.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzEDOJej4pNOV9oK_Yq-LBHxsxkyk7w3UiOtFhjIN8u0UOBDS6Tzj0UUfcnLbGMq57RfCHebKdy0u291tVEBBj9F0NtOaFMHQ_E2ed5v0gKJDK0DyWKpyLviRYXuXJ3flbFmH5fxuqlWt/s1600/P1020417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidzEDOJej4pNOV9oK_Yq-LBHxsxkyk7w3UiOtFhjIN8u0UOBDS6Tzj0UUfcnLbGMq57RfCHebKdy0u291tVEBBj9F0NtOaFMHQ_E2ed5v0gKJDK0DyWKpyLviRYXuXJ3flbFmH5fxuqlWt/s640/P1020417.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NgCE_bUR1Ye8-62_h13Heh55ywSec5wBc5BZf5t-hKfcDglVlSfRxGSMW5gtCI71g8yNubPGpxJxqTJa5ZCMS2PQJ5eAW1G9N80b0DyUqEmUpLDJATvXArtP2hWSOVKd-rLTEE5gCM54/s1600/P1020421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NgCE_bUR1Ye8-62_h13Heh55ywSec5wBc5BZf5t-hKfcDglVlSfRxGSMW5gtCI71g8yNubPGpxJxqTJa5ZCMS2PQJ5eAW1G9N80b0DyUqEmUpLDJATvXArtP2hWSOVKd-rLTEE5gCM54/s640/P1020421.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjy-o6t2qgkdVeYjXa8dRNFu3zz-VN9c-Gxk2PUGhy4jEQuq9qLCW-mEifQmEB19bsgAW9cPAEILsSyCKXJ75WBVQX6PfWc-qW1XWko6HsnJvZKBgA4iSbGjCAEpVfVWH-6c7EMcqcPt3/s1600/P1020422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjy-o6t2qgkdVeYjXa8dRNFu3zz-VN9c-Gxk2PUGhy4jEQuq9qLCW-mEifQmEB19bsgAW9cPAEILsSyCKXJ75WBVQX6PfWc-qW1XWko6HsnJvZKBgA4iSbGjCAEpVfVWH-6c7EMcqcPt3/s640/P1020422.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKSvuPANJoF1IlOfUEVOlUfr1lZ7TrgxtyZg3HZaf8nOMnaEcuuKJhxXq9Ks7BAVS9JA-NpUQhdXQJKSV5MZ2e8oQ7W5F8e_0uv9yjcZi_RfJLU6KRF5ku9DNJCQ04YU0vKB0efJDgOHw/s1600/P1020425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKSvuPANJoF1IlOfUEVOlUfr1lZ7TrgxtyZg3HZaf8nOMnaEcuuKJhxXq9Ks7BAVS9JA-NpUQhdXQJKSV5MZ2e8oQ7W5F8e_0uv9yjcZi_RfJLU6KRF5ku9DNJCQ04YU0vKB0efJDgOHw/s640/P1020425.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kvGtjHObUVN1ysdlDELsQMtZGLTQ752pbAlj2H8tc-FU9tSJDEIQoIDOpcn2QyCL8rH379kYihTwg9GJUMjGHmrTlk93KuktsP13KFvkXCUKWVFF4nNNUz9DnXpv2O4xsu6FRniSFyFv/s1600/P1020430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2kvGtjHObUVN1ysdlDELsQMtZGLTQ752pbAlj2H8tc-FU9tSJDEIQoIDOpcn2QyCL8rH379kYihTwg9GJUMjGHmrTlk93KuktsP13KFvkXCUKWVFF4nNNUz9DnXpv2O4xsu6FRniSFyFv/s640/P1020430.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyobSttQ9dB8ONhPH4_SsYGfSyGMSOsBDcJI55HwXKyN-3XkOHeIZPuEusmqVhPnoNn9_Oh0gkXrheDczanfHbJD-tEUmfpsZJunWNF2Vrz0fkbjXoiqxeaVNZrVvVA6Q0fZKu_NxP7TjL/s1600/P1020433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyobSttQ9dB8ONhPH4_SsYGfSyGMSOsBDcJI55HwXKyN-3XkOHeIZPuEusmqVhPnoNn9_Oh0gkXrheDczanfHbJD-tEUmfpsZJunWNF2Vrz0fkbjXoiqxeaVNZrVvVA6Q0fZKu_NxP7TjL/s640/P1020433.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZS141P7usqrIALiPdpw0INvrIYICUQAdvDyFrpSkGuMiJSpLkSpuK7gYI6p4O5ABi-88oEnouliecju6f0rUIs76ydwCRAYVv_61fF4QxH08d7q9WtdS0ELxdj59k40QYYq3OGfEXIyV/s1600/P1020438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZS141P7usqrIALiPdpw0INvrIYICUQAdvDyFrpSkGuMiJSpLkSpuK7gYI6p4O5ABi-88oEnouliecju6f0rUIs76ydwCRAYVv_61fF4QxH08d7q9WtdS0ELxdj59k40QYYq3OGfEXIyV/s640/P1020438.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So there really isn't any need to elaborate too much on those pics as I'm sure you all can fill in the gaps........................was a big night! The only think i haven't got any pictures of and probably a good thing too and that was the second costume i wore. At 12 o'clock changed i got changed into what can only be described as something quite disturbing, naked man. It was a Lycra skin coloured suit with felt nipples and leaves down there AND believe me I got the desired reactions. Mind you i personally don't think it was as bad as <a href="http://www.absoluteantarctica.blogspot.com/2011/01/19-new-years-one-perfect-special.html" target="_blank">last years</a> costume. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Anyway all in all I'm still having a ball down here only hoping that the Ice blows away soon so we can put the IRB's into the water and cruise some ice burgs. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hope everyone has recovered from their New Years parties and e prosperity has already begun for them in what is going to be a wicked year!!!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Michael</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">P.S...........................May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions!<strong> </strong><br />
<strong>Joey Adams</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;">and as it is new years here is another...........................</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">..............................An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to</div><div style="text-align: left;"> make sure the old year leaves.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <strong>Bill Vaughan</strong></div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-31606037783767940272011-12-25T05:08:00.000+10:002011-12-25T05:08:31.562+10:007 Tourists the third Christmas in Antarctica..................Well hello again,<br />
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Been a couple crazy days here in the lead up to Christmas's and as I eluded to in my last blog we were immediately expecting a tourist boat the KK or <a href="http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/our-ships/kapitan-khlebnikov" target="_blank">Kapitan Khlebnikov.</a> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloRrAbZO_oks2MUR0jePlr45TwOfsDc8YxfjkdWdj0AFfGKGQOuY9VqzsZqamxhmvQLsBc-2eHha6YWdXQSRrbAnlSj9gTOpcfN4uGhmGytR6ITqz087ZeukJ5RxUPUePZrrBFKILYOpH/s1600/P1020311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgloRrAbZO_oks2MUR0jePlr45TwOfsDc8YxfjkdWdj0AFfGKGQOuY9VqzsZqamxhmvQLsBc-2eHha6YWdXQSRrbAnlSj9gTOpcfN4uGhmGytR6ITqz087ZeukJ5RxUPUePZrrBFKILYOpH/s640/P1020311.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Well the KK arrived as planned however they pick a very ordinary day to come ashore as winds that day were gusting to 45 knots or 83kph. She parked in exactly the same place as the AA (Aurora Australis) did when she was in town on our resupply which was about 2km off station. You can still see the roads that had been built for the vehicles to run on in the ice.<br />
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Anyway 12 people including myself put our hands up to act as tour guides for the day, Johnny (AKA Jumpin Johnny a fellow Gold Coaster and chippy that i had been down with on my first season), Laser Dave a wintering <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/studying-the-atmosphere/probing-the-atmosphere-with-lidar" target="_blank">Lidar</a> scientist and myself took the first group. I will talk about Lidars in a future blog but for now lets keep on tr tack with the story.<br />
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Talking in the wind was difficult but the looks on all the faces of the tourists was great especially one. Vic was one of the tourists in our group and he had a particularly interesting story. 1976 I was three but Vic was on his way down here to winter as a cook.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCv-6ryIzFMxL_-7oJIhc8Lda1DgnNjavLu4i52HxjoTU0HSAKkWBiQ7Wx47RPHG4shoVfnQiWojhjNlwKfc4n1n4YMEmdwcihc6Hsy0iDwp9QYatgQtuKHY0GStZmCnTCjYnSl-2p6Q_/s1600/P1020325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCv-6ryIzFMxL_-7oJIhc8Lda1DgnNjavLu4i52HxjoTU0HSAKkWBiQ7Wx47RPHG4shoVfnQiWojhjNlwKfc4n1n4YMEmdwcihc6Hsy0iDwp9QYatgQtuKHY0GStZmCnTCjYnSl-2p6Q_/s640/P1020325.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic of a pic by Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">All around the LQ (Living Quarters) there are pictures of the winterers since we landed here and this is the 1976 wintering group. Front right holding the dog Nina is Vic.</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioS7e6GI-9QG7t6wozexXOGzsBZb160s857hI0T9i2UGKGOVGot4eSo6Nr1VS_URFfcpaU-CVv_gYwzdMR3w8dTsQ-iNlyJYVhn8aKhyphenhyphenc-JgbSbdViAHjrytJtGEVJFv_6pOr4HolOy9sD/s1600/Davis+76-34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioS7e6GI-9QG7t6wozexXOGzsBZb160s857hI0T9i2UGKGOVGot4eSo6Nr1VS_URFfcpaU-CVv_gYwzdMR3w8dTsQ-iNlyJYVhn8aKhyphenhyphenc-JgbSbdViAHjrytJtGEVJFv_6pOr4HolOy9sD/s640/Davis+76-34.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Vic Wett</div><br />
Here is a pic of Vic while he was here in 1976. We were lucky enough that he brought some of his pics from his winter and the expeditionars got a little presentation from Vic as what the station was like back then. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VR5MtT_NHg9istQ2ORvjQIdLl9HpccpQS3gSnaN6fMs9mIgmKTF1w_ZrCv1Z4A7PGscE7TM8M2ZG_F0vfVKyM1qZBme1HRHBxw23tw_Ke2fW6g_cILd_sFR8aZXcJ0sQBenEa-XBDAv6/s1600/Davis+76-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VR5MtT_NHg9istQ2ORvjQIdLl9HpccpQS3gSnaN6fMs9mIgmKTF1w_ZrCv1Z4A7PGscE7TM8M2ZG_F0vfVKyM1qZBme1HRHBxw23tw_Ke2fW6g_cILd_sFR8aZXcJ0sQBenEa-XBDAv6/s640/Davis+76-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Vic Wett </div><br />
In Vics time the MV Nella Dan was the vessel that the Antarctic Division used. Vic would have more than likely been on V2 and unfortunately there are no SITREPS but you can see the dates of this voyage <a href="http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/voyages/display_voyage.cfm?voyage_id=277" target="_blank">HERE</a>. This ship 11 years later would ground itself during a resupply to Macca (Macquarie Island) and there are several documents I found on the wrecking of the Nella Dan and this one is a first hand account of the <br />
<a href="http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/fahan_mi_shipwrecks/journals/Shipwrecks/swnelladan15.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a><span id="goog_59668280"></span> while this one is preliminary investigation report on its grounding <a href="http://www.atsb.gov.au/media/25007/mair20_001.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>. You can also have a look at all the vessels that the Australian Antarctic Division have used over the years by clicking <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/transportation/shipping" target="_blank">HERE</a> you'll see the list of ships on the left.<br />
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You'll notice on the side of the ship there is a yellow thing, well this is a LARC an amphibious vehicle that was use in the resupply of the stations and still is today at Macquarie Island. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJ2X6iS0SamnWdYcSfx1U8li3HdEGPQq_zoP2JhsuBfxauP7pEZt5NS_SC1OgV7YlZK34I8CNXxll00_HeV2R8FYGmsJjhvXCllDsRkODtX_dkkgGWf48PyTH7fHpAdiHZrbocbLX7RWE/s1600/Davis+76-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJ2X6iS0SamnWdYcSfx1U8li3HdEGPQq_zoP2JhsuBfxauP7pEZt5NS_SC1OgV7YlZK34I8CNXxll00_HeV2R8FYGmsJjhvXCllDsRkODtX_dkkgGWf48PyTH7fHpAdiHZrbocbLX7RWE/s640/Davis+76-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Vic Wett</div><br />
A LARC hard at work bring in the years food, building materials and so on into station. LARC's were extensively used in the resupply of all of Australian Stations and still get used today <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/technological-developments/august-2009" target="_blank">HERE</a> is an article giving a little of the history about the use of the LARC's by the Div. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj481aJwfC6XoU-kFhpRyYkQp8shPE1fLhJU8x8h9Ugu88na5bTZgqHW8xdrKVmyGkRCNzlDV-40QTrU_iHVFrLpoEuNjgvg9XyJokbiphJVxGQvWqislMdeVm90rgsuNUrSJZ7Kb0mAoRc/s1600/Davis+76-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj481aJwfC6XoU-kFhpRyYkQp8shPE1fLhJU8x8h9Ugu88na5bTZgqHW8xdrKVmyGkRCNzlDV-40QTrU_iHVFrLpoEuNjgvg9XyJokbiphJVxGQvWqislMdeVm90rgsuNUrSJZ7Kb0mAoRc/s640/Davis+76-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Vic Wett</div><br />
This in 1976 was almost the entire station..............<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYncXXvCB3mmzSlcI_e1ibPCEcLy4OOmjLuw3O9enH2BCrdbkCBW2N4rK8RSUYFGDfWnxNozuQ2FkqSrgNQedT3cS2qKh2UPsVFEWexEdYo2nD1Rya7pYmJ4h5u73U7cZ6mrr5mtHxh9d/s1600/davis1_1009.thumb_stitch.full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHYncXXvCB3mmzSlcI_e1ibPCEcLy4OOmjLuw3O9enH2BCrdbkCBW2N4rK8RSUYFGDfWnxNozuQ2FkqSrgNQedT3cS2qKh2UPsVFEWexEdYo2nD1Rya7pYmJ4h5u73U7cZ6mrr5mtHxh9d/s640/davis1_1009.thumb_stitch.full.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic UNKNOWN</div><div style="text-align: left;">And today..............................with the red circle show where the old station was!!! Sorry to digress, i seem to do a bit of that don't i but just in case you were interested as to why Davis is called Davis have a look <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/history/people/john-king-davis" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIYRazPYpdjTAPp-GYOBJzAfVINmUnuMQTJ6SeDVHuLrXGUtXfRI02HFHsAmASUUWqlH6GaBvaWPE1USjMmF910VzmsYZ3OruhBTCxHFd4Vtq88XeVVeecMFvOsUDlv9lPPSQYUgnrWGr/s1600/Davis+76-29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIYRazPYpdjTAPp-GYOBJzAfVINmUnuMQTJ6SeDVHuLrXGUtXfRI02HFHsAmASUUWqlH6GaBvaWPE1USjMmF910VzmsYZ3OruhBTCxHFd4Vtq88XeVVeecMFvOsUDlv9lPPSQYUgnrWGr/s640/Davis+76-29.jpg" width="414" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Vic Wett</div><br />
Nothing like that has happened to us this season but getting blizzed in dose happen!!!!!!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3lCJ1oiokKiDTwlZA_tBoVmoS_sOZoEvMbysd43x8A4wZpteaQFRuQvTjSMl0PPPSqQuPVR97IKGvH_SBqFq_8B3K0OWQDqemKnt5_0-MuOoGlZO7qAkGV5PyStEs5wUU_JYgTMQ6IlU/s1600/Davis+76-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP3lCJ1oiokKiDTwlZA_tBoVmoS_sOZoEvMbysd43x8A4wZpteaQFRuQvTjSMl0PPPSqQuPVR97IKGvH_SBqFq_8B3K0OWQDqemKnt5_0-MuOoGlZO7qAkGV5PyStEs5wUU_JYgTMQ6IlU/s640/Davis+76-45.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Vic Wett</div><br />
When Vic was here in 1976 the main job that was being done was what is now called EPH (Emergency Power House). Above is a pic of them building it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisoMXM9WicxyRjUpVeFRN1SR3xSmvR_w9aYYYfuzO-0thSMC6qc3TLyQA4Swpu3BkH1elX1_C6ZvY804WuVVDVqQq-4tOaoHC4t7KFz-LDI2SDxmKcxsNYOEk5eXDERNXtYZhnTSOlj8dN/s1600/P1020344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisoMXM9WicxyRjUpVeFRN1SR3xSmvR_w9aYYYfuzO-0thSMC6qc3TLyQA4Swpu3BkH1elX1_C6ZvY804WuVVDVqQq-4tOaoHC4t7KFz-LDI2SDxmKcxsNYOEk5eXDERNXtYZhnTSOlj8dN/s640/P1020344.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
The EPH today..............................and I do mean today as i only just got back from taking that picture!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEC1Nrha1c6tZS_th37FNAyN8LkAk7aCmh_KHy-l58ILADreXAyEJjlwzbVvRzX_RJcm3S90jpJ9DZXdCh298rtlaUHDELBDYTR3PaE6LB464b4w9Vphm8OildujHxRHQgrdwRzQuNTj5m/s1600/Davis+76-51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEC1Nrha1c6tZS_th37FNAyN8LkAk7aCmh_KHy-l58ILADreXAyEJjlwzbVvRzX_RJcm3S90jpJ9DZXdCh298rtlaUHDELBDYTR3PaE6LB464b4w9Vphm8OildujHxRHQgrdwRzQuNTj5m/s640/Davis+76-51.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Vic Wett</div>Nina the Husky and also the name of our bar down here. Nina was the first to be returned home after her working days. Before then the dogs when they reached retirement age they were destroyed but Nina ended up in Adelaide and here is a article in "<a href="http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19771130&id=3tYyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Bu4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=2320,5462501" target="_blank">The Citizen - Ottowa</a>" where a couple of her pups ended up.<br />
