This week at Casey: 8 September 2017

Last weekend at Casey, Scottish convened the ‘Casey Craft Show'.

Expeditioners put on show the various projects that they had been working on throughout winter. Many of the wonderful mid–winters gifts that were received were proudly displayed. The more industrious crafty members of our crew showed collections of work that they had been working on all winter.

Andrew has been busy with his leather work producing some beautiful bags and wallets, and many of the crew on station are wearing one of his custom made Leatherman pouches. Clint also has been busy with leatherwork, whilst Scottish displayed some beautiful wood work.

From lamps to Lego, hip flasks to back scratchers, copper bowls and metal castings, everyone who participated was greatly impressed by what people had all been busy working away on. On the whole, there is a ridiculous amount of artistic talent amongst the 70^th ANARE crew.

Jacque Comery, SL

Name: Mick Russell.

Nicknames: Midnight Mick, Sausages.

From: Originally somewhere nobody’s heard of but near Bristol in the U.K. Now from Brisbane.

Previous seasons? Nope.

Job title: Station Mechanical Supervisor.

Describe your role in two sentences: Difficult and challenging. Sometimes rewarding, but never easy.

What did you do before your joined the AAD? Workshop supervisor, home based heavy machinery mechanic, lots of other stuff including serving in the Royal Navy to being a dispatch rider in London (great job, get paid to thrash around on someone else’s motorbike!)

What is your favourite part of your job here at Casey? Playing with big boys toys.

If you were not a supervisor what would be your dream job? Explorer, but when there was something left to find and not been ruined by people, so probably in Victorian times.

How does this season at Casey compare to your previous seasons down south? Can’t compare as this was the first one.

What do you like to do in your spare time? Scuba dive, ride motorbikes on and off road, avoid speed cameras. Travel to new places.

What song sums up your Casey experience so far? The theme tune from The Thing…

What actor would play you in a film version of our 70^th ANARE season here at Casey? Marlon Brando (but probably the later years…)

What is your favourite hut for field trips and why? Any of them, but the view from Jacks on a sunny day are hard to beat.

Favourite piece of Australian Antarctic Division kit? Snake gloves. I still have all my fingers.

What is your favourite book / movie (or both) and why? Too many to list but love the movie Event Horizon, great mix of sci-fi, horror, and suspense.

What is your typical ‘Slushy FM’ genre? Do you have a particular favourite? Heavy rock/metal, especially anything by Metallica as I know it’s a personal favourite band of Adam the sparky.

Describe your Casey experience with: a sight, a smell, a sound, a feeling and a taste.

Sight: Amazing sunrises.

Smell: Watto’s farts.

Sound: The reassuring rumble of the main Power House.

Feeling: Breathing in the cleanest air, especially as you leave the Red Shed in the morning.

Taste: Homebrew.

Do you have a favourite quote that you’d like to leave us with? Bacon will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no bacon. (Quote slightly modified from one by the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers)