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Our tow of the Janas continued right through till 0830 this morning when its master was finally happy with the performance of the engine and was confident he could safely put pitch on the propeller. As the pitch came on the weight came off the tow line and the Janas' crew was able to delicately release the bridle and the line fell into the water. At the same time the the Aurora maintained a steady course and speed and recovered the tow line.
The Janas immediately commenced a series of engine trials for about four hours to ensure that the fix was working. Whilst this was going on we made our entry into Port Ross in the Auckland Islands. What a spectacle!
The information about the number of Southern Right Whales was spot on.
This place was as busy as the MCG on a Collingwood vs Essendon game day!
Whales were everywhere! We had a crew up on the bow whale spotting and feeding info back to the bridge. As you can imagine progress was very slow as we made our approach to a bay on one of the islands to get a lee to allow two helicopters to land on deck.
We had the pleasure of a visit from two NZ registered helicopters for about an hour. This added to the already large list of records set on this voyage, because this probably rates as the only time in ANARE history where six AS350 helicopters were on the ship at the same time.
Will leave it to Adrian to correct that one. Once the helicopters departed, after taking on some fuel, the Janas made her approach to her nominated anchorage and successfully dropped her pick. As this was happening the vessel sent to help her out arrived with some more spare parts and a gaggle of engineers.
Once the Janas was safely in position we moved back up towards Enderby Island, which the NZ Department of Conservation has granted us a permit to visit. Most of the Navy personnel aboard did not get an opportunity to get ashore at Macquarie Island so it was good chance to allow them to get some vircon soaked boots on the ground. With all of the gear cleaning completed and being guided and monitored by five appointed DOC representatives we began a short visit program.
Everyone coming back reported what a special place this is with some magnificent landscapes and some interesting wildlife including penguins and Albatrosses. We are currently in the process of recovering our personnel prior to anchoring further into Port Ross. Tomorrow we will commence our transit to Dunedin to drop off some of our passengers prior to commencing our return journey to Hobart. Hopefully there are no further diversions on the way back.
You can stop reading here if you aren't interested in the dessert ramblings:
Chocolate Mud Cake! This was an unexpected surprise and one that did not dissappoint. Kept warm and moist by a thin covering of rich chocolate sauce, the cake presented exceptionally well as per the normal extremely high standards of Chef d'patisserie (hope that is the right spelling and I haven't offended any French speakers). Equally appealing was the taste, justifiably described as a flavour load full metal jacket of sensory excitement. The addition of a scoop of Tasmania's finest Valhalla ice cream and a spoonful of mixed berry sauce just took this to another celestial level.
The news is not good for tonight, as Chef is taking a night off the dessert tools and all that will be on offer will be a pre-packaged culinary delight. SO don't be disappointed if there is no report tomorrow!
Navy term of the day:
Bravo Zulu or BZ for short- term for 'Job Well Done' i.e. In Andy's case it's usually Negate Bravo Zulu....
Regards
Rob and Andy (Left another used brew cup on the bridge!)
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.