<a href="http://www.naa.gov.au/Images/huskies_tcm16-36800.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a pdf that I found and its the "Dog report" from Mawson Station in 1961 and it gives you quite an insight into how much reliance the early expeditionars had on the dog teams for survival here.<br />
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So after taking the first groups around station they were taken back into the LQ (Living Quarters) for a talk from our scientists about the programs we are running on station this season. More on that one another blog!!<br />
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Cup of tea, visit the post office ohhh yea we do have one of them but only mail coming in is with the voyages and the occasional tourist ship that sometimes takes it for us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHPbdVaUCB0A_pQXofzO7KUaEpieLzYTKTVDLm2RjWLfVMrPLnIYE1zZ20y6sAIYIu234TZI0oWm7dZpZuRXg83xY6GsviGkSbmG7eRnHwD-U6e8-PJqK3FAW8yyrpF26W4m8aBm1NN9K/s1600/P1020313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHPbdVaUCB0A_pQXofzO7KUaEpieLzYTKTVDLm2RjWLfVMrPLnIYE1zZ20y6sAIYIu234TZI0oWm7dZpZuRXg83xY6GsviGkSbmG7eRnHwD-U6e8-PJqK3FAW8yyrpF26W4m8aBm1NN9K/s640/P1020313.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br />
Jo our resident Deiso come Postie dressed to the 9's in a old Ambos dress uniform. Don't know where the Ambo's uniform comes in but he dose look the very professional and he did get quite a reaction from me when i saw him in it!!!<br />
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After all that they then had the 2km walk back to their ship. No choppers could fly due to the high winds. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69gjzgwRYB3pMw5I-SsU63Y8vGFdg1go_jduX_n7D4zL4tHjIW6yN-imo1p4V_hF56zqN7Vr2WJI7aRt4IIK5jiJkV-ascsusR8QlcaHrHC0bRCaB8imA-lhB_mxOQaylbC5j_H9P_KHY/s1600/P1020323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69gjzgwRYB3pMw5I-SsU63Y8vGFdg1go_jduX_n7D4zL4tHjIW6yN-imo1p4V_hF56zqN7Vr2WJI7aRt4IIK5jiJkV-ascsusR8QlcaHrHC0bRCaB8imA-lhB_mxOQaylbC5j_H9P_KHY/s640/P1020323.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
The tourists walking back to the KK....................<br />
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KK soooooooooooooooooooooo the wind had dipped to 20-25 knots tide was low which gave me and Laser Dave the perfect opportunity to drive a hagg out and picked up the cargo and to get a couple close ups on the KK.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Dt7mNsY4OuZfNFDglck4V8m0OVwo6-bfD9S0uUIB3etrKQ025k1sZ90_FLBXsPJdqY_EjwV0LBf2fzI7Qiclu0QToi4QwUBXnXza1E_EvydDBESSnFoTW5Lh_HGDULpRXIYaxyk8EKTc/s1600/P1020318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Dt7mNsY4OuZfNFDglck4V8m0OVwo6-bfD9S0uUIB3etrKQ025k1sZ90_FLBXsPJdqY_EjwV0LBf2fzI7Qiclu0QToi4QwUBXnXza1E_EvydDBESSnFoTW5Lh_HGDULpRXIYaxyk8EKTc/s640/P1020318.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFa-w9xTUhCCey73NvIVs3JmTdxzf0kxWx2YMFnX2IyZWqJY3K7DnSzf2-t1LvxDbeJs0T1BPSfXgtlljiI-WgynBwtoBBQVNG5f4F3tFos9cVSxjq_HVtZ9x2anbW6ixzoAHcG6py_oV/s1600/P1020319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFa-w9xTUhCCey73NvIVs3JmTdxzf0kxWx2YMFnX2IyZWqJY3K7DnSzf2-t1LvxDbeJs0T1BPSfXgtlljiI-WgynBwtoBBQVNG5f4F3tFos9cVSxjq_HVtZ9x2anbW6ixzoAHcG6py_oV/s640/P1020319.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Don't think i would like to be on this big girl in a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_scale" target="_blank">force 11 or 12</a> which are common down here.....................i digress again but Casey has been in a resupply for the last 2 weeks and due to the weather they have been having the poor guys are still going. <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/casey/this-week-at-casey/page?id=56460&st=Casey&dt=MjAxMS0xMi0yMw==" target="_blank">HERE</a> is their weekly news letter to explain whats been happening there and the ships <a href="http://its-app3.aad.gov.au/proms/public/schedules/voyage_sitreps.cfm?season=1112&voyage_no=2&ship=Aurora%20Australis" target="_blank">SITREPS</a>.<br />
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One of the buildings on the tour was this one................<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQo2-uXgwAqsVzSZf2Prh3Wyy-g1nLDV8pGpeg22qVpsF2wXf0UvI3_ypQ6sypSMDL5mNdNyu5zzCas8MAdiec1MJJu-4djHefmOlyXL4kzNRoobcqHw4AeMTypu08qmrJNWkf5WvEZwp/s1600/P1020347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQo2-uXgwAqsVzSZf2Prh3Wyy-g1nLDV8pGpeg22qVpsF2wXf0UvI3_ypQ6sypSMDL5mNdNyu5zzCas8MAdiec1MJJu-4djHefmOlyXL4kzNRoobcqHw4AeMTypu08qmrJNWkf5WvEZwp/s640/P1020347.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
This hut is a historic hut that was originally at Heard Island but moved to Davis a little while ago, <a href="http://www.heardisland.aq/about/location-geography" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a web site explaining Heard Island and geography.<a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Heard+Island&hl=en&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBAU433AU433&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=av31TqS4EsTirAeB3OC_DQ&ved=0CEwQsAQ&biw=1249&bih=518" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a google search on Heard Island Images. <a href="http://www.heardisland.aq/about/frequently-asked-questions" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a web page on FQA's of the island and a <a href="http://www.heardisland.aq/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/637/Figure_01.pdf" target="_blank">MAP</a> relative to its position to Australia/Antarctica. A map of the island itself can be found <a href="http://www.heardisland.aq/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/639/HIMI_general.pdf" target="_blank">HERE</a>. There is also another web site i found on the huts at Heard Island <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-antarctic-magazine/2001-2005/issue-1-autumn-2001/environment-and-heritage/every-australian-needs-a-shed" target="_blank">HERE.</a><br />
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Anyway i digress and all in all it was a unreal day especially talking to Vic which was for me anyway the highlight thus far. Mind you I'm sorry to say Vic, I'm sure something will be better than that soon, it always dose down here!<br />
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Yesterday we had a xmass breakup and Summer Tradies pic. Every season the Summer Tradies pic is taken normally with the major project they have been working on for the season. This season one of the projects we have been working on is a new boat shed and below is a short video timelaps of this break up party and the pic that will be <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzmrZWck6WjaQaJWP8eycuWImk8K1WwXb1VgxjgnAjjd69QeAiopijA6btznYKK7c4bmagi-TBtympNOOJpnQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Video Michael Goldstein</div><br />
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Well think i have BS'd on enough for this blog and I'm now thinking that it is currently Christmas day back home. I am now feeling quite home sick but don't tell Mum and Dad that can be our secret. Talking to them today it sounds like there is going to be quite a bash on at there house and for the third year in a row I'm going to miss it! <br />
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I do love it down here but it is at times like this as much as the people here really do become a second family the real one are the ones that i miss the most. Doesn't feel l Christmas as we don't get bombarded with advertising, no night well very little anyway, I choose not to even read the newspapers which only depress me with all the misery in the world. <br />
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So to finish up I hope that you've all been good boys and girls and that <a href="http://www.northpole.com/" target="_blank">Santa</a> brought you all the presents you deserve, Happy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah#Story_of_Hanukkah" target="_blank">Hanukkah</a>, seasons greeting and for the rest have a nice break.<br />
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Take care,<br />
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Goldie<br />
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P.S............................<span class="huge">Christmas... is not an external event at all, but a piece of one's home that</span><br />
<span class="huge"> one carries in one's heart..</span><br />
<span class="bodybold"> Freya Stark</span>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-32057357767193817182011-12-21T04:40:00.000+10:002011-12-21T04:40:48.427+10:006 Quad bikes and station life at Davis..............Hello Friends,<br />
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Yes I'm running late been having a relaxing weekend and wasn't really in the mood for spending hours in front of my computer but concentrating on the backs of my eyelids and minimizing the size of my movie collection was done with much enjoyment. This was however done on the back of a week that disappeared so quickly that I'm still shaking my head as to where it went. Saturday i was given the opportunity to head off station on the quad bikes for a little but of a cruise. So without further ado check this one out, sit back and enjoy..............................<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxjmOhBgvkoSNRwrIG5hQbH2OHsX2WO-o7JHcecMxfNDktY_FOOzEIyKvQl6Uqh5wNQ7cAWfDuFe7UmNA-WXw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well tomorrow we are having something a little different happening and a first for me. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapitan_Khlebnikov_(icebreaker)" target="_blank">Kapitan Khlebnikov</a> a Russian polar class ice breaker bringing in tourists will be here for the day bringing in some 100 tourists.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The tour has been arranged by a company called <a href="http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/" target="_blank">Quark Expeditions</a> and they have a couple by the looks of it on their books for next year if i make you too jealous you can always come down here that way...........BUT be prepared i think the tourists that are arriving tomorrow have paid in the order of $50,000 per bed in twin share. That being said they have seen a almost all the stations on this side of Antarctica with the packed <a href="http://www.quarkexpeditions.com/antarctic-expeditions/antarctica-s-far-east/overview" target="_blank">schedule</a> that they are following.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So as this week has much entertainment in store for you and for me i might keep this one short and put another quick one up later in the week and another for Christmas. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Till next time!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Goldie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S....................... <span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Life is not so much a matter of 'finding' ourselves as it is a matter of </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> making ourselves." <br />
<b> Alan Loy McGinnis </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-90687656369393364142011-12-10T20:57:00.000+10:002011-12-10T20:57:33.809+10:005 King Neptune one last time and Uncle Bob and his Twatter...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well Hello people,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Time for another blog and I'm thinking to start with this time I'm going to go back a little in time to when I was still on the ship and show you a video that I have finally finished on King Neptune. I had mentioned in Blog 2 that I had been working on a video of the Neptune ceremony but LONG STORY. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll start by explaining this long story with something some people would have never in a million years though i would EVER say. I'm going to ditch the PC and change to a Mac when I get home. I have been having so many issues editing that videos and in particular this one of King Neptune that its has turned me off PC's. I had been fighting it for the last couple months but now its decided needs to be done. But to cut the long story short from 9pm last night to nearly 1am with a little creative thinking i managed to get it done. All this for you Mrs Snoozy, the things and the lengths I go through for you..............so here it is the LONG awaited King Neptune video.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwQZMM0bNUt024gCqRNJt8kvgzCUmhQ_NdS8YORME-eyZ2qkQkN3Y-OXh5pdtruKdvTADFT1cbz4SvvYKsGSA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
Video Michael Goldstein</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jumping forward, back to this week on Tuesday Francis and myself were given the opportunity to go up in the Twatter. No I'm not swearing at you a Twatter is what the Canadians call a <a href="http://www.borekair.com/index.php/our-fleet/twin-otter" target="_blank">Twin Otter</a>. This season we are using a Canadian Company by the name of <a href="http://www.borekair.com/" target="_blank">Kenn Borek</a> who supply a majority of the countries planes down here. Bob and Al are our trusty pilots who we meet last season when they were called in to cover the CASA 212 plane that went down. So Bob has done about a million seasons south then he goes home and fly up in the Arctic too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway getting a little off track.............Tuesday we get our stuff together and make our way down to the sea ice ski way where the plane would be landing still not totally sure where we are going. The plane was on its way back from Beaver Lake which is the other side of the Amery Ice shelf. Last week Jumpin John Harris went over there to do a little clean up and he did a little story about his adventure which you can see <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis/2011/this-week-at-davis-2-december-2011/3" target="_blank">HERE.</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So we were out on the Skiway waiting for the plane to arrive back from the same place bringing more rubbish back to station with the dieso duo of Jo and Jose on board. After unloading the plane into a sling as it could be slung under a chopper and taken back to station we loaded up 5 drum's of fuel for future flights to go on further. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sansom_Islands" target="_blank">Sansom Island</a> here we come here is a little vid of the flight.......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwEMJV01FAVlMe1QkZN925xOTyBcwqOHv2UOJHqP4FifWvKDRCUndPbGnsNGGqvZnT7FbpNYcHAyl8rMhcKOg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;">Here are a couple pics from that flight that i though would be with seeing again..........</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbgw8VSkK1cN1J4y_WmlVXCz0a7jEdB3BhXwnPcsvgmgFyjvoeTd7fiTXe9j-vXmOTtj1IEZrsLKfgAQqPhqmIaHfwHU6inGS-gbkk7gY3MVY_EI5N5YmGuTv3QhlbT2qbOmHjozZhlu1/s1600/IMG_0641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbgw8VSkK1cN1J4y_WmlVXCz0a7jEdB3BhXwnPcsvgmgFyjvoeTd7fiTXe9j-vXmOTtj1IEZrsLKfgAQqPhqmIaHfwHU6inGS-gbkk7gY3MVY_EI5N5YmGuTv3QhlbT2qbOmHjozZhlu1/s640/IMG_0641.