Three vignettes of life at Davis.

The depths of the Vestfolds

Electricians of seasons past may have use this forum to describe generators spinning around th,rowing electrons down the distribution ring main, ending up in switchboards, eventually making the lights emit photons and keeping everyone happy. I however have an abstract of the Vestfolds.

The depths of the Vestfolds. Elements both periodic and meteorological abound in a landscape vast and constrained in unison. Fresh water tarns, saltwater tarns, lakes, fjords, melt streams and creeks bound by glaciers, ridges, tors, crags, hills, peaks, rocks, boulders, pebbles, gravel, sand and dust. A palette of green, red, purple, orange, yellow, blue, smattered minutely amongst a mainly colourless barren landscape. The wind blows, snow flutters and drifts, the sun shines, the wind stops and a fog falls. A curtain of silence descends. Calm, serene, peaceful. A polar opposite to life on station and a life removed from that back home.

Anonymous Electrician.

A rock, approximately the size of a car sits in a frozen lake, the edges of which are beginning to melt. The grey rocky hills in the background have dramatic black stripes on the.
A view looking down over and expanse of medium sized grey/brown rocky hills and snow from a height, junder a blue sky.
A very large grey-brown rock, marked with black stripes sits in a frozen area.
A snowy peak rises into a deep blue sky

On any given Sunday

On any given Sunday, expeditioners at Davis are out making the most of the many outdoor opportunities on offer. Nestled in the ice-free Vestfold Hills — a distinctive landscape of exposed rock and undulating hills — the area is ideal for both day trips and overnight adventures.

Regular Sunday activities range from mountain biking and hiking to scenic day walks, indoor climbing, group runs, wildlife spotting and photography, ensuring there’s something for everyone keen to get outside and explore.

- Gavin Melgaard

In the distance a runner in black shorts and shirt runs along a black beach, in front of sea ice
Two runners approach on a rocky road, uder a pale blue sky
A man wearing a bright yellow pack stands with his arms raised in celebration in front of a sparkling lake. In the foreground a woman wearing a duck blue hat is smiling in a selfie
A man wearing a hiking pack admires a view over a sparkling lake.
Two climbers, approximately 3 metres off the ground ascend an indoor rock climbing all, their harnesses are connected to a belay line held by two people standing below them and observing
Two climbers ascend an indoor Rock Climbing Wall

A walk back in time

There’s nothing quite like hearing stories from the early days while wandering around station, and that’s exactly what expeditioners at Davis enjoyed last Sunday. The group were treated to a walking tour led by Helicopter Resources Engineer Peter — better known to everyone as Pedro.

Pedro first arrived at Davis in the 1989–90 season, back when station life looked very different. Along the way he pointed out where the old “Donga Line” once stood, a collection of 40 foot shipping containers that housed four people each, with only a curtain between you and your (often snoring) bunk mates.

Pedro also shared memories of the station’s first flushing toilet, a big deal at the time given that all human waste had previously been burned, and recalled when expeditioners took three-hour shifts, keeping an eye on the powerhouse, which ran non-stop, 24/7.

One story that really stuck out, was about two radio operators who were based at different Antarctic stations and started chatting via Morse code. They formed a relationship across the ice and eventually got married back in Tasmania. A lovely reminder of long-distance relationships in the days before the internet.

- Gavin Melgaard

A man wearing a blue jumper points to a sign advertising walking tours of Davis, whilst holding a penguin on a stick.
A group of people look on as a man wearing a black jacket and beanie points to something off screen
A plaque mounted to a rock includes a history and a map of the early layout of Davis Station
A group of expeditioners wearing warm jackets stand in a group in front of a small red and white building
A red building, approximately the size of a shipping container with a white door and four windows, spaced out for bunk beds, two on each end of the container, either side of the door.
A poster advertising 'A Walk Back in Time: A guided tour of yesteryear' starring 'Pedro'. The poster includes a radio microphone, and picture of Indiana Jones and the details of the time and location of the tour.

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