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The Aurora Australis has been ‘parked’ in the ice for around 3 days now. While the Sea-ice scientists, Meteorology, Communications, Aviation and Voyage Management teams have been flat chat, how have the majority of expeditioners been spending their days? Dave, a head-office employee undertaking a ‘familiarisation’ trip offered the following observations... Firstly, parked literally means parked – the ship was driven into a large flat ice floe a number of times until a short channel had been eked out and she was secure with ice all around her save the 50m track back to the open water. The ice floe we are temporarily calling home is about 7 kilometres across. The surface is like a frozen choppy ocean – think the top of a lemon meringue pie! Since the engines were stopped we have been very slowly drifting as one with the ice floe and the whim of current and weather. We have gracefully, albeit slowly, glided past icebergs with huge keels and big sail areas that create a gradual changing outlook.The ‘average’ expeditioner might get up and go to the gym for a while before breakfast and then spend the morning helping out in the galley peeling spuds, checking emails or doing personal chores such as washing. After lunch, served between 11.30 and 12.30 it might be a field-training session, more planning for your season’s activities, a game of cards, or stretching the legs on the helideck in the sun. Dinner starts at 5.30pm and is normally followed by a seminar in the theatrette that most go along to. A stream of movies is then played long into the night by those having trouble sleeping in what has become less than a 5 hour night. The lengthening days mean the sunsets have become long too and many have been up on the bridge or monkey deck (the deck above the bridge) trying to capture the 'moment' which ends up being an hour of magical and ever changing light. Sunday's sunset saw the first solar pillar which should feature in many of the pics sent home to family and friends.
REGARDS: Karin, Sharon & Lance
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.