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Little bit of open water </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGu6U0i_gRtflgO8s6WtXEelY_iZGBsct-Tb1iLUUCnsS708XCDhCh18UGvC9lXq8krqs5zn8diq2qrQpl4XuLUdRwCZWTchkIwKp9WJA9_aoP7dB-M05MVxj9nxBBSh1shamrFBbHHNR/s1600/IMG_0676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIGu6U0i_gRtflgO8s6WtXEelY_iZGBsct-Tb1iLUUCnsS708XCDhCh18UGvC9lXq8krqs5zn8diq2qrQpl4XuLUdRwCZWTchkIwKp9WJA9_aoP7dB-M05MVxj9nxBBSh1shamrFBbHHNR/s640/IMG_0676.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Nice burgs grounded on one of the many banks there are around here.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREKzdt7Cf6ayZQI1h5w3m4nPY5Co5TqtKfqdzSwxzzy8NCDmS5iWVY8VveH2Dp0igNCiHBoNOofXZyEbWhPCjz_mb-Wwp6yA7cEizi8arSWOSTyz9CvZPy7KKLWS5id22seVo48F61K4f/s1600/IMG_0693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREKzdt7Cf6ayZQI1h5w3m4nPY5Co5TqtKfqdzSwxzzy8NCDmS5iWVY8VveH2Dp0igNCiHBoNOofXZyEbWhPCjz_mb-Wwp6yA7cEizi8arSWOSTyz9CvZPy7KKLWS5id22seVo48F61K4f/s640/IMG_0693.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yR92Ue1n6Vz5PzO4kxvPSKwhMwGNFpZ2JK8JYJvBBPTH_s8rHUjIGmOU95I7KKWfPHoYC82QMPUNOqOO2CmmreLsolYX2IvfYuW5y-dDtEVEvH15jmLy2dOvwnLnItJi0rC6lfoSlc3Z/s1600/IMG_0713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yR92Ue1n6Vz5PzO4kxvPSKwhMwGNFpZ2JK8JYJvBBPTH_s8rHUjIGmOU95I7KKWfPHoYC82QMPUNOqOO2CmmreLsolYX2IvfYuW5y-dDtEVEvH15jmLy2dOvwnLnItJi0rC6lfoSlc3Z/s640/IMG_0713.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The canvassed edge of the Amery Ice shelf there is lots of interesting reading here..........</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">This one is about drilling the Amery in 09-10 <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-antarctic-magazine/2006-2010/issue-19-2010/amisor-understanding-the-ocean-beneath-the-ice"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-us/publications/australian-antarctic-magazine/2006-2010/issue-19-2010/amisor-understanding-the-ocean-beneath-the-ice</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/davis-science/rifting-and-calving-of-the-amery-ice-shelf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/davis-science/rifting-and-calving-of-the-amery-ice-shelf</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amery_Ice_Shelf"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amery_Ice_Shelf</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><a href="http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=2870"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=2870</span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhNhoedl8k7I7B7Dr97f4zScC5E4IP9IH2QQlPDQSHRg-NRQkSMaDbvKfd94jS3jFTaH8XxKxG2U_gKJTPFoGVpJZhaOVmFHCc0fa3nho6ignPVQK4lBFlntrdpAfO69H9sjr9fTn_gNV/s1600/IMG_0735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhNhoedl8k7I7B7Dr97f4zScC5E4IP9IH2QQlPDQSHRg-NRQkSMaDbvKfd94jS3jFTaH8XxKxG2U_gKJTPFoGVpJZhaOVmFHCc0fa3nho6ignPVQK4lBFlntrdpAfO69H9sjr9fTn_gNV/s640/IMG_0735.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaEZ-z2SzHS3NLEX5EWJeUiVa07BE6J0d94U_2f90dGi98cM95M148PoGJJQmvYa-ZPkouYori1M3s7RENtVS-RodYrxc7rydX-ZqhEOCr9i88w94MNmgOc4a3kUsug3qBK7etN7iV6m7/s1600/IMG_0738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaEZ-z2SzHS3NLEX5EWJeUiVa07BE6J0d94U_2f90dGi98cM95M148PoGJJQmvYa-ZPkouYori1M3s7RENtVS-RodYrxc7rydX-ZqhEOCr9i88w94MNmgOc4a3kUsug3qBK7etN7iV6m7/s640/IMG_0738.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-BdfnlcmDC9p1JrO4zCKAOxaNr4tCTY3m91lEI_vz5vX36wyYyZaEyq8GHlh3ps643MypuIdFW7dLm4SV37ZmltYCTZb5_S5wi2_4VviOhVd88Qq9a_vugdgKAc4ymVQX34AFiD7rtk/s1600/IMG_0769.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtD-BdfnlcmDC9p1JrO4zCKAOxaNr4tCTY3m91lEI_vz5vX36wyYyZaEyq8GHlh3ps643MypuIdFW7dLm4SV37ZmltYCTZb5_S5wi2_4VviOhVd88Qq9a_vugdgKAc4ymVQX34AFiD7rtk/s640/IMG_0769.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrp5FfiS24uOvR3nCQnphejIWucLBV_jNc69OC9g0v0wgAYaTfoX3blMouF1x9ZnjGhcU6ykyftiDyAIxri0RPvLvGAFe09t7fmWnkSGc687Ywh6q0G549LcYf3zJak49XO62DxkUHmfp/s1600/IMG_0798.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrp5FfiS24uOvR3nCQnphejIWucLBV_jNc69OC9g0v0wgAYaTfoX3blMouF1x9ZnjGhcU6ykyftiDyAIxri0RPvLvGAFe09t7fmWnkSGc687Ywh6q0G549LcYf3zJak49XO62DxkUHmfp/s640/IMG_0798.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">These ice caves were incredible to see.............They are MASSIVE too, Bob (twatter pilot) thinks the chopper would be able to fly through them they are that big!!!!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBuOMUOLv5l87x7pHa8ddyYt0sfwGk-gXi74DC4JNnUiF9Nl7T0ZEjs3uM8rmqj3hKFY-bM2J5LyTzEyOM8pz9ME3TTqYaMqz-sLTuUX2tEjZNbv_HC7e9k3SRYYimq4Yj4M13WA3vwC1/s1600/IMG_0772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYBuOMUOLv5l87x7pHa8ddyYt0sfwGk-gXi74DC4JNnUiF9Nl7T0ZEjs3uM8rmqj3hKFY-bM2J5LyTzEyOM8pz9ME3TTqYaMqz-sLTuUX2tEjZNbv_HC7e9k3SRYYimq4Yj4M13WA3vwC1/s640/IMG_0772.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The <a href="http://www.sciencepoles.org/articles/article_detail/chinese_antarctic_expedition_xue_long_snow_dragon/" target="_blank">Xue Long</a> (<a href="http://www.chinare.gov.cn/en/" target="_blank">CHINARE</a> Chinese Antarctic Research Expedition i think???) parked up in the ice as we were doing their resupply at <a href="http://www.newzeal.com/theme/bases/China/Zhong.htm" target="_blank">Zhong Shan</a> which is located about 100km South East of here and 2km from <a href="http://www.newzeal.com/theme/bases/Russia/Progress.htm" target="_blank">Progress 2 (Russian)</a> both stations are maned year round.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zopIn9b7s3odfb9bvczEBlrvdARtj6IZxFoFn_CSvIUk7mYLkIhP5rUCEiL8TJ9TRUSl5cQ-y7wud0R9PeLq8dX3a0YVvvRYp5gwqG1zIGIQPhihJtpeKp-vMdgSpbWUcSQtTIcYzirT/s1600/IMG_0802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zopIn9b7s3odfb9bvczEBlrvdARtj6IZxFoFn_CSvIUk7mYLkIhP5rUCEiL8TJ9TRUSl5cQ-y7wud0R9PeLq8dX3a0YVvvRYp5gwqG1zIGIQPhihJtpeKp-vMdgSpbWUcSQtTIcYzirT/s640/IMG_0802.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwATDKhyFgBIwoA7YQbkzBg9BsKj0C_dBWbBa1fti69OGiue5bVDBcvYxR_mPnRjLL4s4RdmD18iEStcm_G2NcGjZQ8pQA77dnKV9dC8t7nWoW_XC_ekbaJ4Jve-mt-OfINTX4Awb7QFd/s1600/IMG_0805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwATDKhyFgBIwoA7YQbkzBg9BsKj0C_dBWbBa1fti69OGiue5bVDBcvYxR_mPnRjLL4s4RdmD18iEStcm_G2NcGjZQ8pQA77dnKV9dC8t7nWoW_XC_ekbaJ4Jve-mt-OfINTX4Awb7QFd/s640/IMG_0805.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Here is the summer only Russian station we flew over again and youll see the red box is the one ive blown up and the yellow ones are more of the same tracked vehicles.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EX-hRV5PYeNQB7mgFLQFZorRPJ_aLTo9i3hB8t4qugPtkPDlnYVB5Kty_oJxffDd-FZvWWfliPN4aKeztFBAlc5phlEVfwa9IsGSpC45QewDKE3Zj3lD2lw4emAUSgnPtcI0pI6zVvsU/s1600/IMG_0756.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EX-hRV5PYeNQB7mgFLQFZorRPJ_aLTo9i3hB8t4qugPtkPDlnYVB5Kty_oJxffDd-FZvWWfliPN4aKeztFBAlc5phlEVfwa9IsGSpC45QewDKE3Zj3lD2lw4emAUSgnPtcI0pI6zVvsU/s640/IMG_0756.0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GWryLEv6McvJBlTEQEy4V9UtaRZJRCsi9bVnENRZ4HmdPdINjZKTgRK90cilPdneGmOIj82qN-2jXdv7cgvGBsnBXaG634KsBWccopKcYJxhM73CdIZzjiawlJiUpCVhS76jNfA3iG3p/s1600/IMG_0756.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8GWryLEv6McvJBlTEQEy4V9UtaRZJRCsi9bVnENRZ4HmdPdINjZKTgRK90cilPdneGmOIj82qN-2jXdv7cgvGBsnBXaG634KsBWccopKcYJxhM73CdIZzjiawlJiUpCVhS76jNfA3iG3p/s640/IMG_0756.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Russian fuel cans I do hope with their injection of <a href="http://en.rian.ru/Environment/20101102/161187544.html" target="_blank">money</a> into their Antarctic endevours that they spend some on clean up!!! Same thing red box is the one ive blown up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGtVpJODyXlH7T-z1rar1_YmU8skiNoZuRWgRZBJShfj8PnfFgAaY1QgXGBO7QKLz6j13bMl-68WcOHJtK7XuKafscrF-G9t5WirqBWOQjDuBYTyA9S5g6kV3dQBRfAIlHlPYyD7IRj2S/s1600/IMG_0758.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGtVpJODyXlH7T-z1rar1_YmU8skiNoZuRWgRZBJShfj8PnfFgAaY1QgXGBO7QKLz6j13bMl-68WcOHJtK7XuKafscrF-G9t5WirqBWOQjDuBYTyA9S5g6kV3dQBRfAIlHlPYyD7IRj2S/s640/IMG_0758.0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGM0suNOzemc6tgFrqQiZNHjBpjpizQe8sdPTT_iGvP2pkY5wDS1u-I410TyJ7VPffIywDCEWO2akDq8AaS-waxnVsDrR6J4r63yOjinbeOD61S-i9nT6N9c-nkAawBIbJsqHiHkdVkKO/s1600/IMG_0758.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGM0suNOzemc6tgFrqQiZNHjBpjpizQe8sdPTT_iGvP2pkY5wDS1u-I410TyJ7VPffIywDCEWO2akDq8AaS-waxnVsDrR6J4r63yOjinbeOD61S-i9nT6N9c-nkAawBIbJsqHiHkdVkKO/s640/IMG_0758.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Some of you might have heard about the accident we had down here. My heart goes out to her firstly that this is one place that a researcher loves to come to as the place is so untouched. Secondly so much work is done in the lead up to an expedition like the one she was on in and incredible location in the <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/mawson/prince-charles-mountains" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Prince Charles Mountains</span></a> only to have it cut short by an injury. </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Injurys down here be it serious or not quickly become life threatening by the nature of the climate we are faced with everyday. Lyeing injured on the gound back home not much is going to happen. However here the ground sucks the warmth out of you VERY quickly and depending on temprature and wind conditions you become <a href="http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/770542-overview" target="_blank">hypothremic</a>. Add to this you could be 3-4-5-6-7 hours away from any decent medical facilities the situation becomes dire. The evac from Prince Charles Mountains was done in the Twatter and is somewhat covered <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis/page?id=55921&st=Davis&dt=MjAxMS0xMi0wOQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">HERE</a> right at the bottom of the page.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not going to dribbel on any more today think ive given you all enough to keep you all quiet for another week. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So untill then...............................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Take care,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Goldie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S.................... <span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Being broke is a temporary situation. Being poor is a mental state." <br />
<b> Mike Todd </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-27612255944271755842011-12-03T04:03:00.001+10:002011-12-03T17:29:28.712+10:004 Settling in, A tour of the ice burgs and a seal of approval.......Hello friends,<br />
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I know I haven't been as regular as last season but as this is all new to me I'm trying to soak it all in myself. But I am a sharing and well maybe a little caring at times too. So some of you still aren't aware exactly where I am so this blog I thought I would direct you to a map of where Davis Station is compared to Casey Station. <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CLICK HERE</span></a><br />
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So today is an important day in the history of Antarctic exploration as today the 2nd of December 1911, 100 years ago Douglas Mawson set sail for an epic journey. While today we live his dream on and explore, in a little more comfort than him, all the scientific secrets that this one of the last true frontiers left. <a href="http://centenary.antarctica.gov.au/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CLICK HERE</span></a> for the link to the centenary web site.<br />
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Today V2 (voyage 2) departed Hobart bound for Casey Station to drop off expositionars and resupply the station for the next year which coincided with a flotilla commemorating Douglas Mawsons voyage and the GG was there where she awarded the highest Australian Antarctic honour to a Antarctic Marine Biologist Dr Stephen Nicol, and the Master of Aurora Australias Captain Murray Doyle. <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news/2011/governor-general-awards-antarctic-medal-as-flotilla-sets-sail" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CLICK HERE</span></a> for the full story.<br />
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While I am on a roll with writing thought I would let you all know about a weekly news letter that we write here on station that normally has stuff in it that I don't cover, as I haven't done it. You might find it interesting though <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CLICK HERE</span></a> and it updates normally every week. While I was wed trolling I also found an interesting page on the Div web site about all the interesting educational facts about almost everything <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/education-resources" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CLICK HERE</span></a>. There is also a couple videos that did last winter about life here, haven't seen them as the Internet is a little slow tonight but take a look and tell me what you think <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/education-resources/videos-and-clips" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CLICK HERE.</span></a><br />
