This week at Casey: 8 August 2025

It runs on enthusiasm

It runs on the enthusiasm of learner drivers.

I have been curious about Antarctica for a long time. I am privileged to work in the building where the new Bureau of Meteorology Antarctic expeditioners do the Bureau specific training. You see a new crowd every year, full of enthusiasm, curiosity, adventure and a particular type of “thrive for life” that stands out.  They come year after year, with a definite type of sparkle in their eyes.

It took me 25 years to decide that I want to use that list of descriptive words myself, the words that I have stopped using for some time. Full of enthusiasm, has it been too long since I used that word to describe myself? Curious and adventurous, it’s been a long time my friend, welcome back. I felt that sparkle grow as my decision gained momentum and turned into a steam train of energy with one ultimate goal, to become an Antarctic expeditioner.

Hoops, lots and lots of hoops. It is the only way to explain the start of the journey. Succeeding each hoop becomes a milestone that feeds your eagerness for another, and another... your enthusiasm grows with each step you take.

Then one day you get a call, with a voice trying to tell you in a few quiet words, that you have a life-changing decision to make. You could be on a noisy street, or in a busy crowd, but briefly, the surrounding noise and chaos disappear as your mind tries to grasp the meaning of the words that you just heard. Your enthusiasm suddenly gets turbo charged. You gain a different sort of drive, not your typical motivation in life to get things done or fix a car.  It is a drive fueled by enthusiasm, curiosity, adventure and wonder.

Before you know it, training begins.  A new bunch of  “about to be” expeditioners with that sparkle in their eyes.  You see the energy and enthusiasm overflowing. You wonder “am I the only one that has doubts, nerves, worries of failing”?  Well, no, no you are not, that is an important part of the journey. If you have no doubts or worries, then you will not get through all those hoops.

After months of training to best prepare you, you arrive, full of wonder and enthusiasm. On entry to the station, where the crew that greet you have lived for the past year, is an energetic happy welcome. You feel like a visitor but quickly feel welcomed to what you will call home. The first weeks are a whirlwind of learning what to do, where not to go. The crew with all the experience, are about to leave and hand it over to us leaner drivers. We bolt on our training wheels and attempt to pedal this Antarctic machine that we will call home. The enthusiasm powers us through the heavy learning curve required to keep things running. Hopefully seamlessly as we take over the wheel.

The station is now being run by L platers (Learner drivers). Learning how hard to press the brake pedal, how far before the corner to put the blinkers on, what that noise is that you have never heard. The energetic willingness to take charge and drive an unknown machine in a remote location at the bottom of the world is inspiring and encouraging to say the least. "We got this" is the undeniable consensus, and enthusiastically used it is. And time after time, the issues are sorted, professionally, efficiently and confidently. As we progress from our L plates to P plates and finally a full license, we will await, the next enthusiastic group of L platers to emerge. A new crowd with the enthusiasm to adventure into the unknown in the middle of nowhere. This machine is driven by L platers, and the fuel is enthusiasm, and it runs like a well-oiled machine.

Disclaimer: It is not only enthusiasm that is required to run an Antarctica station, it takes professionals that are well trained and competent in their field. A good-natured human with emotional intelligence and the will to go above and beyond. Someone that wants to make a difference, to make things better! They need to be curious, committed and adventurous; and have enthusiasm, lots of enthusiasm.

Brian Kirby

AAD BoM Technical Officer

Casey Station