Spring is in the air, and in a week that saw us celebrate both the AFL and NRL grand finals with a lot of armchair action, there has been a lot of ground covered in and around Casey station.
After months of training, the Icy Marathon took place. A few brave souls ran in what were perfect weather conditions, with 0-5 knot winds and air temperatures a “balmy” minus 10ºCelsius. Ground conditions were less than ideal, being very soft underfoot. Rather like running in soft sand, it was a bit of a slog, gruelling, torture even! Ben and Kyle completed a full marathon and Zack the half marathon and I suspect some more of our running fans will follow suit.
Another group of adventurers decided to walk from Casey station to Browning’s hut via the sea ice. We had two teams, one heading to Browning’s and another leaving from Browning’s, close to 34km in total. Both teams had an overnight at Robbo’s hut.
Our next three day weather window was perfect, minimal wind and sunny blue skies. Expeditioners made the most of it, with two sledding groups and one Hägg group headed to the historic Wilkes Hilton hut. Four cameras on the Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) were inspected and memory cards swapped in preparation for the return of the much anticipated wildlife. Being out on the sea ice allows us all to appreciate the magnificence of the Antarctic environment, walking on 1 metre thick ice, surrounded by icebergs and sea cliffs in the distance.
As always, many thanks go out to all those involved in logistics, support crew and communications for all the field trips that happen on station.
-Deirdre McCormack (Dee) - Station Doctor