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So now let’s get to the fun part, a group including myself and my no so young friend Rowdy went out on a little jollie last weekend to a field hut called Platcha. More info can be found by <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis/2011/this-week-at-davis-21-october-2011" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">CLICKING HERE</span></a> but I will be going there again this weekend so I will put a little more with my own twist next blog. But for now I'm going to put some of the many pics I took on the way there. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">First few pics are of a Weddell seal pupping area we went through on the way there. Was amazing as there was at least 70-100 Seals and their pups there and the noise, well Rowdy explains it as they sound like there is a party going on!!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVwgvzVY75AUAjDBzkveRaqS9C92ZtVHQE34h-dGZw8r0iop1xZkkTTh-uaYQ5yhk0xoivgQ83VgczgfcNt66EE4xwgY7FV1ZluxULuKcakbwwtqZ3hyphenhyphenBjkqQfLThCam-80u3eHDrMd2j/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifVwgvzVY75AUAjDBzkveRaqS9C92ZtVHQE34h-dGZw8r0iop1xZkkTTh-uaYQ5yhk0xoivgQ83VgczgfcNt66EE4xwgY7FV1ZluxULuKcakbwwtqZ3hyphenhyphenBjkqQfLThCam-80u3eHDrMd2j/s640/IMG_0386.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc5Sifg5IlI2b3v5nTZqYJKJjjW9xT3k68okPdbIJXf3t-MhSFqM_RaPJ0Yrfx9jWvqZeex5x_EIrjI2ZY3UeeBU8D79ExZCjiPiUEOafxDzvrCyeSMSa0DBP3-qvX2iepURTuOkFhVAe/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrc5Sifg5IlI2b3v5nTZqYJKJjjW9xT3k68okPdbIJXf3t-MhSFqM_RaPJ0Yrfx9jWvqZeex5x_EIrjI2ZY3UeeBU8D79ExZCjiPiUEOafxDzvrCyeSMSa0DBP3-qvX2iepURTuOkFhVAe/s640/IMG_0397.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuqzyHluMazSt1KXJHyu63HsHz99LlLKpeaJQ9J0R87UB9o8vgQfhoO-pT1IANHU6t96sJ4-Hz5OvyFJ_ZWULmK4zxpws03TpgruOqahD_1gUROKR4fvhdzvoogh-rMJHu7Yei7PQfgG2/s1600/IMG_0426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsuqzyHluMazSt1KXJHyu63HsHz99LlLKpeaJQ9J0R87UB9o8vgQfhoO-pT1IANHU6t96sJ4-Hz5OvyFJ_ZWULmK4zxpws03TpgruOqahD_1gUROKR4fvhdzvoogh-rMJHu7Yei7PQfgG2/s640/IMG_0426.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2vJWDd0JhvE99yKjtUhbEyv9R2G0WA4ul7tWLnBZSfaLGVrZ6eicrKcpdElw_B3-r_t4VEbtVDAey5kNH7GROISR06D-_qQsgDZiFvsFTJAiei0XS3TlG_MwMerF3umLievF8pZN_UBc/s1600/IMG_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo2vJWDd0JhvE99yKjtUhbEyv9R2G0WA4ul7tWLnBZSfaLGVrZ6eicrKcpdElw_B3-r_t4VEbtVDAey5kNH7GROISR06D-_qQsgDZiFvsFTJAiei0XS3TlG_MwMerF3umLievF8pZN_UBc/s640/IMG_0427.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGchyphenhyphenx83hGcL6-5zhqR3Vp8lCVu3SpS0nThfyeifef_7qn2F4-jtZhRt_uOpbxTCH-U1SEMOGgi_95-m02L8yt3nrsmhbun2YcNWD4dl7tpH_IwHm-_YYTTN5LKQ5icWKlZzWBx_t7bb7/s1600/IMG_0430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGchyphenhyphenx83hGcL6-5zhqR3Vp8lCVu3SpS0nThfyeifef_7qn2F4-jtZhRt_uOpbxTCH-U1SEMOGgi_95-m02L8yt3nrsmhbun2YcNWD4dl7tpH_IwHm-_YYTTN5LKQ5icWKlZzWBx_t7bb7/s640/IMG_0430.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge07voz9oXrL-XS7LmqiowyMGL1ZdZhxDWS_MnotRD9xVPV698-8uWHtnKhHnyeEE6G-6huLkV17oxzdp15bkDAsuqCszceRG76cccl6PK5oOOLTITkeg9YSltZwygH0kQqKY2EfUokIG-/s1600/IMG_0434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge07voz9oXrL-XS7LmqiowyMGL1ZdZhxDWS_MnotRD9xVPV698-8uWHtnKhHnyeEE6G-6huLkV17oxzdp15bkDAsuqCszceRG76cccl6PK5oOOLTITkeg9YSltZwygH0kQqKY2EfUokIG-/s640/IMG_0434.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN0Z7q2LRbUDIGEZlwCdtV7gKiOSociCevhalchk_-J_xzIpIbELjVMvQEWvj4tKCqrSi9T19uVvsuS79ggilnXoMoKusoZvOwbBGNi6UrWrkVix-asE78a080De-nIVPVZzZt0mTw7AO/s1600/IMG_0446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaN0Z7q2LRbUDIGEZlwCdtV7gKiOSociCevhalchk_-J_xzIpIbELjVMvQEWvj4tKCqrSi9T19uVvsuS79ggilnXoMoKusoZvOwbBGNi6UrWrkVix-asE78a080De-nIVPVZzZt0mTw7AO/s640/IMG_0446.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-_dI7T23AD0eP9hyRg0DrgTXGL3G-3KYU4YmcFHRFeGEwVwKkqXYVFicPUKYFYjzAxQ2UfROdbpyIwjicxqFl9p-8_sTKuCYhnsMrVyJ5CAmSQX3-EpOSbVwelmUe34C94jAzd5ycJRi/s1600/IMG_0455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-_dI7T23AD0eP9hyRg0DrgTXGL3G-3KYU4YmcFHRFeGEwVwKkqXYVFicPUKYFYjzAxQ2UfROdbpyIwjicxqFl9p-8_sTKuCYhnsMrVyJ5CAmSQX3-EpOSbVwelmUe34C94jAzd5ycJRi/s640/IMG_0455.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTZJW8SFTTafADpfGnbJRrLDcLcqqNHIt2OjMQor72GW6TiF9z9lQlmHf1xabnEn6mDQ90A4yUgCHJCQYRfibwp4pfgKS4OtP_fay_oPFxtmVW6YVkR9dV_azTuA0bXi9OusK2rbYAaQ3/s1600/IMG_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTZJW8SFTTafADpfGnbJRrLDcLcqqNHIt2OjMQor72GW6TiF9z9lQlmHf1xabnEn6mDQ90A4yUgCHJCQYRfibwp4pfgKS4OtP_fay_oPFxtmVW6YVkR9dV_azTuA0bXi9OusK2rbYAaQ3/s640/IMG_0460.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW_LCyXfPCZv3kro7gSSEUM0UWIXygpixkChW_PCLjBkBL6285sy01-AGwDUdlrn50arAbyNvotf21Nda-dQeaQXcHRBJpRTUIij-YAy8r-6RMXTre11AoBYhdIOkAfEr6LhtA0i8ARrG/s1600/IMG_0465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNW_LCyXfPCZv3kro7gSSEUM0UWIXygpixkChW_PCLjBkBL6285sy01-AGwDUdlrn50arAbyNvotf21Nda-dQeaQXcHRBJpRTUIij-YAy8r-6RMXTre11AoBYhdIOkAfEr6LhtA0i8ARrG/s640/IMG_0465.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTnfvGIBlVwU5DoJ_20JZJnGrdjuQgDcHNkc3Kz7Q_3Ee_LBOkA9clMUGpqanaA52CfcZ-LbG2nNfiHatjB4Uw9xAkTRI90F_yc16GxYYDYeFTy-fqNNLdhb-TkvzHkqTOO7fK4Ll-9J3/s1600/IMG_0466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTnfvGIBlVwU5DoJ_20JZJnGrdjuQgDcHNkc3Kz7Q_3Ee_LBOkA9clMUGpqanaA52CfcZ-LbG2nNfiHatjB4Uw9xAkTRI90F_yc16GxYYDYeFTy-fqNNLdhb-TkvzHkqTOO7fK4Ll-9J3/s640/IMG_0466.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LQMd8fl94DivZfOeM6AjGcfeRNnb7NIwgDyic_-72-hiH-4I1D5bvzSRTW0O72f4VuyhPsbd1uTif1e0lJ7mcp_UuGRtIv3XPs288vJQJJ05PXU8R9DfdUvJJ2ChPSwyiqWYI1kaUjLe/s1600/IMG_0486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5LQMd8fl94DivZfOeM6AjGcfeRNnb7NIwgDyic_-72-hiH-4I1D5bvzSRTW0O72f4VuyhPsbd1uTif1e0lJ7mcp_UuGRtIv3XPs288vJQJJ05PXU8R9DfdUvJJ2ChPSwyiqWYI1kaUjLe/s640/IMG_0486.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">All around Davis the hills are marked with these interesting rock strata. I don't really understand much about it but i did find <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-and-working/stations/davis/this-week-at-davis/2010/this-week-at-davis-station-28-may-2010" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">THIS</span></a> while I was scurfing the web. One of the many advantages of having scientists here, other than doing their own science, is answering some of my stupid questions which this isn't one!! LOL<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyx7eXK0bkI6SZ0qkE4TRpd7rUfaJMW8IWYjPbUmkv6Q-CWAQ_FKCJUMcceRoaUNNejVX3ztJKudbbcO91NgRkyqYnGSdy3ojkg-YVRzykbog0tUqekjfvPtD997lTZjmRQ5NO7PtUU-G/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyx7eXK0bkI6SZ0qkE4TRpd7rUfaJMW8IWYjPbUmkv6Q-CWAQ_FKCJUMcceRoaUNNejVX3ztJKudbbcO91NgRkyqYnGSdy3ojkg-YVRzykbog0tUqekjfvPtD997lTZjmRQ5NO7PtUU-G/s640/IMG_0493.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Here is a couple pic with some different Lichens that grow in our area. Sharon and Jess, some of you will remember Jess from her Moss tour in <a href="http://www.absoluteantarctica.blogspot.com/2011/02/27-ice-skating-excavators-moss-with.html" target="_blank">last seasons blog</a> well Sharon is her supervisor and those of you who were interested in Jess's little talk <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/media/news/2011/bomb-spike-in-antarctic-moss-shows-east-antarctic-climate-is-changing" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a little more about it.</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZujEZcgkKY0t0n_yfSEqIMWl4RxVgzeMvhBlJYsDHwagVcYfRgk7ozU6ahWrgSUMiWqFZ6KbaJnilcfS1VjKOQqc2U8ua57l0rjyURmUSryLSwGIzSt3nQ_NXjvry_jVgb-1jVFgxcuMR/s1600/IMG_0537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZujEZcgkKY0t0n_yfSEqIMWl4RxVgzeMvhBlJYsDHwagVcYfRgk7ozU6ahWrgSUMiWqFZ6KbaJnilcfS1VjKOQqc2U8ua57l0rjyURmUSryLSwGIzSt3nQ_NXjvry_jVgb-1jVFgxcuMR/s640/IMG_0537.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsjVP36Q-hfYJXEnzykQJcWwFSnMlOgiOZg15S-AXCG2eBFAWRHWbWP-1QvO64sK-6TpPxheLH0lyfbola07NPds-qwdpb6fKoYCxOcrz2q9uaqE1h62kdI6NPhY63cFPtt8LJ2Cl7Tby/s1600/IMG_0543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsjVP36Q-hfYJXEnzykQJcWwFSnMlOgiOZg15S-AXCG2eBFAWRHWbWP-1QvO64sK-6TpPxheLH0lyfbola07NPds-qwdpb6fKoYCxOcrz2q9uaqE1h62kdI6NPhY63cFPtt8LJ2Cl7Tby/s640/IMG_0543.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LX9ADCW8iiW_eAIGROtu2uZNRYA6df1WPN-aEv_I-aV8ZyZeLSUQPOk8y9cM1M-Yp6J326VsrBY_XOl7tJMV7npe4cNx0ODcmx15uOiI6ufeLxrq41ZDQOXBIyNRQDN61sSYCi_eibOk/s1600/IMG_0550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LX9ADCW8iiW_eAIGROtu2uZNRYA6df1WPN-aEv_I-aV8ZyZeLSUQPOk8y9cM1M-Yp6J326VsrBY_XOl7tJMV7npe4cNx0ODcmx15uOiI6ufeLxrq41ZDQOXBIyNRQDN61sSYCi_eibOk/s640/IMG_0550.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ice never seems to stop amazing me with all the different colours, textures, designs and shapes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqNLiIs3U5Zi0PW3nZ1kzvG4WNqIZ9j15udPBQQGOq7t5L1Z6bDa0hCkQzOEm2SsJgYSVKKMnGGoVmSSCQle0AE9P0Q-rO6G84SIuiOLhFgdrslNaOfd4SekZs_F2xwlAumevpq5Zmpj3/s1600/P1020268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAqNLiIs3U5Zi0PW3nZ1kzvG4WNqIZ9j15udPBQQGOq7t5L1Z6bDa0hCkQzOEm2SsJgYSVKKMnGGoVmSSCQle0AE9P0Q-rO6G84SIuiOLhFgdrslNaOfd4SekZs_F2xwlAumevpq5Zmpj3/s640/P1020268.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdARTcKrIav-IYq69HJpw3q2AX5K_upLWJVplv41thkVy9P69_CB3HbXpf1vpyOr4qOhXJZvB6K4mvu-_nrykp6vf5IbmeNSnfaH8KpJw2sM5xQhqk4i55YjjEC8tb67NkXU4eBVZeeLas/s1600/P1020282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdARTcKrIav-IYq69HJpw3q2AX5K_upLWJVplv41thkVy9P69_CB3HbXpf1vpyOr4qOhXJZvB6K4mvu-_nrykp6vf5IbmeNSnfaH8KpJw2sM5xQhqk4i55YjjEC8tb67NkXU4eBVZeeLas/s640/P1020282.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZzP1ZgMsdWnC2pbFQ2zkbhDcyTUnRSip1pcFh0POuLa2kC_AQFlB3pRNWwR1v4L7vT4bogLdnqy7izp4EIr3SDXOoVmZqo0iqXvONjJVlPgKaf4fa3MRsbfIo6CUFLRn0OPWsczVOSQN/s1600/P1020284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZzP1ZgMsdWnC2pbFQ2zkbhDcyTUnRSip1pcFh0POuLa2kC_AQFlB3pRNWwR1v4L7vT4bogLdnqy7izp4EIr3SDXOoVmZqo0iqXvONjJVlPgKaf4fa3MRsbfIo6CUFLRn0OPWsczVOSQN/s640/P1020284.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SO last little thing is a video i quickly put together of our way home through ice burg alley, driving a hagg. ENJOY</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyKd5nKEeygOf3tyo3KdH8OCulgo55VRsOrviQekDbUHFqLSUR9_XRq_33uUvLqa6MucGM4yeBKfoMPniFXiA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Vid Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Well another week gone and where dose the time go. It seems to go too quickly when I'm here, so much to do. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Last think I wanted to talk about it family. I know I said it last year but this year it’s a little different. I AM THE MOST FORTUNATE KID IN THE WORLD. Not only can I say that I work in the most amazing place in the world but I also have the best parents in the world. It is especially hard for anyone down here when "stuff" is happening at home when your an expo down here as it’s not the communications as the phones work good, but it’s the not being able to hug someone, tell then you'll be there in 5 minutes where the best you can do in reality id 5 months when the ship picks me up. BUT along with BEST job and parents i have the best friends both here and at home. It makes me tear up to think what good fortune i have to be living a life that so few have and many dream of.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">So friends I hope this finds you well and know that you all are in my thoughts often!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Take care,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Goldie</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black;">P.S.........................A family can develop only with a loving woman as its center.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div style="background: white;"><span style="color: black;">Karl Wilhelm Friedrich Schlegel <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-45639777721362085992011-11-26T03:29:00.000+10:002011-11-26T03:29:52.904+10:003 Bit more on the trip south, Resupply and a Hagg rideHello friends,<br />
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Still a little behind where I am at, however I don't want to overload you with too much this early in the season. SO I thought I would start with a couple things I left off last blog and in particular I refer to more ship antics! Firstly I though I would show you all a selection of pics from the bridge taken at night while in the ice. I thought these were cool and think they captured the moment well. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCWEv4n-9H2fuER_yExBA5ioVDkzt4xY6ikesiuGFKC7f9ekLmyAnNCdw8fCPcY45OD0oHi5W6wDTFhiF8twrmTKOVfOuR8ULfARpYITBXqcrQz9v3QzGgqdXNebIhSZusjFG2SilxjG2/s1600/IMG_0108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCWEv4n-9H2fuER_yExBA5ioVDkzt4xY6ikesiuGFKC7f9ekLmyAnNCdw8fCPcY45OD0oHi5W6wDTFhiF8twrmTKOVfOuR8ULfARpYITBXqcrQz9v3QzGgqdXNebIhSZusjFG2SilxjG2/s640/IMG_0108.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WY3Tl2p4ewPmCNBI_-yiWkZByqTZrOylXEQx0AKNS-XkXZK2HOHkU-fmNxpTQ44dV6wZrUAoxO98YJdKN1hBOaXemZDNqZ-w9Aq3-kYDS0J6Vv8HGGHVVmQfQ5D_LvrGDeyATgXvZvB7/s1600/IMG_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5WY3Tl2p4ewPmCNBI_-yiWkZByqTZrOylXEQx0AKNS-XkXZK2HOHkU-fmNxpTQ44dV6wZrUAoxO98YJdKN1hBOaXemZDNqZ-w9Aq3-kYDS0J6Vv8HGGHVVmQfQ5D_LvrGDeyATgXvZvB7/s640/IMG_0122.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4a7_qXd8KOqEVf5gNSuqtlNgzQHGiSNWgWqbzpMFFKuzsqzXEvWNlV5k2jsuvytNKjgM38CyBOnWcta90HPEhOp1cvsHLdGs2KP5JxmQg4KuN9tFN-OuJgXB-Igo4bgO47k8kZcyFbNu/s1600/IMG_0187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4a7_qXd8KOqEVf5gNSuqtlNgzQHGiSNWgWqbzpMFFKuzsqzXEvWNlV5k2jsuvytNKjgM38CyBOnWcta90HPEhOp1cvsHLdGs2KP5JxmQg4KuN9tFN-OuJgXB-Igo4bgO47k8kZcyFbNu/s640/IMG_0187.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Tom Luttrell</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-96IjSRYAxbsLLPAfrNpDuWSWZJ6UZ5g6ZM3jXfp3bVYfnQkd5v8yDKTuZgYJh8v_jONPCKATvxfNnLqfMgrmtKkAU36Wo1Chq_bmBEJmaGe71aFQdIIKa3XfDOfvFEbU3z4RfTl-Kgdc/s1600/IMG_0190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-96IjSRYAxbsLLPAfrNpDuWSWZJ6UZ5g6ZM3jXfp3bVYfnQkd5v8yDKTuZgYJh8v_jONPCKATvxfNnLqfMgrmtKkAU36Wo1Chq_bmBEJmaGe71aFQdIIKa3XfDOfvFEbU3z4RfTl-Kgdc/s640/IMG_0190.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Tom Luttrell</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />
Motoring through the ice, hearing the ice rubbing against the hull and having the massive spot lights on was kind of freaky. Think not knowing exactly where we were in relation to the massive ice bergs that only hours earlier had been all around us. The ship’s crew were calm and collected as they had a secret weapon that the Titanic didn't have, radar. <br />
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We also had a Bob......................what’s a Bob you might ask. Well Bob is out Canadian Twin Otter Pilot or twatter as we call them and he did a rec flight directing us to the leeds in the ice. Leeds is where there is open water and where the ship travels fastest. Here is a pic Bob took of us when he did his fly over.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ffl0LNYlm8A1-mxlT_1SyknOkkP1TKY5uUGyXnPc7NfZ6R5IR65RuF_rsqSTEeE2WlVly8sS-m1c03vato5Q2CzK_zgOQyB9dYydlN3Nf7ydFOlGZYrRHK142bbtMh8f3yvHVeAEOpDx/s1600/IMG_1631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ffl0LNYlm8A1-mxlT_1SyknOkkP1TKY5uUGyXnPc7NfZ6R5IR65RuF_rsqSTEeE2WlVly8sS-m1c03vato5Q2CzK_zgOQyB9dYydlN3Nf7ydFOlGZYrRHK142bbtMh8f3yvHVeAEOpDx/s640/IMG_1631.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Bob Heath</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />
Well enough of that moving on now to resupply. We finally pulled in on Tuesday well pulled within 10km of station which was 6km too far. Problem was that we were both in hard ice and also we didn't want to damage the ice to much as we had heavy loads to move over it. So after a gentle 24 hours pushing through it we finally made it. However by that stage i had been flown off by chopper to get signed off of all the machines that i was to be driving through resupply. <br />
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Resupply here is very different to Casey, much much easier. As the ship parks in the ice no barge is needed and the containers can be lowered off the ship directly onto the waiting trucks but why don't you see for yourself. The video your about to watch is one i did while driving the crane. Horse AKA David <span style="background: white;">Barringhaus</span><span style="background: white;"> driving the truck and young Timmy New dogging me on </span>the crane. <br />
