This week at Davis we're giving our field huts their annual maintenance, getting out on rec trips and de-winteriseing buildings.

Station update

It has been another busy week at Davis as we head into the pointy end of the season, as we are expecting the bright orange ship to sail into our harbour in the next month or so. This is now a time to finish off last minute jobs, attend to field huts in preparedness for summer and enjoy the Vestfold Hills and Davis environs for maybe the last time this season.

Team two of Tony, Kezza, Rhys, Roberto, B1 and B2 headed out to Marine Plain Apples, Watts Hut, Crooked Lake refuge and Boulder Hill Depot to carry out re–stock, clean and annual maintenance of the facilities so as to hand them over in a ready state for the incoming expeditioners.

It was quite an event with two fully stocked Hägglunds and a quad bike and for some of us it was the first time that we had visited one of these destinations and also for some of us it was the first time we had used a vacuum cleaner in a long while! 

Out in the field this week we had a crew stay at Marine Plain Apples for a few nights which included a trip out to the very spectacular Cataract Canyon and Canyon Lake which are in the far reaches of the Vestfold Hills.

More new born seal pups were sighted by Kerryn and Fitzy as they spent some time out at Brookes Hut and surrounding areas and Ralph and Sharky enjoyed skiing and walking out to Rookery Lake, Brookes Hut and back to Davis over a three day period.

Team Dieso and ‘The Electrician’ have also been busy this week in getting the groomer ready for a trip to Woop Woop in the coming week to prepare for this summer’s flying program, and the fire team had a final run through of equipment usage including hoses and foam suppression techniques.

Tony (Deputy Station Leader)

Hut maintenance Team two at Crooked Lake Apple: Rhys, Tony, Rob, Kerryn, Barry B2 and Barry B1.
Barry B2 and Rob are standing in front of the pink Hägglunds.
Rhys is bent over a generator outside Watts hut, trying to get it working.
Barry B1 is vacuuming inside Watts hut. You can see the kitchen facilities behind him and the sleeping area to the right.
The red fibreglass melon and two apple huts are seen from a higher vantage point. Ellis fjord, frozen and covered in snow lies beyond the huts.
Jock, Lötter, Daleen and Tony are out walking with backpacks on.
A very cute Weddell seal pup’s face. The pup is lying alongside mum.
Fitzy is sitting at the table in Brookes hut enjoying cheese, wine and crackers. He’s looking relaxed and happy.
Barry B2 and Millsy are working on the groomer inside the workshop. Some of the casing has been removed so they can access the engine and track wheels.
The Davis Winter Fire Team posing in front of the Fire Hägg.

Getting ready for summer

The countdown is on…

As the 2016/2017 season is coming to a close, the Aurora Australis or as we like to describe it, the ‘big red tin can’ gets ready to set sail for Davis station.

We here on station are starting to prepare for the onslaught of strange and welcoming faces walking around our once quiet home. Spending the last nine months with only 17 of us holding down the fort has been an experience that I’ll never forget, but I think it’s time to see some new faces!

One of the jobs to get ready for the influx of people is to de–winterise the summer accommodation buildings and the science building. This involves gaining access to the roofs exhaust and supply air vents via an elevated work platform. This will allow the buildings heating venting and air conditioning system to operate and start warming the buildings again.

There are still plenty of jobs that need to be done so it’s all hands on deck lately. Tonnes and tonnes of snow still needs to be cleared so that the resupply can do its thing. And 80 plus beds need to be made. The list goes on.

The ship is due less than a month away but this could easily change as anything can happen with countless voyages being diverted or called back to Hobart over the years. So we can’t really have a countdown for the arrival of the Aurora Australis, just keep an eye on the horizon…

Shoey (HVAC Balancing Technician)

The elevated work platform alongside the yellow science building, getting ready to unblock the HVAC (heating venting and air conditioning) system located on the roof.
The roof of the science building.
Still a lot of snow around station — the road from the LQ up to the summer accommodation buildings.
The summer accommodation buildings (SAM and TAD) being prepared for the part-timers to arrive.
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