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In yesterday’s sitrep I said we were ‘about to’ start flying again. Well it never happened, we got out on the deck and unlashed the helicopters but the snow and low cloud came in putting a halt to proceedings. That was as close as we got all day, poor conditions prevailed well into the evening. Today has started much the same, poor visibility with frequent snow falls. As with yesterday there are tantalising clearer periods but rarely do they last more than half an hour and it would be dangerous to put the helicopters up until we can be sure the good conditions will hold. We have no choice but to wait and the forecast is for improvement by tomorrow. Our Chinese friends ashore continue to wait patiently for the rest of their cargo and food. The view from the ship remains fascinating. You can stand on the upper decks and watch emperor and adelie penguins waddle about on the ice taking dips in the small patches of open water. A huge iceberg towers nearby and our (maybe not so lucky) minkie whale is often seen poking its head out of nearby holes in the ice, sometimes very close to the ship. Presents are starting to build up under our tree. On the second day of Christmas the bosun gave to me two idle choppers and a cable reel in a cargo net.
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.