Working & Living on Station: A Kiwi Perspective
I've been doing a summer/winter at Casey Station, Antarctica, and have loved every minute of it. I've been working as a diesel mechanic here since the 24th of November 2024, but the beginning of the story goes way back.
I'd always wanted to come to Antarctica, ever since I was an apprentice diesel in the New Zealand army. There was talk of the possibility of going to Scott Base but it never happened. There was also the opportunity of taking some equipment down south when I worked for a Caterpillar dealership some years later. This also fell through but my interest in Antarctica never waned.
In early 2023 an advertisement came on TV looking for people to work at Scott Base. This time I seized the opportunity and put in an application. I interviewed and made it past the first stage, only to be knocked back at the next. I guess they found the people they were looking for.
Something made me check the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) website and it said that New Zealand citizens were eligible, so I put in an application with the AAD. Many online interviews and medicals later, I was finally accepted.
I flew to Hobart mid-September last year, not knowing what to expect. I arrived at my hotel at 9pm, but knew that I had to check out the next morning to go to Station Week at a resort called Steeles Island. I was a bit nervous. What would these Aussies think of a 50-year old Kiwi coming into the winter crew at the last minute. Would they make fun of my accent? Or worse, would they ignore me?
My worries were soon disappeared when I got on the bus. Everyone around me shook my hand and made me feel at ease. They were incredibly friendly and helpful with any questions I had. I was so relieved. Looking back, I couldn't have hoped for a better crew.
After a fair bit of training in Kingston, we drove by coach to Launceston, then flew to Antarctica landing at Wilkins Aerodrome. This is the gateway to Casey Station and is also used by other international stations to access Antarctica.
The first few weeks were utter chaos for me, I've never taken on so much information in such a short period time. Between station orientation, survival training, learning how to run the powerhouse and driving to Wilkins Aerodrome several times to pick up people and freight, I learned an incredible amount. I was also pretty exhausted but I was also managing to enjoy myself.
All these new skills I was picking up was one of the reasons I wanted to be here. Push myself, learn new skills, meet new people and do something completely different. And penguins. Penguins were amazing. Whether we went to view them on Shirley Island or they came to us on station, I couldn't get enough of them. They're funny, pretty friendly and interesting to watch. We worked hard over summer, whether it was resupply, powerhouse maintenance or general running of a station. I was pretty tired but still enjoying myself.
The younger deiso’s on my team were an inspiration. A couple were half my age but are extremely talented and clever. I felt like they were running rings around me at times but instead of getting angry about it I embraced their knowledge and learned from them.
The well-known “can't teach an old dog new tricks” saying doesn't work down here. I was happy to do whatever needed to make the Station work properly and if that meant learning from someone younger than me then so be it.
We worked hard but we also had a lot of fun, especially over summer. We were rewarded for our hard work with boat trips around the bay to see icebergs and wildlife in Antarctica. I also got to travel to Bunger Hills for the day by aeroplane on both the Tuanata and Basler, the best day I’ve had down here so so far. I also got to travel to one of the recreational huts via helicopter. This was also amazing even though the trip was over too soon, but not that I'm complaining! I do realise that these trips were a bonus and they don't happen every year, but I want to thank the people responsible for making these trips happen for me, I will never forget them.
We also had a lot of parties on station that kept the mood of the Station up, and included Christmas, New Years, Australia Day, and later in winter, Easter, Anzac Day and Midwinter celebrations. I also need to mention the summer and midwinter swims. Not surprisingly they were extremely cold but I'm glad I did them.
I'm writing this article with a few months still to go, there will probably still be a few adventures to come before I leave to go back to Hobart and then back to Napier NZ, but I can confidently say that I have had the best time of my life. My fellow crew members are all absolutely amazing individuals, they're all great human beings, extremely good at what they do, best of all I feel we have at all times worked brilliantly as a team.
Whether it's banding together to come up with a solution to a problem, helping each other in the kitchen or enjoying each other's company at social gatherings I've been constantly amazed by everyone's work ethic.
All too numerous to mention but I have to say a special shout out to our chef Nick. He's a genius in the kitchen and extremely intelligent and funny. He's had the knack for making sure nobody misses any dishes from home. The food has been incredible, and his standards are impeccable, along with his taste in good movies.
It would also be remiss of me to miss out the names of our senior leadership. Our Station Leaders and Deputy Station Leaders include Dani and Justine for summer and Andy and Lee for winter. My immediate supervisor and SMS, Lockie, and the station doctors, Dave, Patty and Meg for winter. Oh, and the field training officers, which include Liz, my winter FTO. All of these people are so professional and just great human beings.
Finally, I just want to say thanks to the entire station as a whole. You've all been so great to me, very accepting and helpful and without these great people, I would not have enjoyed my season at Casey Station half as much as I have. I'll be recommending to all my friends back home in New Zealand to give the AAD a go.
Jol Clark
Diesel Mechanic
Casey Station
