WINTER IS COMING – 01/04/2020

Hey there,
Hope you’re all going well. So there’s not really been a whole lot happening down here of late but I do have a few new pics for you. Everyone is just getting settled into their routines as the initial excitement is slowly wearing off to the point it is very easy to forget that we are in Antarctica and a -18 day with next to no wind is a “Bloody beautiful day”. People are still getting through their survival training with groups of four going out every week. I will sleep VERY well knowing there is a group out sleeping in their bivvies tonight. There is one more group to go through it next week and then everyone will be field and survival trained. So after that hopefully some more field based jobs come up and maybe even start sneaking away to one of the huts for weekend trips. So far we have been extremely lucky with the weather and have only had one blizzard come through which only lasted just over a day. We have outside travel restrictions during blizzards which is we have to travel in at least pairs and radio comes before leaving a building and when we have reached the building. Being the first blizzard it was all pretty exciting especially watching the snow pelting past the windows while in the safety of the red shed. Visibility dropped well below 100 meters and you literally couldn’t see the next building. Sea ice formed out in front of the station about three weeks ago – once the temperature was consistently low enough it only took about 4 days for the water to freeze over. Unfortunately we are not allowed to set foot on it yet as the Antarctic division have a set date every year from which they will let us travel on the ice but we still probably have about a month before they will allow us to head out on it. But I am definitely looking forward to going through the sea ice training and getting out there. The harbour out the front of Mawson now looks like a giant frozen footy field. I’ve tossed in a couple photos from our first fire drill. One day we ran through the whole process from the fire alarm going off, mustering, those on fire team getting into their turn out gear, identifying where the fire is and getting set up to enter the building. Was a lot of fun as well as a good experience to go through the motions. My role is the hagg driver and pump operator so I have to get the fire hagg started and down to which ever hydrant the fire chief identifies as the best to use and get the hoses connected to the site water services and operate the fire pump as needed. Winter is coming!!! When I first arrived here the sun was going down around 11.30pm but now it is completely dark by 8pm which is a pretty big change since I’ve been here almost two months. But the cool thing about it being dark more often is that we are now starting to see Auroras and now also earlier and earlier each night. Its calming down a bit now but in the beginning you could tell there was an Aurora outside because you would wake up to the sound of people clamouring to get their cameras and gear to go out and get photos. They are amazing to watch especially last night I saw the best one yet as it came through so brightly and not just the standard green but even hints of red and was the first one I’ve seen strong enough to actually change shape and dance across the sky. Its the same kind of mesmerising sensation as watching a camp fire . . . . . . . minus the warmth. All in all its going really well and everyone is getting along great with no issues. Every week on Friday we have ‘knock off drinks’ in one of the buildings which is a great way to get around and hang out in different parts of the station you don’t normally work in. Last week we had drinks in the Comms building and we were hosted by the Meteorology team Darren and Alison. The Chippies did their bit and made up a mini golf course through a couple of rooms and there was ‘Ten Pin Toilet Paper bowling’ down the far end. All good fun. I’ve had the Station leader Matt and our station doctor each come into the workshop and be my apprentices for the day so I’ve had them servicing the station utes. And our FTO (field training officer) was keen to do some work on our outboard motors as he is currently doing his coxswains course so I’ve had plenty of company in the workshop. The weekend before last I went on a walk to ‘Gwamm’ which is a check point on our travel route up to the plateau only about 2km away from station but quite a steep walk. The round trip takes about 1.5 hours (depending how often you stop to take photos – pretty sure it would be an over night trip if Mum was doing it) but was great to walk out from station a bit and take it all in from a distance. Gwamm is just within our station limits and a cache of supplies is left there in case of emergencies because people don’t have to take their field packs with them if only travelling that far. Having a bit of a laugh to myself now because when I sat down to write this I really thought I didn’t have much to talk about. Ha! Ha!
Anyway hope everyone is doing well back home. Love, Guy. N.B. Just added Aurora Video at end of Aurora photos.