This week at Casey: 8 July 2016

This week meet Walter the wintering Wookiee. Walter is the electrician’s apprentice who arrived on Voyage 2 and like most apprentices was quite elusive during summer, partying hard and socialising with anyone he could. Much of his time was taken up with unrivalled jollies (recreational trips off station) visiting other Antarctic stations whilst learning how to fly with the Ken Borek Air pilots.

As summer gave way to the colder winter months, Walter focused his efforts in helping others on station plus learning his trade, becoming a valued member of the Casey maintenance team. Part of his duties has been helping the project guys refurbishing the rooms in the main living quarters. Apparently he worries about Adam and tries to avoid turning his back toward him.

Power house observations have challenged Walter’s resolve: the running engines remind him of the Millennium Falcon at light speed. Amongst other duties Walter tried his hand as slushy (kitchen hand). Helping Donna out in the kitchen seemed a success until Wookiee fuzz was found in the cookies, thus a ‘bear ban’ from the kitchen ensued.

Over the winter months, Walter and the trades team head out to O'Brien Bay to collect water samples for an ongoing science project. The process involves drilling a 150mm hole through multi-year ice, which can be three metres thick, to access the sea water below. A special water collecting bucket is then lowered into the water until it’s about one metre from the sea bed. Water is then collected and transferred into various sample jars. Walter has been extremely helpful with drilling the ice but seems to disappear when the area floods with sea water, something about getting his fur wet…