This week at Casey: 1 June 2012

Bad fashion, huge afro wigs, dirty handlebar mos, great music (for the most part) can only mean one thing: it’s a 70s party baby!

Casey got its groove on in a big way last Saturday night as we paid tribute to the time honoured tradition of the “Fondue Party”.

Yours truly was sporting a top notch ‘stache and platform Sorells. Gav had the David Bowie one piece looking hot and channelled Brian Mannix into the bargain. Our own station leader went full blown punk!

Gav had an array of great food-on-sticks prepared for us to ruin by dipping it in cheese. Sooooo much cheese.

All danced like it was 1979 and some wished it really was when they awoke the next morning with stiff ankles and blown knees. “We're not as fit as we used to be”.

Thankfully though, all the afros are gone, I've shaved off my disturbing mo, and the bar no longer smells like cheese and pork skewers. That is, ‘til next time we decide it would be a good idea to relive the past and then remember that it’s the past for a reason.

Mike Kennard

Team Dieso!

With the daylight down to just over four hours, going for an overnight hut trip has now taken a new approach. Last Sunday Craig, the meteorological observer, and I left Casey for an old fashioned foot powered sled haul to Jack’s Hut.

We set off after lunch, each hauling around 25kg of survival gear, extra clothing and equipment in a 1.7 metre Norwegian sled know as a ‘Pulk.’ We ultimately chose to walk rather than to ski on the icy surface. It was a brisk −25C as we left the station limits and made our way up the long drawn out hill that heads up to the plateau. The wind hit us head on and, although it was only around 25km per hour, its bite on any under-protected body parts was fierce. When exerting yourself down here it is always a balancing act between being warm enough and reducing excess sweat that will make your clothes wet.

Eventually we reached the top and made a detour towards the hut situated on the coast. We kept a line of rocks on our left to navigate as the sun sunk into the frozen horizon. The crescent moon rose directly in front of us to navigate towards. Stars then sparkled in the pitch-black and the brightest shooting star I’ve ever seen arced across the sky. Wisps of snow danced around our feet on the hard blue ice like sand across a beach. With only the sound of ice crunching under our feet, it was incredibly peaceful.  

After three hours we reached the hut. It was just as cold inside as it was outside so we were relieved when we finally got the gas burner going and downed one cup of hot soup after the next. There has to be no better sleep than in a warm sleeping bag in an Antarctic hut in winter.

The next morning the view of ‘iceberg alley’ being frozen in a blanket of frozen sea ice made it look like mountain tops jutting through cloud. We set off in perfect weather for the trip back to Casey, arriving just in time for the weekly yoga class to stretch out our muscles. It’s trips like these, experiencing the ‘real Antarctica’ that we will remember the most.

Gavin Melgaard

Station Chef

Name: Phillip Marthick

Nickname:  Pilgrim

Role on Station:  Electrician

Other Appointments:  10am, 1pm,  5pm as Post Master General

Describe yourself in 3 words.  Sound economic value.

Who inspires you?  Nearly every person.  Muhammad Ali is my greatest inspiration for his achievements and maintaining humanity and dignity.

What is the one thing you enjoy most about your current job?  The autonomy of my role lends itself to a self starter style work plan and days.

Why Antarctica?  Always wanted to come for a look at pure wilderness and all the other cliches that are true too.

What did you give up to come to Antarctica?  Home life with my wife and 2 pups, 9 chooks and my pet cow.

Do you have a home to go back to?  Don’t know just yet.

Do you think your pets will bite you?  The labrador, NO! , the retriever well may!

Any work lined up on your return to Australia?  Putting out a feeler for Saudi Arabia.

What other occupation would you have if not an Electrician?  Oh yes, I’d be a Dieso for sure!

Are you continuing study/ tertiary ed. / services duty?  Something for sure, even if just classical guitar lessons or such.

If not at Casey this year, what else would you be doing?  More than likely would have been with the Hydro Electric Commission as a Generation Tech.

Hobbies at Casey?  Guitar, photography, gym, reading, making mementos for Midwinter’s

New hobbies for home and the future?  No, just better at playing my guitar

Buying any large toys on your return home?  Wanted to buy another motorcycle but, “NO! You have 2 already, OK.”

Holidays planned?  Yes. We are going somewhere to do the reconnect thing.  Fiji? (Outer resort style)

The Red Shed is burning down and you are only have time to save 1 thing?  My pillow.

You are stuck on a deserted island with one person?  Jason Blackwell.  Calm, does things right, can cook.  Survivor.

Which other Antarctic station would you like to visit?  Mawson.

What are your taste buds craving most?  Organic oils and pure paleao foods.

Your favourite hut?  Jacks.

Favourite Antarctic wildlife?  Dunno, not eaten any.

Most important thing you would take on a jolly?  Booze and Bose System.

Favourite summer highlight?  Some really good true friends made.

Antarctic highlight?  Taking the Beachmaster role.

Winter highlight so far?  Falling up a blizz tail in 65 kts.

Name 3 people you would like to invite to the Midwinter Dinner?  Kathryn.

Name one person you most like to winter with?  Dave Davies.

If your life was a song, which one would it be this week?  “Rock and Roll”, Led Zeppelin.

Favourite day of the year?  Saturday night.

Favourite place in the world?  New York so far!

How do you have your jalapenos?  Pan fried in butter, seeds out.

What size boots do you take?  Big enough and I lace ‘em up tight to have a crack at anything.