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Enjoy.............<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxegmkkyJDCjZ7-jjzIrew4ki-61f3ygLknTsJxAXcVDuN5S67fK3BaUmNm9nzFeEZFegXZrKw2dJKXCivoFg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldstein</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="background: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Resupply finished and 800,000 litres of SAB(Special Antarctic Blend) fuel transferred which unlike Casey can be done simultaneously as cargo opps, RTA (Return To Australia) cargo loaded and the ship was turned around 2-3 day early. We on the other hand took some well earned rest from a massive effort from all involved, which is all of the station. I didn’t even see the ship turn around and take off I was that buggered I was too busy studying the back of my eye lids.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></div><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Wednesday the 16th Rowdy had arranged a little trip to the </span><a href="http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=435" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Sørsdal Glacier</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYASbM2zCy17CMsrj-vZyw0FEZlPlPyO9gVPGRGvRVN0aF22xb7sEMz2X6w8pfRTXYQcf2THPt9PrypXlG81bFhQeCQst_jUqMV4uhblD98X-VrTGHT-Fc7QdxQFvkEN4KZZFsXHs4fp3A/s1600/_cfimg513397543190430995.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYASbM2zCy17CMsrj-vZyw0FEZlPlPyO9gVPGRGvRVN0aF22xb7sEMz2X6w8pfRTXYQcf2THPt9PrypXlG81bFhQeCQst_jUqMV4uhblD98X-VrTGHT-Fc7QdxQFvkEN4KZZFsXHs4fp3A/s640/_cfimg513397543190430995.bmp" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic AAD<a href="http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/gaz/display_name.cfm?gaz_id=435" target="_blank"> web site</a></div><br />
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The red outline is the Sørsdal Glacier and the blue circle is where we stopped..........<br />
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<em>The </em><i>Sørsdal</i><em> Glacier is a glacier about 15 km wide, flowing WNW and terminating in a prominent glacier tongue south of Crooked Fjord and the </em><i><span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Vestfold</span></span></i><em> Hills. Discovered and charted in February, 1935, by a Norwegian expedition under Captain </em><i><span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Klarius</span></span></i><em> </em><i><span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mikkelsen</span></span></i><em>. Named </em><i><span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Sørdsdalbreen</span></span></i><em> after Lief </em><i>Sørsdal</i><em>, a Norwegian dentist and a member of the party which landed at the northern end of the </em><i><span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Vestfold</span></span></i><em> Hills.</em> (<span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">AAD</span></span> web site)<br />
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Also this obviously means back in the old days they held their dentists in high regard too don't you think!!!!!!! Anyway was a very nice ride down there and here is a little video of that trip.........<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzJWLGpS4upYlWQTscf7EwCEP-lg8M52_Yqpu57vual4sHQOiQtjWc8qCmPOslp1WpyksPMg-Iq30o0gzli3A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Video Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">The were a couple other pics and some that were worthy of a little more of a highlight here so............below is a pic is looking at the ice cliffs of the Sørsdal Glacier</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnUIZhxuisy4SEKS3dtS0zaSfICiHKruzQXN3Emoxaewja3jVPYamHuZkcnLuy1wMnns_VLXhpzIbprdUgoQF3ZBxhf0VGeKiqKmpT2uqqI85VYQ4HDARDbQw6z6H3xCSQhr6QV9yGP_n/s1600/IMG_0261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEnUIZhxuisy4SEKS3dtS0zaSfICiHKruzQXN3Emoxaewja3jVPYamHuZkcnLuy1wMnns_VLXhpzIbprdUgoQF3ZBxhf0VGeKiqKmpT2uqqI85VYQ4HDARDbQw6z6H3xCSQhr6QV9yGP_n/s640/IMG_0261.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">One of the things you have to do is drilling the sea ice to ensure the quality of ice and thickness. Here is Rowdy doing the easy way.................with a battery drill attached to the ice drill!<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPIBlWUOnFa_dLuTUy13U7nIEgvsuNTpfgr1liYIUlChF_CctuXmh1OM2x5TdXh0luLKwkN95bZid0GZsBqCnK_g_UpheXH3DGfmBg35DwjbhcnNrr4YdQCYQyKbNIaioxcIG4iowC9HL/s1600/IMG_0263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPIBlWUOnFa_dLuTUy13U7nIEgvsuNTpfgr1liYIUlChF_CctuXmh1OM2x5TdXh0luLKwkN95bZid0GZsBqCnK_g_UpheXH3DGfmBg35DwjbhcnNrr4YdQCYQyKbNIaioxcIG4iowC9HL/s640/IMG_0263.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>That's a 1m drill bit and there was much more ice under foot than that.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbNtga4TFJPTXClysrdzdov6DGYW0-rTDkwfLDBUzPXnZhmzdAmyUYFymjneh2rEi8KKL5kTnvMCbJizQZpx-_YAG0ah9Vi2rjtUY76oUVPXp54yLupmpOZv6UY5BOIM4q-sm0jdu9jUg/s1600/IMG_0264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWbNtga4TFJPTXClysrdzdov6DGYW0-rTDkwfLDBUzPXnZhmzdAmyUYFymjneh2rEi8KKL5kTnvMCbJizQZpx-_YAG0ah9Vi2rjtUY76oUVPXp54yLupmpOZv6UY5BOIM4q-sm0jdu9jUg/s640/IMG_0264.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
On an island near where we parked there was many <a href="http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/wildlife/snow_petrels.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Snow Petrels</span></a> who have begun to nest or were about to nest. Here is one I caught in the air.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkznFNuugMSgSfp9SRJ79ldlJqAXqxg_GiCMW6DHbkUzg6XP_pq_dVpe24O9JYx0yC3TCRR3DK5f2LXftkDGTFdkr0bOfOyOKcQkhXuBevVLqBh-uR6uDlCodka_c9u3FdvX8XjHwE8kL/s1600/IMG_0265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBkznFNuugMSgSfp9SRJ79ldlJqAXqxg_GiCMW6DHbkUzg6XP_pq_dVpe24O9JYx0yC3TCRR3DK5f2LXftkDGTFdkr0bOfOyOKcQkhXuBevVLqBh-uR6uDlCodka_c9u3FdvX8XjHwE8kL/s640/IMG_0265.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michae Goldstein</div><br />
And several i caught on the ice resting...............<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKjjINHDCPfOHRkAGK0bUdTriLfYFd2bEuHy9zKfi9WJGx4Q6ffj8b8vnilFit0Fv0GqZtLntKsMT0oW8nG5t_wAdd10LsIabcykmCoTclkCHTD031w7GTKfIIeFSgo_e15oV21TLNp8n/s1600/IMG_0266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBKjjINHDCPfOHRkAGK0bUdTriLfYFd2bEuHy9zKfi9WJGx4Q6ffj8b8vnilFit0Fv0GqZtLntKsMT0oW8nG5t_wAdd10LsIabcykmCoTclkCHTD031w7GTKfIIeFSgo_e15oV21TLNp8n/s640/IMG_0266.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
Looking at the side of the glacier you can see the crevasses and how hard it would be to have crossed one when they were first discovering Antarctica.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTqjhS3HyAfIXsPvogN0sCkckgbXig_poVf7fd4RyzT_4aLxPey2q3D42XVMtsaXeIlIzC7oFTwyMGin6HQ9LYJ2x3sBE41XRlrKSJ6GxuQP7wQcoZkYO6VvJtatCXyvheHqfNRXmZcq_/s1600/IMG_0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTqjhS3HyAfIXsPvogN0sCkckgbXig_poVf7fd4RyzT_4aLxPey2q3D42XVMtsaXeIlIzC7oFTwyMGin6HQ9LYJ2x3sBE41XRlrKSJ6GxuQP7wQcoZkYO6VvJtatCXyvheHqfNRXmZcq_/s640/IMG_0269.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div>This little fella is a <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/animals/penguins/adlie-penguins" target="_blank">Adelie penguin</a> who jumped up onto the ice while i was trying to take pics of the lonesome <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/animals/penguins/emperor-penguins" target="_blank">Emperor penguin</a> who didn't want his photo taken. Every time we got ready to take a shot he would turn his back but i did manage to get that one in the video.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFGZNoLtgze3sPJ9eva-oQAr4XG5fTUlJ5xvVND3RXjy-raOM7d7pTqgqyyYgL3IHX4NzYsWnARATAL3IuIc3Ey7pJyUmNB4ogLAF3rO66-kibvCeqsSjwgV6g6DSvoPOOJi_Fg9CRzuH/s1600/IMG_0278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAFGZNoLtgze3sPJ9eva-oQAr4XG5fTUlJ5xvVND3RXjy-raOM7d7pTqgqyyYgL3IHX4NzYsWnARATAL3IuIc3Ey7pJyUmNB4ogLAF3rO66-kibvCeqsSjwgV6g6DSvoPOOJi_Fg9CRzuH/s640/IMG_0278.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
Pic Michael Goldstin</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This is a little arty one............but it is the ice. For some reason it doesn't seem to freeze smooth like where i was living in Canada on the Great Lakes it is like it snap froze a still moving body of water and that's how it stayed till it eventually melts out. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQekp2_sE8_swzqBVMY7-4vpf7kp1xTvG-t7DawqCGbE902BK9eUnFT_ZmHHYzWZ0hYdNttDqwt93x-mpQj2CG9epyckXSqzydaYO2VDuD0yH59hBd_9Tg81uCTiTMdPv6aftveoHXDu9B/s1600/IMG_0366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQekp2_sE8_swzqBVMY7-4vpf7kp1xTvG-t7DawqCGbE902BK9eUnFT_ZmHHYzWZ0hYdNttDqwt93x-mpQj2CG9epyckXSqzydaYO2VDuD0yH59hBd_9Tg81uCTiTMdPv6aftveoHXDu9B/s640/IMG_0366.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
This one was the last burg we saw before heading back to station and as you can tell its dusk, at around 11pm but it was perfect timing as far as i was concerned. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLllBrNer0-RL6_o32AXusTuoYzaRpXdhzYYxoeKdVYnPAkkl4st50O4oEH-iJS_El0Mz9Hhgn6tj2kjd2zOLolYrqr3nme2lnmGB1JGIqgp57wwiMIShv8qRTPl1H9tkSqzlTUnIcwf6/s1600/IMG_0370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLllBrNer0-RL6_o32AXusTuoYzaRpXdhzYYxoeKdVYnPAkkl4st50O4oEH-iJS_El0Mz9Hhgn6tj2kjd2zOLolYrqr3nme2lnmGB1JGIqgp57wwiMIShv8qRTPl1H9tkSqzlTUnIcwf6/s640/IMG_0370.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
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Around the wharf area is a wallow for <a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/fact-files/animals/seals-and-sea-lions/elephant-seals" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Elephant seals</span></a>. During resupply the weather was nice and warm and there was a good melt already set into the area. Normally there isn’t much of a smell as the air is so unpolluted here. HOWEVER anywhere downwind from a penguin rookery and now I’m learning about Elephant seal wallows. It started smelling like a old wet smelly German Sheppard.<br />
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On our way home we come up off the sea ice and we were greeted by one lonesome male Elle seal, only a month early. Hopefully his mates won’t be too far away as I’m looking forward to getting some good pics of these guys along with the smell once this fella gets a couple to 30 + mates here!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDAvKc0R1yDJawKr98A9QvyojCpOCfNjlI8aBNlfHXtTwbUsXuKFzDeiBK6gE0NIl3m3QZyDkMII2uo4ZmwXJuggjPTLCvXf1jCqeEiR4StCInjMMatE3N9xADkLeicHGHbp3BSmSsF4v/s1600/IMG_0372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnDAvKc0R1yDJawKr98A9QvyojCpOCfNjlI8aBNlfHXtTwbUsXuKFzDeiBK6gE0NIl3m3QZyDkMII2uo4ZmwXJuggjPTLCvXf1jCqeEiR4StCInjMMatE3N9xADkLeicHGHbp3BSmSsF4v/s640/IMG_0372.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div align="center" class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Right now the last thing I wanted to talk about is 100 years, yep 100 years on 2nd of December Mawson departed Hobart bound to explore this incredible place. I often think of what they must have gone through compared to our living, sleeping motorized transport, power, and heat and eating arrangements. You’ll notice that this will be popping up in the news more over the coming weeks and here is a couple links I’ve found already.........</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="color: black; font-size: 10pt; mso-themecolor: text1;"><br />
</span><a href="http://intranet.antarctica.gov.au/icy-news/2011/icy-news-18-november-2011/2011-11-14-Sydney-Morning-Herald-Descendants-Alfred-Hodgeman.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Sydney Morning Herald</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> article on members of Mawsons' expedition party<br />
</span><a href="http://intranet.antarctica.gov.au/icy-news/2011/icy-news-18-november-2011/2011-11-12-Border-Mail-Descendants-Andrew-Watson.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Border Mail</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> article on members of Mawsons' expedition party<br />
</span><a href="http://intranet.antarctica.gov.au/icy-news/2011/icy-news-18-november-2011/2011-11-17-The-Mercury-Kitting.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Kitting</span></a><span style="color: black; mso-themecolor: text1;"> out of <span style="background: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">expeditioners</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well time for me to get some sleep as i have a big weekend planned sooooooo maybe next blog we might actually be up to date and ill put this trip in.......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope you all are well, take care.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Michael</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S............<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Our duty is to proceed...as if limits to our ability do not exist." <b><br />
Teilhard de Chardin </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-55769178697361944262011-11-19T03:18:00.000+10:002011-11-19T03:18:01.505+10:002 A little bit while in Hobart and the Southern Ocean..............Hello friends,<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not to fear I am NOW here and let me tell you what a ride getting here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The forced holiday that I needed as my time in Hobart was filled with much to do and many late nights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Firstly I better apologise for my previous blog entry as it was rushed towards the end. My intentions were to get the first entry done and published before I got onto the ship but as all good intentions better things beckoned and I got up to mischief instead of dutifully doing what you all would do......well most of you anyway. Secondly i also better apologize for taking my sweet time in getting this the first blog up but better actually do some work and its been a busy as normal resupply. More about that in the next blog though........</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I better tell you what I can of what I got up to in Hobart then hadn’t I. On the 25<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> of September I departed the Gold Coast bound for Hobart. Now my start date for the Division wasn’t till the 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> October so what did I arrive so early for you might ask. Well a coxswains ticket is what brought me to town so early. The division put me through a commercial boating course with enables me to drive boats down south. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Doing the boating course was one thing but <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the division wouldn’t put me up, soooooooo that’s where a buddy from last season Kenny and from this point forward will be known as “The Boss man” comes into the equation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The Boss Man” kindly accepted to put up with me for 3 weeks while I was doing my course which only meant I needed transport. Queue Rowdy, now I know that if you don’t remember this name from last season you’ll be happy to know that by the end of this season you will. Rowdy half way through last season at Casey got a winter at Davis, sooooooo he had his car in Hobart and I unfortunately had to drive around in it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVuebyHltqS9oO_cu9bz3Wugo-ViInFUpy2NVHUeAK4FTCxefwM0_4XaGFzg9Jft3ofVofMESri_rRpnGnsMKfa5yg_dO8xBjnEEFp5977iyKU4c1NcM4X7UX6xV3yQrvabCe9CJqI4v_/s1600/1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkVuebyHltqS9oO_cu9bz3Wugo-ViInFUpy2NVHUeAK4FTCxefwM0_4XaGFzg9Jft3ofVofMESri_rRpnGnsMKfa5yg_dO8xBjnEEFp5977iyKU4c1NcM4X7UX6xV3yQrvabCe9CJqI4v_/s400/1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">That picture was taken when I got back last season where I again utilized Rowdys ride where i chauffeured mum and dad as they had come to town to welcome me back.