A week at Casey - seriously nice!
Casey Station Weekly Update
Here we are again, with another spectacular week at the bottom of the world coming to a close. We’ve been truly blessed with perfect weather over the past few weeks, but what has happened at Casey Station over the past week, you may ask?
Well, she’s been a busy one, let me tell you. The annual Law Dome AWS servicing trip, a farewell party for the Wilkins family, and the never-ending worry of the water level in the melt lake have kept us all entertained.
Just another week on the snow farm.
24–26 August – Law Dome AWS Trip
The silver chalet – sleeping under the 5 stars
Four brave expeditioners (some may even say heroes — and yes, I was one of them) embarked on a 240 km return trip to the Law Dome summit to service the AWS (Automatic Weather Station).
The job involves raising the mast, as the summit receives around 2 metres of snow accumulation every year, installing new anchors and stays, and then reinstalling the AWS with a fresh battery and calibrated instruments.
With temperatures dropping below -30°C and a wind chill of bloody freezing, we accomplished what some said simply couldn’t be done! The trip went off without a hitch.
A stellar effort by the team involved. And just to clarify, this trip is completed every year, so the term “hero” is being used quite loosely.
Our welcome back onto station was nothing short of honorary, with two Quad Tracks drag-beaming the A-Line, followed by flares being fired and a welcome-home banner strung between two Polaris’s as the two Hägglunds rumbled back onto station.
Is this really what it feels like to do Traverse?
29 August – Wilkins Farewell
The Casey Links – Best Golf Course in the Antarctic Circle
What was originally planned as a pig on the spit with bread rolls quickly evolved into a full-blown Royal Show-style banquet.
Chef Matty, against his will, was forced by his sous chefs into submission and even to put on one of his least favourite foods, The Forbidden Sausage, The Saveloy (Frankfurter)
The menu continued to grow until we arrived at something that would rival any Royal Show you’ve ever been to. The spread included ciabatta, churros, toffee apples, chilli dogs, Dagwood dogs, pretzels and, of course, the star of the show, the pig.
Needless to say, no one went hungry.
With everyone dressed in their golfing best, we then took part in what can only be described as one of the best 18-hole golf courses on the planet.
The course wound its way through every nook and cranny of the Red Shed, taking us through all of our hallways, Husky’s Hollow, Footrot Flats, The Far Side, The Rookery, Skid Row then The Odeon and finally from the Upper Wallow into the Lower Wallow.
Black lights illuminated one of the holes, while the Upper Wallow and Lower Wallow were connected with PVC piping running down the stairs, making it one of the most impressive holes on the Casey Links.
After a round that will no doubt be talked about for years to come, Mick Wright (The People’s Plumber), with his trusty caddy Cam Howlett (Appliance Specialist), took out the title and, most importantly, claimed the infamous Green Jacket.
The win was never really in doubt. Mick didn’t miss a shot all night. From the tactical small talk with his caddy to launching golf balls down the hallways at speeds exceeding 300 km/h, he displayed a level of skill and precision rarely seen outside the professional circuit. Every shot was calculated, every putt was deliberate, and every hallway was considered a fairway. By the time the final ball disappeared into the distance, there was only one question left to answer....
Who was going to tell Mick he had to give the Green Jacket back?
A performance that had to be seen to be believed, cementing Mick as the undisputed King of the Casey Links.
A memorable send-off for the Wilkins crew.
The Changing of the Guard
As Wilkins departs, they take with them our King (some may say dictator) of the Casey Hydro, Michael Delacey.
A man who rules with an iron fist, Michael has now handed the reins over to the Appliance Specialist and the Prince of Wilkes.
It may only be for ten days, but the buck has been passed. Will the kingdom survive this transition? Will the tanks stay full? Will the pumps keep pumping? Will it flood? Or will the Hydro fall into complete anarchy?
Only time will tell.
For now, the new regime has only one thing to say:
We’ll do our best, mate
May Casey Hydro be remembered.
‘PLUMB’
The possibility of a Top Lake transfer continues to loom over our plumbers’ heads. They are apparently losing sleep as they contemplate the prospect of drilling through metres of ice with an auger to refill our tanks with some of the freshest and clearest water known to be on the face of the earth.
With the threat of taking away our much-loved “sprayer” from the kitchen, we knew things were getting serious. There has even been talk from Lead Plumb NT of random shower inspections, stopwatch in hand, to ensure the three-minute rule isn’t being broken.
For now, the plumbers remain confident that everything is completely under control.
The question is, will we have to carry out the infamous Top Lake transfer, or will the melt beat us to it?
Only time and the water level will tell. It could be worse, though - we could be at Davis.
Until Next Time
Casey, it’s been one hell of a year so far, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of it has in store for us.
Bring it on.
Chris McKendrick
“Blinky”
79th Diesel Mechanic
