Field Travel Training

Earlier this week myself and four others set off for some more field training. We headed out on quad bikes Monday morning, and returned early Tuesday evening.

After leaving the station we headed for the sea ice on O'Brien Bay. Here we would complete some tasks associated with our training.

Testing Sea Ice Depth on O'Brien Bay

We had to check the sea ice depth before we could ride the quads on the bay, as the ice condition can change very quickly, and if the wind is blowing in the right direction, the ice will go out to sea over a very short period. In fact most of the ice that we were travelling on, had gone by the end of the week, due to wind conditions, or broken up and become unsafe to travel on.

Ice Cliffs on O'Brien Bay

Some of the other training that we were required to complete, involved more navigation techniques and exercises.

We were also required to complete training on ice slopes. This involved cutting steps into the slope so we could get up. And also then sliding down the slope, to learn and practice self arrest techniques in case you fall.

Preparing to work on the Ice Slopes

We also completed training in quad recovery.

We set up camp for the night on the Mitchell Peninsula. This time we would be sleeping in 'Polar Pyramid' tents.

View from the tent

After arranging and eating dinner, we set off on a short hike to climb one of the nearby hills and take in the views over the Mitchell Peninsula and surrounding areas.

View back towards our camp site

View from our camp site

On Tuesday we headed over to Robinson Ridge. We stopped for lunch at Robbo's, essentially a shipping container sized hut, that can be used for various reasons, whether it be science, groups getting away for a weekend from station, or as an emergency refuge in bad weather.

Robbo's Hut

Huge Iceberg on the Horizon

View over Robbo's Hut to Penney Bay

Around Casey Station

This entry contains a few pictures from inside and around Casey Station.

For the last three weeks it has been quite busy around station, with many of the trade groups trying to prepare the Wilkins runway for the arrival of the Airbus (currently scheduled for early December), plant operators clearing snow down to the wharf in preparation for the arrival of the Aurora Australis in mid/late December for re-supply.

There is also work beginning on the 'West Wing' extension to the 'Red Shed', with preparations for foundation pouring to begin, which will see the amount of sleeping quarters increased.

The'Wallow' lounge area

Splinters Bar

The Operations building.....where I work.

Radio console at work

For those working in Comms, it will begin to get much busier over the next week or so. Beginning next week the small planes will start arriving back at Casey, these aircraft will be returning from Davis and McMurdo stations, and while at Casey will begin survey, and science work. There will be 3 smaller aircraft working in the area, and the Airbus is scheduled to begin direct weekly flights from Hobart to Wilkins runway (approx 70klms, from Casey station), in early December.

In mid/late December the Aurora Australis is scheduled to arrive for re-supply, and before its arrival we will also begin boat operations utilising IRB's.

All of these operations require an increased communications role, providing weather reporting and flight tracking roles, and most of the science flights will take place during the night.

HAGGLUNDS

Field store and Quads

'DOING TIME', completing some of the station duties

A couple of weeks ago we had our first more formal Saturday night dinner since the summer expeditioners arrived. From time to time, the table cloths are spread, candles go out, a more formal menu is arranged, and some even dress for the occasion.

This first dinner of the 2009/2010 summer season, saw the chefs prepare a prawn salad for entrée, duck confit for main, and pavlova for dessert.

When you consider that it was about February this year since the last re-supply, and the last fresh produce arrived, it is amazing what is prepared in the kitchen by the chefs. There is multiple selections of meals at every sitting, and it is all excellent. At the moment we have 2 chefs on station. One who has been here over the last winter, and another who arrived at the same time as me, but will be here over the next winter period. With one of the chefs having a background as a pastry chef, desserts, cakes and bread, are readily available, and very good.

There is a small amount of fresh salad produced in our Hydroponics hut, but the next fresh produce to arrive will be at re-supply in December.

Duck Confit

Workshop building

Fire Tender building

Building on the 'Old' Casey station

Some of the pictures that I have posted previously, show a view across Newcomb Bay towards Wilkes station. Wilkes station was built in the fifties, by the Americans, and handed over to Australia in the sixties. Australia only occupied the station for a couple more years and then built the 'Old' Casey station. Wilkes was built in an area that is lower lying and builds up too much snow. Since being de-commissioned, most of the building at Wilkes have been buried by snow.

The picture above shows one of the buildings that remain of the old Casey station, this station is below and several hundred metres from the current station (towards the wharf). The old station operated from the sixties until 1988 when the current station was opened.

What happens when a door is not sealed properly

The picture above is of the boat shed, located between the current station and the wharf. The 'bliz' build up is as a result of a roller door that does not seal properly, and allows snow to get in.

Field Training

Last week saw the first few groups of expeditioners set off on their first part of field and survival training.

I was in a group of 11 that set of early Friday morning (the 13th), planning to return to Casey station the following morning. We hiked from station towards Shirley Island, making stops along the way to complete tasks that make up some of the training.

During this first part of the field training we would be taught and complete tasks in, navigation....map reading, compass and GPS, basic sea ice rescue, in case someone is unfortunate enough to fall through the ice, this included self rescue techniques, and also rescuing others.

While out at Shirley Island we done the usual thing, and spent some time walking around, watching and photographing the penguins. And as usual they seemed just as interested in us, as we did with them.

Edge of the Sea Ice at Shirley Island

After spending some time with the penguins, and completing a few more training tasks, we started hiking back out towards O'Brien Bay, which would be near our camp for the night.

Stopping for Lunch

O'Brien Bay

After stopping for lunch we set off again towards our camp site for the night. Given there are several groups to go out for training, the site had been prepared with a couple of Polar Pyramid tents to store some cooking equipment in, but the rest would be up to us to set up.

When we arrived at the site, we began to cut blocks of ice to build a cooking and eating area. What a great task this was, building things out of blocks of ice.

Kitchen/meals area

After preparing and eating dinner, we continued with a few more tasks, and then prepared our Bivvy's for the night.

What a great experience it was to sleep out on the ice in a Bivvy. We were lucky in that weather conditions were very good. There was little wind and the temperature was only about -5c, none the less it was cold getting in, and even colder getting out of the Bivvy in the morning.

The Bivvy is quite full given yourself,0 your pack and gear is in there overnight. I can only just imagine how noisy it would be if the wind was stronger, or even during blizzard conditions.

One of the reasons it was so cold getting out in the morning, besides the fact it is colder in the early morning, was that like a normal tent, condensation forms on the inside of the Bivvy, the difference being, it all freezes. When I woke up in the morning pretty much everything was covered in a light layer of ice, and it is impossible to get out of the Bivvy without getting covered in the ice.

Settling in for the night

What a great experience the field training was, and next week I head out again for a 2 day travel training course......