Weather Forcasts - Casey Antarctica

 Yep, just as we have all suspected about weather forecasting, the old dart board routine. Nothing more needs to be said about that. However, in the interests of those of us down here and go out on field trips, a very sophisticated  meteorological modeling system is used to forecast weather in all the areas that people are currently located. The models use information from realtime data, satalite data, infared data and a truck load of other data that boggles the mind. The models combined form the forecast. Needing forecasts for all groups in different localities can be a headache for the Met people because there can be in excess of 6 different parties out at one time, and spread over hundreds of square kilometres. We also forecast for planes and shipping in the area and for other countries. The weather is monitored down here around the clock when planes and shipping are in the area. So the old dart board

routine just won't cut it as blizzards can pop up very quickly and at speeds of over 180 kph, you just don't want to be out in them. Quick accurate forecasts is their business, and they do it very well...!

Christmas in Antarctica - Well Sort of...!

Christmas down here has to work in with our resupply. As you would have it, we had christmas a few days late. But, it was a great day. I did forget to mention in my blog about my role as a boilermaker that it also included being Santa. I guess I got the gig because of my greying beard and my ownership of a pair of gold framed reading glasses. We, like most work places had a secret santa present hand out. Unfortunitely, due to airflights coming from home, some didn't get presents from home. But, the day went along great with an incredible amount of seafood and lots of laughs. The chefs as usuall blew away the crowd with their skills. Hope everyone else had a season to remember, I certainly did...! Merry (belated)Christmas from Antarctica.

Boilermaking Secrets - In Antarctica

For all you budding boilermakers, home handymen and women, welders, and anyone else who is curious about what the hell does a boilermaker such as myself do in Antarctica, well here it is. Without going into liquid metal transfer technology(welding) and metal displacement techniques (oxy cutting and basic beating the hell out of metal), there are no secrets to convey. If you want to know how to weld or build stuff, go to a technical college or google it. But,I can tell you that I have the pleasure of repairing excavator buckets, building sleds, fabricating bollards for the wharf, reshaping  bent up fire stairs and rails, fabricating boat lifting bars, pump stands,wood racks,  welding aluminium castings,stainless steel stirring stick for the brewery(most important job to date), handrails, trusses for the westwing, and the list goes on and on. I also drive the Mack Tonka truck(see previous blog on resupply) ,forklifts, front end loaders and my favourite, the skidder and container trailer.  It's a bit of a beast, and although it's designed for hauling out logs in the forest, its a great piece of kit to have down here to haul containers over terrain that is, well, bloody inaccessible to your toyota. Its articulation takes a little to get used to especially when backing a forty foot trailer. Also, no steering wheel. Just a weird little push pull bar to steer. I also help the other trades when their short handed, and as a member of the Casey community, I do kitchen duties, help bottle the beer(another story), drink the beer (another story), and supply a constant amount of eloquent insults to the electricians (which most heavy construction workers will know about) , plumbers and carpenters...! So there you have it, everything you need to know  about boilermaking in Antarctica. A multiskilled job description if I ever heard one...! 

For more boilermaking work in Antarctica see Building a Wharf in Antarctica.

If your looking for an Antarctic Image in Print,Framed Print,Canvas or Acrylic,
go to my online store at Rockin' Horse Photography

Emergency, Emergency is there a Doctor in Antarctica...!

 Are there doctors in Antarctica, I mean apart from the mered of PHd's scratching around the place in the name of science. Well, you bet there is. I really don't like hospitals after spending some spare time in a few when I was riding motor bikes. Here at Casey we have a damn fine little hospital  with operating theatre, day clinic, ward for two and always a great crowd pleaser, a dentists chair..! Not to put doctors down who have only eight days training in dentistry, but to tell you the truth, get your teeth checked before you come down...! I'm a boilermaker who is handy with a hammer and chisel  and can squeeze a tube a silastic if you feel the chair  is a little too much. But enough of that, a very lucky young

 fella had his appendix out just the other week down here and has now made a good recovery. He is already back at work. The best thing about this doctor's surgery, no appointments needed, no waiting, and no bills. Not only that, you get to have a beer with the doc after work at the bar. We have two here, Doctor John and Doctor Kate. Three cheers for the doctors...!

Welcome Back Kenny...!

 Welcome Back Kenny. Kenny who...? Kenny used to be a meteorological installation. But his time came to be put to the sword and  scraped. But, he was restored as a field hut and sent out to Mitchell plains out from Casey to serve as a shelter for travellers across the frozen and not so frozen lands of Antarctica. He is mounted on a purpose built sled and towed into place by a Hagg. He is yet to be fully finished, but he's only lacking a roof "H" vent and some creature comforts. He sleeps four and has cooking fascilities. All the work was done on volunteer time. At the official opening we all piled into Kenny to see how many could fit. Well, I don't know how many there were, but we're all here in the pic. You count 'em...!

Capital Works at Casey - Antarctica

 The capital works at Casey mainly revolves around the expansion of the west end of the accommodation block (the red shed). The extensions are modified shipping containers that are pre-wired with rooms. These are mounted on concrete beams two high by 4 across. All the positioning of the containers were done by last years wintering crew. During my time here the carpentry crew are putting the external insulation cladding and roofing on. The plumbers are also installing additional showers and toilets. The insulation on the wall is a 100mm styrene foam sheet sandwiched between aluminium. Pretty much the same as a refrigerator.  The roof is 150mm foam sheets.

We've been blessed with pretty good weather so far and work had progressed at a good pace. I've not had much to do with the works but the boys are doing a great job despite all my well intentioned boilermaking advice that has no bearing on the job at hand what so ever...!

For those of you that know the red shed already, the new cladding is different from the original. It has no external joining covers and is flat with no ribs. Very space age. The sheets are so light the boys are man handling them into position...!

The new bathrooms and toilets are actually in the old section directly above the hospital. An access doorway will join the new and old sections once all external cladding is completed...! The new rooms are small but comfortable. See old blog, "Sleeping at Casey."

Antarctic Landscapes from the Sea

This was my first experience with the IRB's Inflatable Rubber Boat. At Casey we have 4 that are used for various tasks such as refueling, rescue, research and photographic recording. They are powered by 40 and 50 hp outboards which push 4 - 5  people along at a good rate of knots. There's not a lot of room in them as we have to carry our survival packs along with other water immersion survival and rescue gear. On this particular day we had perfect weather. Observed were pods of killer whales and minke whales. We also had the pleasure of leopard seals. We spent the entire day out, having lunch at a favourite spot called Peterson Island. From a photographic point of view, it can be difficult to get that shot with 3 other big dudes in the boat plus two other IRB's running around, but they can also had to the interest factor to the pic. I mainly used my point and shoot for the landscape shots and the Canon 5D with a 500mm for close wildlife. I did find it difficult to stablize the bigger lense with movement in the boat. I did use the survival packs as a means of support. As this was my first time out, I was reasonably happy with my efforts. The one thing I would do more often is to check my lenses for water residue, especially on the water proof camera.

Watch this short slide show on A Few Icebergs

I have posted other shots of the day at

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2078809&id=1178881068&l=f5a1de3dfe

See also my blog on Antarctic Landscapes and Antarctica by Air