This week at Mawson, three expeditioners get energetic walking from Rumdoodle to station, and the first photos of a Weddell seal pup.

Some new arrivals

We have spent the last week in a flurry of activity as we get ready for the new summer arrivals. On Friday we had a station clean up day. All the carpets were cleaned, rooms that had been used as ‘floordrobes’ (in my case) were decluttered. Costumes were returned to the dress up room and Woollies was given a restock.

Finally we have begun to make up the rooms for incoming expeditioners… there are some pleasant colour schemes going on. Pink seems to be the most popular colour this year with pink sheets disappearing off the linen cupboard shelves very quickly, closely followed by a sort of tan safari blend that matches well with the blue and pink fleck carpets. Of course being a high class establishment we have put chocolates on all pillows and will also supply a range of toiletries if you forget anything.

Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of us cleaning carpets and making beds, but Shane did manage to take some pictures of a baby Weddell seal which are super cute instead.

Jen Wressell

Walking from Rumdoodle

On Sunday the weather decided to cooperate and with high cloud, warm daytime temperatures and good visibility Gav, Josh and Sam decided to walk from Rumdoodle to the station: about 20 kilometres.

Driving up to the plateau, it is a view that remains amazing even after nine months at Mawson. The ice bergs and sea ice stretch out to the horizon and the mountain ranges seem enormous because they stretch out of the flat glacier. The sastrugi on the plateau have started to smooth out but there are still some areas of loose deeper snow that provided some bumpy challenges.

The guys made great time getting back to station in around four hours, just in time for dinner.

on