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After another fine evening aboard the Aurora Australis, sailing in a South Westerly direction towards the location for the retrieval of a whale mooring, the vessel finally crossed the line of latitude of 60 degrees South around 7.30am (ship's time) this morning. The vessel also adopted a further time zone change overnight, moving to UTC +7, or four hours behind Hobart local time / AEST.
Yesterday evening also saw the winner of the Iceberg raffle announced – being the Master of the Aurora Australis, Mr Gerry O'Doherty! Congratulations !!
Gerry has been travelling South to Antarctica aboard the Aurora in support of the Australian Antarctic program's operations for many years now, so there were some suspicions that he'd picked up 'Iceberg divining' special powers over that time, giving him an unfair advantage. However, in a body of water as large as the Southern Ocean – it really was anyone's guess as to when the first bergs would appear. Final winnings - and the value of the portion of the donations which will be provided to Camp Quality - are still being tallied.
The first iceberg also heralded the vessel's entry to cooler waters and increasing wildlife, with a few whale sightings and more Antarctic bird species spotted around the ship. Throughout today, the number and size of icebergs in the vicinity of the vessel have increased, leading to a flurry of photographic activity. We've had periods of blue skies and sun, in-between the odd shower of snow and sleet, which have made for some impressive backdrops to the calm seas and stunning white bergs.
The Antarctic environment, weather and scenery is full of surprises, and the Australian Antarctic program's operations can sometimes deliver equally surprising twists and turns - particularly for those who are encountering vessel and station life for the first time. Today's operational surprise came in the form of a notification from the Division's headquarters in Kingston (South of Hobart), Tasmania, regards a re-ordering of the voyage objectives.
After a busy summer season, the AAD has identified that Davis Station requires additional fresh water supplies to ensure it has sufficient stores for the winter, and in preparation for the next 2018/19 summer season. The vessel has therefore been diverted to Davis to deliver additional fresh water to top up the station's tanks. As we were tracking a little ahead of schedule in any case, the diversion should not have a significant impact on the expected resupply timeframes for Mawson station, or for our arrival back into Hobart.
Cheers
Mark & Fred
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.