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3 weeks and what I initially thought was going to be a walk in the park ended up being very interesting and edumacationable. Never though there was much more than knowing where you were and how to drive the boat you’re in, in the conditions you’re in, I was wrong. The first week besides being my birthday in the middle of the week was 5 days of a course called Coxswains Deck. In this course you learn about what commercial shipping day shapes (the shapes they display to indicate what they are doing), night lights (of which I though port and starboard and a stern light were the only ones), sound signals, flags, and laws. PASSED but wow a lot to learn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); mso-highlight: yellow;">Friday night Wendy arranged a little birthday bash at my favourite Greek restaurant called <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps/place?hl=en&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBAU433AU433&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=567&ion=1&wrapid=tlif132128997658110&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=greek+food+salamanca+hobart&fb=1&gl=au&hq=greek+food+salamanca+hobart&cid=2401421729574447291">Mezethes</a> in Salamanca with many of my friends who were in town and who work at the Division. Thanks Stus, wicked food and horribly potent after dinner shots, your a champ.</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following week I had the first 3 days off where I caught up with friends, organized my econ (baggage to be sent south) and was kitted. Kitting is the term we use for being issued with our clothing down south.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We get issued with thermals, PPE, shell clothing (windproof uninsulated gear) Carhart gear (not windproof but insulated work outers) , balaclavas, hats, a variety of gloves, Snow and normal boots, the usual work shirts and pants.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This process can take up to 1 ½ to be done depending on how many people are being kitted at the same time. But you have to make sure it all fits well as there is no shop to run down to once you’re south if something doesn’t fit. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later that week was another course called “Elements of Shipboard Safety” which was fun. We learnt about all the safety devices on board a commercial ship. This also included going to the local public INDOOR swimming pool and learning how to deploy, get into and right a life raft. Followed by a day learning about fire fighting with a pyromaniac. 18 people in the course and 60 litres of fuel. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The following week was two courses, engineering (how to problem solve a fault in a diesel engine) and navigation. Engineering was simple due to both the amount of time I have spent around boats and heavy machines. Navigation was lots more involved than I initially thought but in the end I passed all, happy days. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sunday the 16<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> October everyone started arriving and the Rowdy’s green machine turned into a taxi by picking up some of the boys who were now arriving to start work at the Division on Monday the 17<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> October. Also the Division accommodation kicked for me in and to Kenny’s happiness I mover out and into it. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xdRjP1IhNhDLsOivY6QZ8D2KZ9D66AyyybIeB4tpJw0n-FuI8ccutoUvQJqRf-4afLxrOXJ-4mwxm_L6NCDbI_e-HNcMCEX1YctR0YwQzkeewQ_2LMsREu14tsQ2GwG7H4HuT0LH6_Zz/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xdRjP1IhNhDLsOivY6QZ8D2KZ9D66AyyybIeB4tpJw0n-FuI8ccutoUvQJqRf-4afLxrOXJ-4mwxm_L6NCDbI_e-HNcMCEX1YctR0YwQzkeewQ_2LMsREu14tsQ2GwG7H4HuT0LH6_Zz/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: center;"><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pic:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dave (Horse) Barringhaus</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many of the guys who I had been down with before were also staying there so it felt like home even if it was for a week. Monday, first day of work and because I had been in a couple times in the past three weeks it felt like I had started weeks ago but as every year inductions had to be done and all the boxes ticked. That arvo my flatmate moved in, my good old mate The Zen Master Brett. Brett is at Casey this year but we were lucky enough to be rooming together. </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">alot of fun we learnt how to look after the fuel lines while the ship is refueling over water (like at Casey), navigate through kelp beds and how the different IRB's (Inflatable Rescue Boat) and RIB's (Ridged Inflatable Boats). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Boating course over and Hobart City Council held a reception for expiditionars heading south this season. Was a very nice night and the party continued at Customs House which is one of the traditional pubs that we drink in before getting on the boat. However we were a night early........................sooooooooooooo after pre-departure training which was on Saturday where the voyage management talk about the specifics of the boat and we get onto the boat for our inductions which include getting into a immersion suit................fun and sexy what do you think???</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHdR7BVBvgmSPnWAbKVVFqeK9FWaZJ3Ijt_9e7u3TFo5iyXpJCIN-mvWD65GBcgaSjkTcJ1DjhAB_in69-57lgIUD2s5ZcSSQs8bG4_7JjHggBDseGKBcktTwo6YVPKXmtavcxNm0VEZT/s1600/IMG_0493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHdR7BVBvgmSPnWAbKVVFqeK9FWaZJ3Ijt_9e7u3TFo5iyXpJCIN-mvWD65GBcgaSjkTcJ1DjhAB_in69-57lgIUD2s5ZcSSQs8bG4_7JjHggBDseGKBcktTwo6YVPKXmtavcxNm0VEZT/s400/IMG_0493.JPG" width="298" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><br />
So after a very big night 3pm we loaded up onto the ship and with a few people waving us off and yes i know who wasn't there your names have been noted for future reference we through the ropes and took off.<br />
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Here is a little video i put together of that........ (after is has started playing in all of the videos there is a button in the right hand corner of the video that will make it full screen.........to exit that press ESC)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx3h-fW6u08T1Eq9qayXAg59TdL9k3s5jub-B8KcbZQ9-h-cJtIwR0RzmM-3f_HjFHTTSVQ7CfFW2Dd8zRviw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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Now thought i would put a tour video together on the ship as i was kinda board and thought you might be interested in what the alternative to flying down is like.............Those of you who i have been south with before might remember one of the stars or two of the people who show up in this, one of them now works on the ship.....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzJrC0liMClgiP5VWPUXKM1bwOvEEGrKjQ2HnlirIlp8PTG44p4Uko3kwGrdP5Y35qucH-38Ygr1_DoTIBW2g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
So we took off and for some it was the last time we saw them for some time. One poor guy got sea sick that night and we didn't see him for about 2 weeks of the 17 day journey, soooooooooo happy i don't get sea sick or i wouldn't have been able to get the video footage i got for you all!!!<br />
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At one point it did get bad so i thought i would put my trusty GoPro out on the trawl deck on a mount and leave it. Was VERY impressed with what i managed to catch the happenings out there and more happy that i wasnt there when it happened!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So I cant exactly remember when we went into the ice but it was a bit of a shock to the system. Suddenly the ship stopped rocking and there was noises from the ice rubbing up against the hull. Think this one is one of my better video editing efforts mind you this was the first one i started working on and i think i probably spend 10 hours on it!!! Not much else productive to do on the boat other that edit video and work in the kitchen!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxxetQae5_n9NMn-WH0NQzIKdrt-PwWmuKo_WzQDnKevSNaDUukY7iTuo0rarNh7jKYs93duZ7Edbk4qyyqJw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This one is a little later when we started going into the hard ice and how difficult the ship had at times to get thought it.................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So i was working on another video i might have finished for next entry on King Neptune. Well thanks to some friends at the Div well several friends actually i got well and truly King Neptuned!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My first season i flew in and out. Second i flew in but boat out and there was a King Neptune ceremony on that voyage home but for some reason my name was missed. I was there and i was ready but for reasons that excape me i missed out. BUT not this time, i did have a incling that it was going to be extra special attention to me but there was a couple others that were in the same boat as me SO it was evenly shared out!! To prove to the many that i have now been granted access to sail the Southern Oceans here is a pic.........</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwukYPLOmePHh7hPw0TQHAHlsnSmZtixNqlvMqn2Se4KKEjBeuXfOZO2YaYxDv9XfLsfZfIm2W6hk1olmMjQ0k-067Bya7z2pIPKPhPyJVpxU-7OSxoQ6lPIdgRlAhqcSM7CdlwfVfAVyt/s1600/IMG_0396+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwukYPLOmePHh7hPw0TQHAHlsnSmZtixNqlvMqn2Se4KKEjBeuXfOZO2YaYxDv9XfLsfZfIm2W6hk1olmMjQ0k-067Bya7z2pIPKPhPyJVpxU-7OSxoQ6lPIdgRlAhqcSM7CdlwfVfAVyt/s640/IMG_0396+%25282%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Tom Luttrell</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lots of fun..................but Wendy my dear remember if you ever happen to travel on the ship south payback will be SWEET!! LOL</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo we finally made it on day 16 well kinda made it. Still needed to put the ship in position for resupply. Ice thickness needed to be 1.7m for some of the new machines we were getting particularly the crusher at 30t. This meant that it took about 12 hours to move about 1km carefully braking the ice as not to fracture the edges that we would be working on. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Final position as seen from station....................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway i think that with all those videos that should be enough for this entry </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi87ROsEHBT1CsKRUKQNoQSB1joE2dpSutsJzrldGYqg9J691iPa_ciQxVwmegkugrBKjN9o_6iQDfXkwJFrvNL4MHz3GJr62elOWS4oTrIerz1XndxU7_TQsBhMGpyKlQ4DtGpsTqsC9B/s1600/IMG_0403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi87ROsEHBT1CsKRUKQNoQSB1joE2dpSutsJzrldGYqg9J691iPa_ciQxVwmegkugrBKjN9o_6iQDfXkwJFrvNL4MHz3GJr62elOWS4oTrIerz1XndxU7_TQsBhMGpyKlQ4DtGpsTqsC9B/s640/IMG_0403.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Tom Luttrell</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here I am working hard...............................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fnuOrB3a1SE7ortrJl7tO3Q-HGnnlb9f_NyHp_kxMweujG8f6ey0xeyIWGr8R1o5Xr7tQGYCcTJ67F-42wa_o2yWZHVtLSmlubdFPjg6H_aj79w7jrsjBdK9EJmSV-YTyZ9dtCFdnVDJ/s1600/P1020191.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fnuOrB3a1SE7ortrJl7tO3Q-HGnnlb9f_NyHp_kxMweujG8f6ey0xeyIWGr8R1o5Xr7tQGYCcTJ67F-42wa_o2yWZHVtLSmlubdFPjg6H_aj79w7jrsjBdK9EJmSV-YTyZ9dtCFdnVDJ/s640/P1020191.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pic Michael Goldstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="background-color: white;">Well here it is I'm finally here with resupply and some real work about to start!!!!!!!! Yea i know first time this year and i know your jealous................................</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Keep tuned next blog will be a little resupply seeing Rowdys long locks and settling into a new station. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Take care </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Michael</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S..................... <span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"I dream for a living." <br />
<b> Steven Spielberg </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6553317950984207443.post-10445445189315569882011-10-23T19:24:00.000+10:002011-10-23T19:24:07.126+10:001 Catching up on the off season mischeif AND new season new adventure!Hello old and new friends,<br />
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Here we are another season starts which is now number three for me and its going to be a ripper but more about that a little later. Wanted to start this entry with a little bit about that I've been up to since you last read my long winded blog about my little life. Like my last blog <a href="http://www.absoluteantarctica.blogspot.com/">www.absoluteantarctica.blogspot.com</a> i will be adding LOTS of useless information, pictures, video and links for you to look at or not.<br />
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Well after arriving back in Hobart on April the 16th 2011 I spent a couple weeks there just easing my way back into society. I find that the sudden change of pace can be a little daunting at times and spending the time in Hobart helps I think. Moreover acclimatizing to Hobart weather before heading back North to the heat of the Gold Coast is a little more comfortable. <br />
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After finally arriving home back on the Gold Coast on the Saturday the 30th April just in time for Mothers Day as those of you who know me i am a mummy's boy! Was nice being home with the one exception that for the second season in a row my house had been water damaged! NOT HAPPY anyway enough about that.<br />
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After starting to deal with getting the claim started and catching up with a some friends it was June and the beginning of a the next part of my adventure in a Dwarf Minki whale tour was just around the corner. In last years blog some of you might remember a good friend of mine Rowdy aka Cliff. Well last year he embarked on a journey to swim with them and after seeing him on the Sunday Night program <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahlj8cPX-J4&noredirect=1">HERE</a> and talking to him at length while at Casey last year i decided i had to go and do it.<br />
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Originally Cliff and another mate Tim was to be coming with me, but Cliff got a winter at Davis so his time at Casey was cut short and is currently still there. So it was just me and my father a car a a couple thousand kilometers. Being very time rich i though we would be able to make it into a bit of a road trip.<br />
