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Christmas Day on board the Aurora has been an understated affair. Plenty of handshakes and good cheer, Christmas trees c/o Steph WP and her helpers still blinking, pride of place in the library and little treats found at all hours on work boots and cabin doors as expeditioners awoke for their shifts, finding the waters of the harbour calm and seemingly unchanged from the near perfect conditions of the day before.
Despite a change in wind direction and speed in the early hours of the morning bringing ice floes towards the line, the fuel line remained in position all day, snaking from the bow of the ship across the harbour around islands and overhangs up to the station's fuel farm, transferring tens of thousands of litres of special Antarctic blend fuel an hour to Casey. The preservation of this vital link to station has been the task of many expeditioners and crew both on the ship and station who in shifts, manned the valves, hoses and filling tanks along the line and carefully monitored its condition in boats and on foot for the entire 30 odd hour operation. Ably coordinated by Brad C and his refuel assistants along with the station management team, this effort ensured the station received every last drop of fuel to last them the year. Our thanks again to everyone involved in a very safe and efficient day of refuelling and watercraft operations.
Our Christmas dinner, postponed for resupply will be held on the way home. So this evening, as the watercraft crews hauled in the fuel line for another year, expeditioners improvised with an impromptu salsa dance on the heli-deck, backlit by a brilliant blue sky and shimmering sea. Tomorrow, after a well earned nights sleep, we intend to return to cargo, making the best use possible of the weather window forecast for the coming days. In the meantime, a word from Josué, one of our number about his recent work on the continent:
'Not only kids are hoping for snowfall to contribute to the beauty of Christmas' atmosphere. Aboard its majesty the Aurora Australis, a group of five scientists are coming back from Davis where they installed meteorological instruments dedicated to the measurement of precipitation. Unravelling the mystery of snow from its formation in clouds, from high Cirrus to denser clouds, to its transformation on the ground, that's what your fellows Fränzi, Tom, Andrew, Murray and Josué are investigating. So let's hope together that the sky will deposit its mighty snowflakes over Davis, for its beauty and for science!'
Season's greetings.
Voyage Management
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.