From the Mechanical Team
Work is not everything.
The huge variety of unusual assets that the mechanical crew must maintain and care for keeps them incredibly busy on the job site. These assets include the Caterpillar D7 Dozer, the sturdy 3 HP Honda generator, and everything in between. Additionally, the team maintains a fleet of Hagglund BV206, Over Snow Vehicles which were last produced in 1980. New Cummins engines and the same sturdy undercarriage assemblies have been added to the existing units. These are the AAD stations' workhorses.
For us, the power generation aspect of the business is crucial for more than just station personnel. Life and death might be at stake. Two of the four Cat 6-cylinder engines in our main power plant are typically operating at any given time. Our backup emergency powerhouse is always on standby and contains two V12 Cat engines that are ready to roar into life at any moment to keep everything running smoothly. These are the heart and soul of our electricity, heating, power supply for everything on station, and believe it or not, refrigeration.
The team members are free to move around within our station's recreational boundaries (once conditions are met) and take advantage of the most amazing setting I have ever seen (once Monday through Friday, like any other job) is over. The team members can visit several station recreation huts and discover some of the most breathtaking coastline regions on the Antarctic continent by using some of our Hagglund fleet. Alternatively they can hike, ski, or ride.
The huts provide excellent cooking and culinary amenities and are well-stocked. With a variety of board and card games available, the entertainment is self-made and the views are invaluable. At the end of the day, a wood burner in one of the huts is ideal for baking pizza.
Seals, colonies of Adelie penguins, the occasional emperor penguin, and a wide variety of birds including giant petrels, can be found in the near vicinity of the station. As of now, we have not been fortunate enough to witness any orcas in the region.
Every meal that the cooks provide on a daily basis is delicious, and the homemade cookies and desserts are a standout feature.
Other activities we get involved in are of course science, training, search and rescue, the fire fighting team, the KBA Challenge Fun Run, and our darts game is second to none. Our recent charity auction raised money for our nominated charity ‘Little Wings’. All of these things are part of the community that makes Casey the envy of all the other stations, and possibly the whole of Antarctica.
Ron Brookhouse
