Trip to Jacks

TRIP TO JACKS DONGA

Last weekend myself and 3 others set off for an overnight trip to Jacks Donga. It's about a 1 hour trip in a hagg, we had to travel for a short time along the road (it's called a road, but it's essentially a track in the snow) leading from Casey station out towards Wilkins aerodrome, and then turned off and essentially travelled cross country to Jacks. With most of this travel being across exposed/solid ice that has had all the snow blown from the surface.

Jacks Donga

Jack was an expeditioner at Wilkes station in the early 1960's, who needed a break , and wanted to escape the station. He took a cab from an old piece of machinery, towed it out to this location, and set it up on a rocky ridge line looking out over the sea.

The original machinery cab still sits there, although it is now used as the outhouse for the newer Donga. Although it would have to be a toilet with one of the best views around.

The current Jacks Donga is essentially a shipping container, set up with food supplies, 2 x bunk beds, stove and table. The donga is used as a site for expeditioners to travel too and stay for a few days, but more importantly is always maintained and stocked as an emergency refuge, should anyone be travelling in the area and require it in an emergency.

Inside Jacks Donga

Jacks is approximately 7 kilometres from the old Wilkes station, and Jack would stay out here, and then walk across the sea ice back to the station to complete his job, before walking back to the hut.

The 'original' Jacks hut.

Above is a picture of the original Jacks hut (which is about 20 metres from the current Jacks donga). It's amazing that this man stayed in this small, mostly metal machinery cab, that also lacked any form of insulation.

Why would you take a picture standing outside a toilet?

Well, when that toilet is in Antarctica, standing in this location, and has a view like the picture below, it's worth taking a photo of.

View from the toilet.

Hagg, with Ice cliffs in the background