We are taken on a circumnavigation of the island. We have a ‘late story on all the birthdays in January. The Macca Gallery this week has some more amazing images of wildlife and scenery from around the island

Circumnavigation of Macca

The forecast for Saturday was looking good to attempt a circumnavigation of Macquarie Island, and after the morning mist lifted three laden zodiacs left Buckles Bay to follow the coast in an anticlockwise direction.

Apart from a few waves off the northwest corner we had smooth sailing for the circumnavigation.

The purpose of the trip was to obtain photographs of the entire coastal slopes to compare with a similar series taken prior to the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Program commencing its work. Already there are healthy signs of many of the rabbit-degraded areas recovering.

Down the west coast we had glorious sun, with the coastal slopes free of mist and ideal conditions for the photography work. We had a short lunch break in the boats at Caroline Cove before heading around the rugged southern coast. More detail photos were taken along this stretch of coastline to assist in the management of a number of threatened albatross species that call this part of the island home.

Once around Hurd Point the home run was undertaken on a flat sea, conditions for photos were however not quite perfect along the east coast due to the position of the afternoon sun (perhaps the excuse for another boating adventure).

Off Lusitania Bay the king penguins paid us a visit, diving and frolicking around the boats. There was a quick leg stretch at Waterfall Bay before the final run back to the station and the completion of the circumnavigation. An amazing day made only possible by a good break

Michael Comfort

Cruising down the west coast. Image taken from an IRB with one of the other IRB’s in the foreground with four people on board. The rugged coast and green slopes of the escarpment are in the background
Eagle Shelter apple on the west coast as seen from the water. The shelter is seen in the distant background and is perched on a flat piece of ground about halfway up the escarpment. In the foreground on the water is one of the other IRB’s with four people onboard
In the background are the rugged rock stacks along the southwest coast with the steep slopes of the escarpment rising up behind. In the foreground is an IRB with four people onboard
Davis Point hut lies nestled on the coastal flat just below the steep slopes of the west coast escarpment
Mt Haswell is predominant on the skyline behind Caroline Cove. The slopes are covered in green tussock and other vegetation, indicating great recovery after the rabbit eradication
Caroline Cove hut, a converted water tank, sits high on a grassy ledge with the steep slope of Mt Haswell behind. In the foreground is the narrow sandy beach which is populated by many king and royal penguins
The rugged, steep slopes of the south coast. Some parts of the slope are so steep and rocky that they are devoid of vegetation
Hurd Point hut seen through the rocky arch offshore on the south coast. The steep slopes of the south coast escarpment can be seen in the background
Hurd Point hut seen from an IRB just offshore from the beach. There is a colony of royal penguins just to the left of the hut, while the tussock mounds can be seen on the steep slopes behind the hut
Underwater shot of the king penguins off Lusitania Bay. Several penguins can be seen ‘flying’ through the water
Waterfall Bay hut can be seen on the gentle grassy slope just above the coast, with the steeper slopes of the east coast escarpment in the background

January birthdays (late entry)

In January there were many birthdays to celebrate on Macca.

Starting with rabbit dog handler, Dana Boyte’s birthday was on walk-out day for the MIPEP team — 28th Jan. She and a few others got a trip down to Hurd Point in the small boats, saving an 8-hour-long walk down to the southern end of the island. It was a beautiful sunny day and they had the birds and penguins to keep them company down to the south of the island.

This was shortly followed by Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Program hunter Mike Fawcett’s birthday, which he celebrated at Bauer Bay hut. Then our very own Comms guy, Greg Bird turned 55 on the 16th (Icy News 31st January).

Then our youngest ever birthday celebrated by an expeditioner on the island was Leona Plaisier’s 19th birthday bash on the 24th, celebrated in style at Green Gorge with a grand total of 10 people squeezed into the hut. Much to her delight she was forced to wear a very “fashionable” pink dress and bunny ears, a bit of a change from thermals and polar fleece. There was a giant chocolate cherry birthday cake cooked by Lachy and Jack to feed the troops as well as two kilograms of sausages that seemed to disappear rather quickly with nine MIPEP carnivores in the hut. The night was full of laughter and an epic dart game battles that went on into the night. Luckily the next morning was a day off so it was a leisurely start with pancakes all round and not much of anything else.

Next was our chef Jimmy’s 30th on Australia Day (Icy News 31st January). Celebrated in style with a party and spit in the boat shed overlooking the sea on a stunning sunny day. He had ‘two doctors', Jaimie and Laura, deliver him cake which was in the shape of an ambulance.

Only two days later was our alby star Jaimie turned 26 on the 28th (Icy News 31st January). This is her third birthday celebrated on Macca, after spending the last three summers here doing albatross work. She was lucky to receive many handmade gifts from the others on station — there is many clever people hiding down on this island.

Then to finish off the birthday month the MIPEP team leader Peter “Stumpy” Preston’s 53rd birthday was celebrated by everyone on station on the 31st. Now Stumpy tried hard to keep his birthday a secret but these things have a way of coming out on this island… so a big party was planned and surprise games were played.

Leonna Plaiser

Green Gorge Birthday Breakfast. Leona, Dana, Ange and Karen sit around the table at Green Gorge hut. Throught he window behind the group you can see the tussock and many penguins on the beach
Leona in her pink birthday dress and wearing rabbit ears — standing on the beach at Green Gorge. She is carrying a spade and behind her in the background are many king penguins
Greg cutting his cake which is in the shape of ‘big bird from Sesame Street
"Doctor’ Jaimie takes Jimmy’s pulse on his birthday. They are in the boat shed standing next to a table laden with food, including the two birthday cakes, one in the shape of an ambulance
Ange and Leona, both wearing there wet weather gear and carryon back packs, arrive back at station just as Aaron brings balloons to decorate the mess for Jaimie’s birthday. They are standing on the cold verandah with the multi coloured balloons around their heads
Stumpy (Peter) cutting the cake.
Stumpy (Peter) standing next to the ‘pin the finger on Stumpy’ game ( cartoon picture drawn by Ange)

Macca Gallery

This week’s gallery has more amazing images of wildlife and scenery from around the island. 

Four elephant seals at Sandy Bay all lying side by side on there back
Driftwood in the immediate foreground on West Beach with North Head and Anchor Rock (in the ocean) in the background
King penguin underwater off Lusitania Bay. There are bubbles streaming behind the penguin
The view to the north along the east coast from the top of Brothers Point. Sandy Bay can be seen about mid-way along the coast and the Nuggets can be seen in the distance
The big boys are arriving back in the wallows just west of Razorback Ridge. There are several large male elephant seals in the wallow amongst the tussock. The slopes of the escarpment can be seen in the background
Light mantled sooty albatross in flight with the ocean and the clear blue sky providing a contrasting backdrop
Chase (the rodent dog) sitting on a high position looking out for rodents
King penguins on the beach near Gadgets Gully. Four of the penguins in the foreground all have their beaks pointing to the left corner
Skuas amongst the numerous king penguins. One skua is on the ground with his beak open and outstretched wings seemingly annoyed with another skua flying low overhead
Close up of a light mantled sooty albatross as it flys by the Razorback Ridge Lookout
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