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First stop was <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-28.00175,153.42843&sspn=0.001134,0.002642&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=m&z=7">Gin Gin</a> and some absolutely incredible cooking from a good family friend. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBdpAmA5Q53tn2pqjfTsmgYjzdZmxu-HgpHySF5crsswQKYtFWJxIuf0hNmZw6UomMjaXd02UdEokhR9kmStmCAhi5GbNwshZB3_Vmi-8ANuCkrPOOVRXQWlfrjUywWmZlCsz9b6CQ0go/s1600/IMG_0174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipBdpAmA5Q53tn2pqjfTsmgYjzdZmxu-HgpHySF5crsswQKYtFWJxIuf0hNmZw6UomMjaXd02UdEokhR9kmStmCAhi5GbNwshZB3_Vmi-8ANuCkrPOOVRXQWlfrjUywWmZlCsz9b6CQ0go/s640/IMG_0174.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">Karin's house in Gin Gin. </div><div align="left"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfLPsQMEp7j52-U6xuyHcETcwn7pPe9plApPGDuQjtsGFBMW8R014djxVZ6YclqxUmwYMtwxW2ad0rpbK0vmHHm8c-CMQHOAlU8_fXaT0uYpjHBa1gfgd_iKUcgzCbqVC64A2Jhlyn_ls/s1600/P7010224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfLPsQMEp7j52-U6xuyHcETcwn7pPe9plApPGDuQjtsGFBMW8R014djxVZ6YclqxUmwYMtwxW2ad0rpbK0vmHHm8c-CMQHOAlU8_fXaT0uYpjHBa1gfgd_iKUcgzCbqVC64A2Jhlyn_ls/s400/P7010224.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
No i don't really look impressed do i but i was just itching for the most incredible duck that Karin had cooked!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZfsYuens4eQWdB9kl0PWteBeOPPdoi3RazmnEuko2dSLM-JuYmvnJzfZ-W6ihkkx7cLQUjEBvFmj-x0du6tvJYb0jOCLL3LIWkc8MZwSktksHfws2SmGtpbNKWGxWR4Jx2IwamKb-qNx/s1600/P7010226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZfsYuens4eQWdB9kl0PWteBeOPPdoi3RazmnEuko2dSLM-JuYmvnJzfZ-W6ihkkx7cLQUjEBvFmj-x0du6tvJYb0jOCLL3LIWkc8MZwSktksHfws2SmGtpbNKWGxWR4Jx2IwamKb-qNx/s400/P7010226.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Ohhh i do like my desserts!!!!! Strawberry Crepes in an alcholic sauce.........hummmmmmmmm<br />
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Next stop was Rubyvale and an attempt to find some accommodation. Well there was a little problem there as we had decided to go in school holidays and <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland&hl=en&ll=-25.710837,150.567627&spn=4.7406,10.821533&sll=-24.786735,151.391602&sspn=4.776748,10.821533&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=m&z=7">Rubyvale</a> was a little booked out. Having gone everywhere looking for accommodation we ended up heading back to <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-25.710837,150.567627&sspn=4.7406,10.821533&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=m&z=7">Emerald</a> with out tail between our legs for the night. <br />
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After a night there and a little Internet surfing on my behalf i had a new plan. The <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland&hl=en&ll=-25.710837,150.358887&spn=4.7406,10.821533&sll=-25.70601,150.563445&sspn=4.7406,10.821533&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=m&z=7">Willows</a> was a fossicking site that i found by chance and after a couple calls in the morning we found there was accommodation there and when we arrived it felt like we had stepped back in time, back to the 1970's. Very small town with nothing other than 2 caravan parks and 50 or so houses and that's it and i do mean it. We got a self contained flat and then needed to get some food and as there was nothing in town, back to Rubyvale we go. <br />
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So after three days of fossicking this is some of what we had found.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Showing how it is done..........</div><br />
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Well small i know but bigger ones to come.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIsMNapQ2MjNHvltizViG7IHay_VNDp7Trk0YWmXLorT5uK4z5MSGiucNkmSX-i_UCczAdqOXNkGY29UFcOMO28jed-8vVa5CKG0zwpFs8q5rjY4EVUfKQlJXrm_1JLFIWZtPtxeV7S5c/s1600/IMG_0181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIsMNapQ2MjNHvltizViG7IHay_VNDp7Trk0YWmXLorT5uK4z5MSGiucNkmSX-i_UCczAdqOXNkGY29UFcOMO28jed-8vVa5CKG0zwpFs8q5rjY4EVUfKQlJXrm_1JLFIWZtPtxeV7S5c/s400/IMG_0181.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><br />
Here they are the biggens.............<br />
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But not having shops in Willows meant that we had to keep on going to Rubyvale to get food and after 3 nights it was time to move on.<br />
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I had decided that as both Dad and myself had done this route before together and not having any real time constraints we were going to take any road that we hadn't before. Where ever we could we would take B grade roads and dirt over them. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW13DiwflTzAEWXktzAv8zYVl8jryEgoBUDJ_uB4WUjzxHiCoT0nP03yk04B_goSIrwKdh4StcW7Xq24bjb0WpxD9krsLE-DX8EkpRSf6KHdZh5GC_kGmpErKRTbywN5PddoZWbF2KNNO/s1600/IMG_0185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjW13DiwflTzAEWXktzAv8zYVl8jryEgoBUDJ_uB4WUjzxHiCoT0nP03yk04B_goSIrwKdh4StcW7Xq24bjb0WpxD9krsLE-DX8EkpRSf6KHdZh5GC_kGmpErKRTbywN5PddoZWbF2KNNO/s640/IMG_0185.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Leaving Willows.....<br />
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I wanted to show Dad <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-25.294825,150.361075&sspn=9.507332,21.643066&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=m&z=6">Dysart</a> as i had worked out of there so there was our next stop and back through Rubyvale to head out to Dysart. Along the way i snapped a couple for you...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRAtCAFO4d9uqkHzcYEHph_5IxHZKZrFu4Ilf4pf8qgwp16ZE8oDKYzEa57RLb-gOHK2qs91_0P7u2ruyvsZPliB0OoUBlMRMbz7N6UvED6NW0NaQqv6_v85OK8O2VUFGv6dUxaniVR5O/s1600/IMG_7502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRAtCAFO4d9uqkHzcYEHph_5IxHZKZrFu4Ilf4pf8qgwp16ZE8oDKYzEa57RLb-gOHK2qs91_0P7u2ruyvsZPliB0OoUBlMRMbz7N6UvED6NW0NaQqv6_v85OK8O2VUFGv6dUxaniVR5O/s400/IMG_7502.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A Dragline at Peck Downs i think. I took this pic from the road and really doesn't do the actually size justice of how bloody big it really is.<br />
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Here is a bucket from a dragline to give you some perspective on how big they really are. Kinda cheated a little bit on the first pic as it was taken with a fish eye lens.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAK9YuTbBLw6Vms-GIdu0ys2r1nHCo0u46lwC9n7nyXHDW0BylX_pfzq9yCXZ8UKrZPOMOBS6hUVFH4hRRhQJ4LyGIWMsY4SDQZPTvJCZOEcWed3BlEtw5NVGQcpD40J1tPHSJu15qMyNl/s1600/IMG_7507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAK9YuTbBLw6Vms-GIdu0ys2r1nHCo0u46lwC9n7nyXHDW0BylX_pfzq9yCXZ8UKrZPOMOBS6hUVFH4hRRhQJ4LyGIWMsY4SDQZPTvJCZOEcWed3BlEtw5NVGQcpD40J1tPHSJu15qMyNl/s400/IMG_7507.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Same thing with these dumpies they are a little bigger than you think. Id say they are about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterpillar_797">250t</a> dump trucks that look like ants on that hill....<br />
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Some time a little later on the road we was this...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A Cat <a href="http://www.cat.com/cda/layout?m=420938&x=7">789C</a>, well the chassy of one anyway...............................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7I2wiDs1KOy1uUMQ4woEKNZspSNhayz7Su3wEMb0b3yNxAJQBTcYz0sZDvKSJYncYatxwcUsN-_fDBeCn-aihylisDAH93lks3uJZhmhoaIXahvVTo-yVRHAhvZbLMa4avznFMLqI_3C/s1600/IMG_7532.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD7I2wiDs1KOy1uUMQ4woEKNZspSNhayz7Su3wEMb0b3yNxAJQBTcYz0sZDvKSJYncYatxwcUsN-_fDBeCn-aihylisDAH93lks3uJZhmhoaIXahvVTo-yVRHAhvZbLMa4avznFMLqI_3C/s400/IMG_7532.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Some sort of bird feasting on the road kill on the side of the road.<br />
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Same birdy...........<br />
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Nice little creek we stopped at to take a pic of.......................dont aske me where!!!<br />
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From where that pic was taken it was 15km to the trees you can see at the end is 15km.<br />
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</div>Floppy i called him............<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that was a mammoth days driving over some very ordinary roads as you can see all dirt roads as you can see from the above pic but we eventually made it into <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-21.224262,148.04163&sspn=0.076649,0.169086&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=6">Charters Towers</a> for a stop over before we made it to <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-24.038825,149.803205&sspn=9.603228,21.643066&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=5">Mt Surprise</a> for some more fissicking. This time for some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topaz">Topaz</a> and rather than a wet style it was dry but definitely harder than Emerald fossicking. No pics of the ones we got but we did get some of what it looked like.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So enough digging, it was time for us to be making our way to <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-22.471955,148.886719&sspn=19.377045,43.286133&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=5">Cairns</a> for a night and dinner with Mark and Charmy. Charmane is a friend from my first season down south. We had been in Antarctica for a couple days/weeks and she informed me that I knew her ex husband...........Mark. Now Mark and me we good mates at school...............what a spin out huh. Unreal dinner but it was time to get up to <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Port+Douglas,+Queensland&hl=en&ll=-22.22809,148.886719&spn=19.41031,43.286133&sll=-22.46265,148.8739&sspn=19.377045,43.286133&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFSR2BP8dp5irCClrpkD0TKaCaTFweCB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=5">Port Douglas</a> and the while purpose of this trip those Dwarf Minki Whales.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So we get down to the wharf and find the boat organize our stuff and we had a bit of time to kill so we went to a coffee shop overlooking the wharfs and relaxed. Sitting there drinking coffee and relaxing and i see this guy walk past that looked familiar. Steve a friend from my first season down south was in town on holidays from Sydney. What a spin out but neither of us had too much time as we were about to get onto the boat so we planned to catch up when i got back into town.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SO MINKI MINKI MINK time!!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The tour was run my a lad by the name of John Rummey and with the cooperation of the Dr Alastair Birtles (James Cook University) they conduct a unique experience of lifetime. Johns web site of your interested in finding out more is <a href="http://www.marineencounters.com.au/index.htm">http://www.marineencounters.com.au/index.htm</a> .Eco tourism at its best and can HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who wants a unique experience. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More about Alastair and John can be found <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?sourceid=navclient&hl=en-GB&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBAU433AU433&q=alastair+bertals+minki+whale#hl=en&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBAU433AU433&sa=X&ei=0geiTpXEE-yyiQfIiIm3Bg&ved=0CBgQvwUoAA&q=alastair+birtles+minke+whale&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=3f3d0435ab8cf711&biw=1366&bih=539">HERE</a> too.............. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">John and his lovely wife meet us at the ship and the journey was about to begin.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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Elizabeth EII and her wicked crew.................<br />
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Chillaxing...................its a tuff life.<br />
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Here we are on the line............what they do is through a line out the back of the boat and you hang onto it and while at anchor or drifting the Dwarf Minki Whales come to you. If you look close you can see a Minki at the end of the line with his/her mouth just out of the water. One of the days we were in the water for 7 hours and 38 different Whales were doing circle work around us. Unlike Whale Sharks where you get dropped into the water in front of them, then they swim past. Minki Whales are very curious and actively seek interaction with us. Sometimes they come sooooooooooo close that you can see the most amazing patterns and swirls on their skin. A holy experience...............<br />
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See the white marks on the Minki................that is caused from a <a href="http://australianmuseum.net.au/Largetooth-Cookiecutter-Shark-Isistius-plutodus">Cookiecutter Shark</a> and ugly <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?q=cookie+cutter+shark&hl=en&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4GGHP_en-GBAU433AU433&biw=1366&bih=539&site=webhp&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=UxCiTtijFO7JmQXxy9yfCQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDgQsAQ">looking</a> creatures that only a mother could love!! Some Minkis have hundreds of these holes on them. It doesn't harm them and it can take up to 7 years for them to heal from what i understand!<br />
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Cheeky little fish wouldn't leave us alone while we were on the line.............<br />
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Here is one of the fins on the side which is where many features can be found to identify individuals just from the swirls dark patches and marks. The markings on the left are different to right and with a keen eye Alastair was able to identify many he has seen in the years previous.<br />
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Drinks on Lizard Island on sunset......................<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Besides doing all the swimming with the Whales before i left the coast i was able to get my advanced open water scuba dive ticket and did 22 amazing dives in and around the <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Ribbon+No+10+Reef&daddr=Ribbon+No+9+Reef,+Queensland&hl=en&ll=-14.863832,145.702057&spn=0.598629,1.352692&sll=-14.991432,145.707836&sspn=0.598274,1.352692&geocode=%3BCYfKJfiEaK5dFbg_G_8dPFOvCCnDAdkXY-N1aTGkq2ni1dyfDw&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=10">Ribbon No 9 and 10</a> that we were handing around a couple pics from there....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PQXBXGRL8V5ZjOHA4INw8sIj1L8uqGi34Pgb5DhCxNPgGQhgU-E4YIBcKHJD8Yvbuv__SZ2Fl4dQ-m_DuSckEHku-6B-PzmloRjL0esRkxuwoIB-YD_sHbuSoc5-ymz5_N2K4TmXwZrE/s1600/_DSC3580.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PQXBXGRL8V5ZjOHA4INw8sIj1L8uqGi34Pgb5DhCxNPgGQhgU-E4YIBcKHJD8Yvbuv__SZ2Fl4dQ-m_DuSckEHku-6B-PzmloRjL0esRkxuwoIB-YD_sHbuSoc5-ymz5_N2K4TmXwZrE/s400/_DSC3580.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic: John Rummey</div><br />
