This week at Casey: 31 May 2013

We joined 170 million people in 36 countries in watching the action packed Eurovision, dealt with blizzards, blizzards and more blizzards, travelled to the Red Keep in King’s Landing and joined the families of Westeros in a great feast and tourney. The picture gallery of the week is by Michael Salinas from BOM.

Eurovision

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest was held in Malm, Sweden and was watched all over Europe, Australia and Antarctica. Well at least at Casey.

On Saturday night, after a delicious traditional Swedish feast prepared by our culinary genius Scotty (the station chef), arrangements were finalised for the second semi-final viewing. Of course, never is an opportunity missed to dress up on station. The great thing about Eurovision is that you can wear anything you like and it won’t look out of place on the stage.

Matty went for the classic Swedish Viking look, the horns make him just that little bit taller than normal and he had to stoop each time he when through the doorway. This was very reminiscent of Igor in the Ukraine’s song. Lee and Scotty made it a family affair, though we weren’t sure if it was a mother and son or daughter act. Young Ben was obviously supporting Latvia with his mid-summer festival attire.

Even though the UK has sent some great performers over the years, I don’t think it included the Beatles. However that didn’t stop Mick showing his support. Abrar went for the classic rocker look. Of course outrageous hair is always a winner at any Eurovision party, as demonstrated by Leon, Timmy and Mark.

To make the night more interesting everyone was given a random country to support, which was concealed from the others. The objective of the game was to try and guess each other’s countries.

To add further spice to the night, as each country performed their song a close eye was kept out for specific features during the performance. When these occurred everyone had to respond. If someone strips off part of their costume, everyone had to strip off one item of clothing. Luckily this only occurred once! If an act draws upon fireworks, everyone had to stop, drop and roll. This is guaranteed to happen multiple times in Eurovision and it did. There was more than one costume malfunction as people rolled around on the floor. If an act required more than four back-up dancers, everyone had to leap immediately from their seat and dance to another spot in the room. Again this happen multiple times and everyone was able to try out their best dance moves.

Overall the night was a big success and in 2014 when Eurovision goes to Denmark there may just be a few more former Casey winterers watching back in Australia.

Abrar in a black leather Elvis suit in a classic Guitar hero pose

Mark with a rainbow coloured punk rock hair do

Wilkes blizzard

It started off as a simple deployment and retrieval of the air sampler filters and data logger at Wilkes, which includes an overnight stay. The weather cleared for the afternoon which we took advantage of with a tour of the old station. To our surprise, the tour included a moonrise over the Hägglunds.

That night the weather started to spool up and with winds reaching 85 knots. With the approaching weather we decided to stay put until it calmed down. Overnight, blizz tails appeared just inside the hut. This would mean digging, a lot of it, just to get in and out of the actual hut.

The generator performed marvelously and we had Mark, also known as Noddy, checking the fuel level. The hut is very comfortable and comes complete with a wood heater to warm any cold visitor to the famous ‘Wilkes Hilton'. Then it was back to station in time for the sunset, which sets at around three in the afternoon at this time of year.

Steve standing with some instruments outside in a snowy terrain

Reflection of the sun on a very still water of Newcombe bay

Game of Thrones night

“Corn… corn” the raven cried as it alighted on my desk, vellum parchment clutched between sharpened beaks.

It could only mean one thing, a summons from King Robert and Her Grace to a feast for all those “Westerosi” remaining at Casey.

A feast and a tourney perchance? Regardless, an occasion not to be missed.

So it came to pass that all those Casey expeditioners having obsessed for months over “Tuesday night, Thrones night” finally had the opportunity to live out the fantasy!

Of course without squires and pages, ladies in waiting and servant peasants on hand, it was left to the lord and lady guests to prepare for this illustrious occasion. Arrows were fletched, steel sharpened, shields fashioned and coats of arms given a fresh lick of paint. A thousand candles lighted a groaning table laden with food, the dulcet tones of a madrigal rang out from “ye olde Bose speakers” and so the night began.

The beautiful Queen Cersei, resplendent in blue, flanked King Robert fresh from the grave and looking more porcine than I previously recall. Ser Jaime, Queen Cersei’s brother, having miraculously grown back his hand for the evening was eager for the tilt. Stannis had arrived with the red lady Melisandre. His fool Patch dressed all in motley was accompanied by three other clowns who could only manage high viz! John Snow made the long trek down from the wall with Lord Commander Jeor Mormont via the sheepskin shop. The Hound’s still festering face did little to deter the beautiful Daenerys Targaryen, and her dragon (which looked surprisingly like a parrot) remained on its best behaviour.

The mead flowed freely but the ale and fine arbour gold were better appreciated. In fact my lords and ladies imbibed rapaciously! Meat platters were demolished and the dessert table ransacked. Hodor gave a speech (it went “Hodor…Hodor”). Then it was time for the tourney to begin!

In the tournament ground Lord Snow had left his trusted steed and a marvellous lance (irreverently referred to as a jousting stick) and we were all invited to tilt against a giant interloper: a wildling Viking! Easier said than done, and many a good knight was unseated on the night. Of course the favourite, Ser Jaime won the day.

Then it was up to others to display their prowess at the melee, all jostling for the fair Queen Cersei’s favour? She even took to the battleground herself teaching the brave Ser Stannis a thing or two.

Laughs were had a plenty, a great effort by all involved and a night long remembered.

“Valar Dohaeris”

Lord Tywin,

Humble hand of the King