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What a fantastic day yesterday was. Completed all operations by about 1700 local, after a mammoth effort by the ship's crew, the Helicopter Resources people, and a willing band of volunteers on the ship. In total we moved 15.5 tonnes of cargo over two days, and that doesn't include the people and their gear. The two things that could have crippled us didn't: ice and weather. Insert sigh of relief here... But now we have to get out, and that will be a challenge too. An ice recon flight before sunset yesterday didn't reveal very many options, and after sunset, it was difficult to travel. Floes that would have been avoided in daylight trapped us twice during the night, and with the stiff southerly winds we've had, the ice was moving and ridging around us. Not scarey, but a bit of a concern. This morning we have had a clear satellite image to give us a plan: we're heading east towards a promising NW-trending lead above the clear water north of the Petersen Bank. Winds have been easing all morning before a forecast change later this afternoon, so we will head off on another ice recon flight to "ground truth" our satellite image. Lost 51 people, gained 7 from our Casey venture, so queues at mealtimes have been dramatically reduced. Until tomorrow folks... REGARDS Doug and Nicki
Map
A map showing Australia and Antarctica. The map shows the journey of one voyage that has occured in the season, with each route highlighted in a distinct colour.