Around the Station and Shirley Island video

In a previous blog entry I had posted some pictures from a recent hike over to Shirley Island, and the penguin colony. Below is a short video from this trip, and over the rest of the summer season, hopefully I will get out there a few more times, and be able to post some more video of the changes as they lay eggs, and the penguin chicks hatch...... enjoy!

Some have asked for some more pictures of the station itself, and the living quarters.... well below is a video that takes you on a walk along the main road (pretty much the only road) through Casey station.... some of the video is in fast forward as I work my way up the road, between different areas of the station. I took this video a couple of weeks ago, so with the increasing temps, and a couple of days of wind, all the sea ice has now broken up, and moved out of the bay.

Over the coming weeks, I will also endeavour to post some more video of other areas/buildings around the station.

For the past week or so, we have had a AWI (Alfred Wegener Institute) Basler aircraft working from Casey station. This is a German Polar Institute, and on the aircraft is crew with German scientist's, and a Canadian aircrew (from Ken Borek Air) who also operate the Twin Otter aircraft, and another Basler which is soon to arrive here at Casey.

The aircraft itself has just had a complete rebuild, costing in excess of 8 million dollars, and when it arrived at Casey it only had about 100 hours flight time since rebuild... not bad for plane originally built in the 1930's and 40's.

Basler 'POLAR 6', photo Stuart Rutherford

POLAR 6, photo Stuart Rutherford

Everything is starting to get busier around station, as the Aurora Australis resupply ship is scheduled to leave Hobart on December 2nd, and arrive here about 10 days later. Most of those who have been here for the previous winter will leave on the ship, and most of the next wintering crew will arrive...... so too will some fresh fruit, eggs, vegetables and salad.

some more random pictures from the the last couple of weeks....

Last weekend a group of us took a trip over to the old Wilkes station. We spent the afternoon exploring the old station.... which is basically just the tops of the old buildings, as they have been cover/consumed by accumulating ice/snow, but more on that and hopefully some video of the trip in the next  blog entry.

Below are a couple of links recently published in the news, including one on a huge iceberg that may prevent the upcoming centenary celebrations at Mawson's Hut in Commonwealth Bay.

future directions of Antarctica, the treaty and the AAD
Iceberg restricting access to Commonwealth Bay