This week we take a look at some of the beautiful skies over Casey and the team get a good start on getting Wilkins operational.

The sun is back

Over the past year at Casey we have witnessed the sun high in the sky gifting us with 24 hours of daylight, to just skimming the horizon giving us only a couple of hours of daylight each day. The ever changing positions of the sun and its elevations both in sky and on the horizon make for breathtaking sunrises and sunsets for us to witness over the winter months.

The days are now getting longer as the sun gets higher in the sky and we have almost completed full circle with only six weeks until our replacements will be knocking on the front door requesting the key to Casey station. These photos are just a glimpse of what they have in store for them over their coming Antarctic season.

How do we get any work done with distractions like these?

Bright orange/red sunset with the dark silhouette of hills and science building in the foreground.
Sun setting over the science building with a halo around the sun.
The sun shining through ice crystals formed on the window as it raises early morning.
The sun just above the horizon as it moves behind the low cloud cover.
The sun behind low cloud producing many different shades of colour.
The sun producing an awesome variation of reds, yellows and orange colours as it slowly rises.
A large bright glow of light above the actual sun which is covered in cloud
The sun coming up over the main power house late in the day with multiple colours in the thin cloud cover.

News from Wilkins

It was a busy first week for the Wilkins crew. After dropping off a genset last Monday to get the buildings heating on, the team returned on Wednesday and had a busy few days unloading, setting up and getting the camp commissioned. The crew were ably assisted by Brilly (Michael) who fearlessly brought the electrical system online and the barista (Cameron) who bravely got the hot, cold and grey water systems running without fuss.

The group were aided by a bout of rare calm weather and great progress has been made to getting the Wilkins camp operational. A few of the buildings required a little elbow grease to clear them out but overall a great start to the busy few months ahead.

A well deserved rest day to end a busy week saw everyone settled into their rooms and Steve even found time to show his baking skills!

Expeditioner with a shovel standing in the large doorway as he digs out the snow from inside the workshop building.
Steve showing off a loaf of bread he has just baked.
Silhouette of two buildings with the generator van and an expeditioner in the middle as the sun sets on the horizon.
on