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 here there and everywhere 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 aren’t 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.
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 haven’t ever experienced it but its like the mateship made in the Armed Forces and so in where you really do put your lives in the hands in those around you.
Anyway blah blah it’s been a tuff one on one hand but a brilliant one on the other. Kicked many
goals with much of the work being complete before scheduled 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 experience these two guys brought came an understanding in both the jobs and the crew that couldn’t be in a season no matter the prior experience and background.
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 LIDARS running those times when there is no cloud.
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 Icy News with a few modifications in my long winded normal self way!
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
weather cleared and we had the opportunity to visit our Indian neighbours.
Pic Michael Goldstein.
Pic taken on the way to Bharati of the Sorsdal Glassier and its beautiful crevasses!!
Pic Cliff Simpson Davis
Dougalass our fearless plant operator in the skies!
Pic Michael Goldstein
Cliff aka Rowdy looking cool with his long locks.............
Pic Cliff Simpson Davis
Nick holding back his excitement but concentrating on the backs of his eye lids!!
Pic Michael Goldstein
Good pic of bridged crevasses above and below a couple more of the wondrous sights seen on the way there.
Pic Michael Goldstein
Pic Michael Goldstein
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.
Pic Michael Goldstein
Pic Michael Goldstein
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.
Pic Michael Goldstein
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.
Pic Michael Goldstein
Pic Michael Goldstein
Cliff in front of the building as they were still madly finishing loading and working on the building!!
Pic Michael Goldstein
One of the entries into the building/mothership!
Pic Michael Goldstein
Nice and shinny new labs.............
Pic Michael Goldstein
With a view that you couldn't get board of...............
Pic Michael Goldstein
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...........
Pic Michael Goldstein
The Australian expeditionars and the first Indian Wintering station leader and a couple of his deputy.....
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............
Pic Michael Goldstein
Home for the last while and already missing it and i haven't gone yet!
Pic Michael Goldstein
Station in the foreground and the Sorsdal Glassier in the far background...........
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.
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.
SITREPS or Situation reports which are what we are doing and the current weather conditions are available by going HERE and clicking on the last number along with a map showing where the ship physically is in the Southern Ocean by clicking HERE. There is also a web cam on the ship which you can see that by going HERE.
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 HERE.
If your missing my blogs you could also have a look through some of the Divisions photos they have online HERE.
Or have a look at an article on Mawson and his men HERE.
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.
So am looking forward to catch up with as many of you as I can before my next adventure takes me who know where!!
Take care and bye for now................
Michael
P.S. with a little bit of a nautical theme.................“Twenty years from now you will be more
disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by
the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail
away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in
your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
