Category: Mawson
Hydroponics on station
This season I’ve been part of the Hydroponics team, growing and picking fresh produce for expeditioners to enjoy on station to supplement otherwise shelf-stable or frozen ingredients. It’s great to enjoy the warm, humid hydro shed, and even “sample” a fresh cherry tomato or two as you harvest.
Food on station
Along with questions like: “Are there polar bears in Antarctica?” and “Is it cold down there?” is also another popular one – what is the food like on station? Benny, our station chef whips up three meals daily and keeps us well fed and happy expeditioners. The cuisine ranges from Mexican...
Final jolly for the season
This week I went up to Rumdoodle with two colleagues for a quick overnight jolly (recreational trip). With the last flight for the season on Thurday and the ship arriving next week it was our final opportunity to get off station, so we threw our things on the quads and...
A trip out to the Russian Aircraft
Last week we went exploring the Russian aircraft, a Lisunov Li-2T which crashed during take-off from Mawson in 1968 and has been stuck up on the plateau ever since. It’s in an interesting location – right in the middle of a crevasse field! To visit we need to take extra...
We have internets
Last Friday a colleague and I completed our “large” project of the summer, upgrading the satellite link. It was an early start and a tough day, but we now enjoy internet that is orders of magnitude faster and far more reliable, and phone calls that don’t have a huge delay...
Here comes the ocean
The sea ice near station has been closed to vehicles and vehicles, as the tide cracks had been getting quite large and slushy. In the last week, the ice in Horseshoe Harbour has turned a rather dark shade of grey, indicating it is probably full of water and ready to...
“Sunset” on station
I know I often talk about weather or the sun here on station, but it is definitely given regular consideration each day by expeditioners – is it going to be good weather to get off station? Do outdoor projects need to be tied down before a blizz hits? Is the...
The coolest jobs on the planet
Thinking about a cool job in 2018? In today’s Courier Mail article I was interviewed about what it’s like working in Antarctica. To see roles available for next season check out the AAD Jobs website.
Happy Midsummer!
Today at 9:28pm local marks the summer solstice, when the sun is tracking at its highest point in the southern hemisphere sky for the year. Most importantly this is the turning point for the summer season, and we know the sun will gradually wind its way back down the sky...
Learning to drive a Hägglunds
According to the Division website: Hägglunds are Swedish dual-cab, medium class, over-snow vehicles which can carry four passengers in the front cab. They have a towing capacity of 2 tonnes on suitable sleds, and they operate over most snow and ice terrain including sea ice and soft snow. They are...