Adjusting to a new normal as summer expeditioners return home

Winter is coming!

It was a Sunday at 11:45am and there was an abundance of people roaming the corridors, collecting up the last of their belongings and scurrying down to the wallow, bags in hand. Hands were shook, hugs were a-plenty and even the odd tear was shed.

“The plane has departed Hobart!” exclaimed station leader Kyle.

It was a bit of a relief to hear those words as the flight had been delayed a few times earlier in the week, producing feelings of impatience and nervousness. The 22 expeditioners that were departing said their final goodbyes and climbed aboard the Terrabus, ready for the 4 hour journey from Casey station to Wilkins aerodrome.

We stood upon the cold porch balcony and waved them off as the bus quickly left our sight. As we turned around and walked inside to the lower wallow, we quickly began to notice the absence of sound. It was quiet. Very quiet. These areas were once full of booming voices, cries of laughter and the odd intellectual conversation. No longer. It’s time to adjust to a quieter station.

WINTER IS HERE!!!

I look forward to learning about this continent over the next 8 months of the winter season. I look forward to learning about the 26 others who will be sharing the isolation of being a winter expeditioner. A group of people who wouldn’t ordinarilly have associated with each other, yet we all have one thing in common, Antarctica. What makes these people tick? What hobbies do they have? What have they experienced in life and how did they come to work in such an isolated place? These are the things I want to know. By the time we leave this place I hope to not only see these people as fellow expeditioners, but as people I can call friends and people I am happy to be a part of a community with.

Winter expeditioners of Casey Station, here's to the next 8 months!

- Aaron (Station Supply Officer).

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