The week started with a helicopter visit to station bringing critical cargo, then went on to include some amazing Mawson days, the birth of a new iceberg and, with a marked drop in temperature, the formation of sea ice around station.

Helicopter delivers critical cargo

Last week we heard that while at Davis, the RSV Nuyina engineers had fixed the starboard cargo crane and had managed to access the hold and one of the containers remaining on the ship for Mawson. 

From that container critical items, enough to fill one helicopter, were identified, manually offloaded, and stowed on Foxtrot Papa Zulu ready for a flight from the ship to Mawson. The ship then repositioned close to the coast, approximately 40 nm from Mawson.  

Saturday, the proposed day for the flight, was one of poor visibility due to blowing snow that had fallen inland on the plateau the day before. Luckily during the afternoon, the winds started to drop and the visibility improved to the point where the helicopter could make the flight, delivering the much-needed cargo to a group of very grateful expeditioners.

Our last physical interaction with those outside our small station community for the winter was short and sweet. Goods delivered, a few items uploaded for the return journey, paperwork completed and off they went –  over in a brief 40 minutes. Items were then transported to the Green store and all on station stood down, relaxing into the remainder of the weekend.

A helicopter nearly on the ground at Mawson station recently
A helicopter lands at Mawson with critical cargo for station, two expeditoners standby awaiting the signal to approach from the pilot
Bridget Muldoon, station supply officer with the completed paperwork necessary to deliver cargo to the ship

Mawson calm, clear and cold

For most of this week we have enjoyed some amazing clear, crisp sunny days. The wind has died down in the afternoons allowing for rugged-up hikes over to West Arm and walks around station. Most of the wildlife has now departed, except for the occasional Weddell seal and skua overhead.

With some auroral action forecas,t as well as a full moon, there have been nocturnal activities galore as the team try out cameras and techniques to capture each spectacle.

The clear cold nights have also meant the surface of the ocean in the local area has started to freeze, but with winds picking overnight most of this has since blown away. However, between East Arm and Hump Island and the majority of Horseshoe Harbour, the ice has remained and thickened, becoming gradually more opaque with each passing day. We hope this will eventually become thick enough for us to travel on later in the winter.

It was hard not to notice the absence of a prominent cliff near station on Monday morning. The presence of a new iceberg in the bay – surrounded by a jumble of bergy bits, growlers and brash ice that has since frozen together - we deduce is all that remains of the cliff.

A view from the Red shed looking towards West Arm and Horseshoe Harbour with new sea ice forming on the surface of the ocean everywhere
A Weddell seal lying outside the multi-coloured carpentry workshop known as Rosella at Mawson
An auroral display coloured green to purple captured as it moves across the sky at Mawson recently
A bright full moon with a few wispy clouds shines down forming a golden path across the freezing ocean surface
A view along the coast to the east from Mawson station. The sky is a beautiful pink purple hue typical of clear skies as the sun goes down in winter
a view taken on a blue sky day of ice cliffs to the east of station with a new iceberg visible in the bay
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