Cuttle fish were amazing to dive with they flash colours and don't think they were too impressed that we disturbed their mating but then a GT (Travelly) came through as a great rate of knots and scared the S(*&^ out of me and the Cuttle Fish!!!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRD3DXYp_OjiLoWHeZn6zKNSM93gafhuD5Gh-73CPj_XwCL8FQdTGE0Qf20uUnKNsw4gAWerZuh7T5_XYHtRJsHaOE_bxfSQD8n5nRdZkl542Tqr0K-0V7p17xjsrSNpE4_3pN_OtJ87a/s1600/_DSC5500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLRD3DXYp_OjiLoWHeZn6zKNSM93gafhuD5Gh-73CPj_XwCL8FQdTGE0Qf20uUnKNsw4gAWerZuh7T5_XYHtRJsHaOE_bxfSQD8n5nRdZkl542Tqr0K-0V7p17xjsrSNpE4_3pN_OtJ87a/s400/_DSC5500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic: John Rummey</div>Steve's Bommie...............<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z4JVTqTW9cVKtiAO5-A7aujkEkVfiaCgW57wa0w-8iBh1T0kVq8R-lf2e4QW9ckmSFvtimcNh4QIdJygwJ4NvndeBcOUVdp7kSm_cUyfrXJmlcJKqVdVcLNPyhVm76TRXxiG7vEnzuy4/s1600/_DSC5513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z4JVTqTW9cVKtiAO5-A7aujkEkVfiaCgW57wa0w-8iBh1T0kVq8R-lf2e4QW9ckmSFvtimcNh4QIdJygwJ4NvndeBcOUVdp7kSm_cUyfrXJmlcJKqVdVcLNPyhVm76TRXxiG7vEnzuy4/s400/_DSC5513.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div align="center">Pic: Justin</div>Me................<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5XCOBMiglomfWtHBeatKBrvChkL7OvLHB4NRXb5qGB-webHdgwAbSNGNdN_fO5wzKPAY_C36aflA7ZgjXONZGqPBRGj9BKmKIkZDw3s8uaOe9OFCMJ1DrGRSCj2pKs59EWgphTGO-gDP/s1600/_DSC5786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF5XCOBMiglomfWtHBeatKBrvChkL7OvLHB4NRXb5qGB-webHdgwAbSNGNdN_fO5wzKPAY_C36aflA7ZgjXONZGqPBRGj9BKmKIkZDw3s8uaOe9OFCMJ1DrGRSCj2pKs59EWgphTGO-gDP/s400/_DSC5786.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Pic: John Rummey</div>Steve's Bommie again................top is 5m and bottom is about 30m and at the bottom is a little surprise that i wont spoil if you get a chance to dive it.......<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before long the trip was over and once arriving back into Cairns another couple friends from the Div were here along with Charmaine who also was an expeditionar from my first season. She had been contacted by another expo that was also in town David from WA and with so many of us in town i knew it was going to be fun. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately i had to drop Dad off at the airport for his trip home as i knew Mum wouldn't let him get into any sort of mischief where as me i think it is kind of expected now!! LOL So my next part begins..................................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So after a couple dinners and catching up with more expos somehow i manages to convince that Wendy should do the minjin at AJ Hackett in Cairns...........Don't ask me how but i did and well i had to do it with her but it was a small sacrifice to a massive laugh believe me..........here is some pics.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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Not to sure if she is laughing of crying there!!!!!!!!!<br />
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Wendy was holding my arm so hard that when we got off it was visibly blue..............<br />
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At the top I'm saying to Wendy look at the view and once she opened her eyes i pulled the rip cord allowing my hearing to never be the same again......<br />
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Smile for the camera!!!<br />
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Wendy also did it so darn it i had to do it again as I'm too fat to allow us all to go on at once!<br />
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Angela also decided that she had to do the Bungy, she is the braver sister....................i managed to capture the initial moments of jumping and i think these pictures speak a billion words.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Green Island was another one of our stops and here all of us squeezed into a semi submersible and looked at underwater stuff.........</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiCK1Mvs43CXzRPpRrPROlJN3Ql9LgfyR-3ytS7mHTYQbcZzfmB_kUa_24hX5ufmuO9-0teGmbXKT72wjpXhxn9v0SPTDAjDhvvN6MwCD_Dpkz163gii20UzKaxP7RzPMYUkyqNtdA-wj/s1600/IMG_8079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiCK1Mvs43CXzRPpRrPROlJN3Ql9LgfyR-3ytS7mHTYQbcZzfmB_kUa_24hX5ufmuO9-0teGmbXKT72wjpXhxn9v0SPTDAjDhvvN6MwCD_Dpkz163gii20UzKaxP7RzPMYUkyqNtdA-wj/s400/IMG_8079.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Including fish.............<br />
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Here is a nice view from under some trees..........<br />
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A bird just in case you didn't know what they look like up this way!!<br />
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One of the beaches on the island...........<br />
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Another bird.......but a different one of course!!<br />
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Unfortunately the time on the island was limited as we caught a late ferry and had to catch the early ferry so we ended up only spending about 4 hours on the island.<br />
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Wendy and myself did the Kuranda Railway where one of the girls that did the Dwarf Minki Whale tour happened to be working.............<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Also there was a bubble incident but that's all ill talk about that one!!!!!!!!!</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sadly my time was over with the girls and i was now onto my next port of call an old friend from School who was married to one of the girls i go down south with that i am positive will be making an appearance in the blogs to come, Charmane.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the other things we did other than partying and catching up was we went go karting. Now this isn't an average hire kart but real race karts. WOW what a blast but as i was a little more endowed in my behind regions compared to Mark it was a VERY VERY tight squeeze. My hips at the end of the day were so sore that my last lap i remember being in that much pain but not wanting to get out of it as i was having that much fun!</div><br />
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Mark fueling up............<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mark showing me how its really done..............</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
So again it was time to move on and my next stop was <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Port+Douglas,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Ayr,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-22.243305,148.8739&sspn=19.41031,43.286133&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFSR2BP8dp5irCClrpkD0TKaCaTFweCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFd9L1f4d3zjJCClp8Od7pTvWazGQASF_8e4ABQ&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=5">Ayr</a>. Ayr is an interesting little town with a whole lot of nothing in it other than some very good friends and the most incredible dive site Ive experienced. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hadn't seen the Olivarie's since there was only one rug rat and now there is 4 and Jo had a hell of a lot less grey hair. But it was fun to see them and unfortunately i was doing that much talking i forgot to take any pics but youll just have to take my word for it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As for the dive i ended up staying at <a href="http://www.yongaladive.com.au/">Yongala Dive Shop</a> who also both organized the dive and put me through a Enriched Air course. Again unfortunately i dont have any pics from that dive as firstly i dont know where the hell i put them and secondly they arnt mine to put up. But what i can tell you is there is some massive animals down there at the wreck and it was increadable. No wonder its been voted the <a href="http://aquaviews.net/featured/world%e2%80%99s-top-10-wreck-dives-part-i/">6th best wreck dive in the world</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So after staying there for a grand total of 3 days it was time to move on and next stop was Mt Shizer or better know as <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Port+Douglas,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Ayr,+Queensland+to:Mount+Isa,+Queensland&hl=en&ll=-22.22809,146.469727&spn=19.41031,43.286133&sll=-22.243305,148.8739&sspn=19.41031,43.286133&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFSR2BP8dp5irCClrpkD0TKaCaTFweCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFd9L1f4d3zjJCClp8Od7pTvWazGQASF_8e4ABQ%3BFWuiw_4d4JlQCCmZGz9mT7AXajEwcSB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=5">Mt Isa</a>. A good friend of mine Donna lives there and we had decided that a trip to <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Port+Douglas,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Ayr,+Queensland+to:Mount+Isa,+Queensland+to:Lawn+Hill,+Queensland&hl=en&ll=-18.604276,138.596134&spn=0.077929,0.169086&sll=-18.600534,138.596649&sspn=0.077931,0.169086&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFSR2BP8dp5irCClrpkD0TKaCaTFweCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFd9L1f4d3zjJCClp8Od7pTvWazGQASF_8e4ABQ%3BFWuiw_4d4JlQCCmZGz9mT7AXajEwcSB_8e4ABA%3BFdhh5P4dh8RCCCmNBq6UcOMbajGgbyB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=dme&t=h&z=13">Lawn Hill</a> was in order. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
I had been up there about 10 years ago and well it hasnt changed much............</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pics only here..........</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So after Lawn Hill for 2 days we headed back to Mt Isa where i did some more rest and recoup as i knew that the next two days were not going to be good. <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Port+Douglas,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Ayr,+Queensland+to:Mount+Isa,+Queensland+to:Lawn+Hill,+Queensland+to:Mount+Isa,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-18.604276,138.596134&sspn=0.077929,0.169086&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFSR2BP8dp5irCClrpkD0TKaCaTFweCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFd9L1f4d3zjJCClp8Od7pTvWazGQASF_8e4ABQ%3BFWuiw_4d4JlQCCmZGz9mT7AXajEwcSB_8e4ABA%3BFdhh5P4dh8RCCCmNBq6UcOMbajGgbyB_8e4ABA%3BFWuiw_4d4JlQCCmZGz9mT7AXajEwcSB_8e4ABA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=5">Blackall</a> was next being only a stop over for the night. Gin Gin next where again Karin cooked up a storm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Stopped into Sunshine Coast to catch up with Ed the crazy irishman who was south with me last season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOB75bv8epsIBNsEtydz8m6crr2bOCkx3a6OxGa3OSq3-DCflRoH5EX2sBFgsdfSDCnlD2RonSZqDo8l5IcRH98YeuJVgygCJkB30Ud10DetvuGZpvGlAFbe7DJkfabw1QfONKdPuXDOkD/s1600/IMG_0313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOB75bv8epsIBNsEtydz8m6crr2bOCkx3a6OxGa3OSq3-DCflRoH5EX2sBFgsdfSDCnlD2RonSZqDo8l5IcRH98YeuJVgygCJkB30Ud10DetvuGZpvGlAFbe7DJkfabw1QfONKdPuXDOkD/s400/IMG_0313.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here we are Ed and myself looking hot as ever!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then last stop <a href="http://maps.google.com.au/maps?saddr=Gold+Coast,+Queensland&daddr=Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Rubyvale+Caravan+Park,+Queensland+to:Emerald,+Queensland+to:Willows,+Queensland+to:Dysart,+Queensland+to:Moranbah,+Queensland+to:-21.801264,147.984467+to:Red+Hill+Rd+to:Charters+Towers,+Queensland+to:Mount+Surprise,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Port+Douglas,+Queensland+to:Cairns,+Queensland+to:Ayr,+Queensland+to:Mount+Isa,+Queensland+to:Lawn+Hill,+Queensland+to:Mount+Isa,+Queensland+to:Blackall,+Queensland+to:Gin+Gin,+Queensland+to:Sunshine+Coast,+Queensland+to:Noosa+Heads,+Queensland+to:Gold+Coast,+Queensland&hl=en&sll=-22.22809,146.030273&sspn=19.41031,43.286133&geocode=FTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFbCnmv4dNLDNCCGmrewqDpf4yQ%3BFY0Fmf4du8bUCCmH9fZCaFTPazHgmSB_8e4ABA%3BFRcml_4dgoXHCClDyIvlrTnJazEAmyB_8e4ABA%3BFVtVp_4dKJ7XCCmBomj2XvXPazHQgiB_8e4ABA%3BFe5KsP4dxf_SCCm_HV0NEMPPazHAgiB_8e4ABA%3BFdBWs_4dUxDSCA%3BFWgJt_4d6VbUCA%3BFYCqzf4dqLW3CClPjZJg-V7UazFwlCB_8e4ABA%3BFYEa6_4d9CKaCClzVguz69yAaTGQbCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFSR2BP8dp5irCClrpkD0TKaCaTFweCB_8e4ABA%3BFbbC_f4dbEmwCCkTJKJbVWJ4aTFgeCB_8e4ABA%3BFd9L1f4d3zjJCClp8Od7pTvWazGQASF_8e4ABQ%3BFWuiw_4d4JlQCCmZGz9mT7AXajEwcSB_8e4ABA%3BFdhh5P4dh8RCCCmNBq6UcOMbajGgbyB_8e4ABA%3BFWuiw_4d4JlQCCmZGz9mT7AXajEwcSB_8e4ABA%3BFWpQi_4du6KrCCm59_cP_kq1azEglSB_8e4ABA%3BFfehgv4dELsOCSkLoMzaM1HqazHAyCB_8e4ABA%3BFcNQaf4dwvgfCSk5qGmRin-TazFgr97zWqMCBA%3BFZs1bf4dfvkfCSm5XHkVcGmTazGQrN7zWqMCBQ%3BFTC6VP4d2CElCSl15nKKSxmRazGAr97zWqMCBA&vpsrc=0&mra=ls&t=h&z=5">Gold Coast HOME</a> where i was to start getting my stuff together to head down again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This year i needed to be in Hobart 4 weeks before departure as i was to do a Coxwains course to enable me to drive the IRB (inflatable boats) down here. Many thanks to Ken Smith for putting up with me for the 3 weeks before the Division accommodation kicked in too i must say. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But i am going to have to quickly wrap this the first of many up as i am currently sitting at my dest on the Aroura Australia heading out to sea. There is a couple links you might find intresting over the next 12-14 days while i am sailing down.................</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/voyages/display_voyage.cfm?voyage_id=565">HERE</a> is a link to the SITREPS (Situation reports)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.antarctica.gov.au/webcams/aurora">HERE</a> is a copy of a web cam set up on the ship that updated periodiclly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://its-app3.aad.gov.au/proms/public/schedules/voyageTrack.cfm">HERE</a> is a voyage map </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here it is.......................................number 3 and as i am now on the boat heading out to sea i am now getting excited. I have missed lots of things of what ive been up to but the one think i think you might have gathered by now is there wasnt much work involved. Work for me since the 16th April was 1 day. I WAS HAVING WAY TO MUCH FUN TO WORK. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SOOOOOOOOOO next time you talk to me is going to be from the ICE.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Take Care </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Michael</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">P.S.................<span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">"Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream world into reality." <br />
<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><b>Theodor Reik </b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Micky Geehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05805671787162476233noreply@blogger.com0Seven Mile Beach TAS 7170, Australia-42.8591888 147.50729309999997-42.8829478 147.44346309999997 -42.8354298 147.57112309999997