Macquarie Island received its first snowfall on Tuesday night. This is rather late in the year, and many people here had started to wonder if we are really in the subantarctic at all. As a result, cameras were out in force on Wednesday morning to record the scene. It didn’t last long on the ground around station, with air temperatures still around two to three degrees, but it has stayed on the higher ground of the plateau and hills.
This week at Macquarie Island: 23 May 2014
Macca’s first snowfall for the year, and work continues on and off station.
Our first snowfall for the year
Work on and off station
Our trades team (carpenter/building services supervisor Graeme, plumber Greg, electrician Paul, and mechanic Pete) completed work on the heated water connections between the station buildings recently. This week they were busy installing new ceiling mounted heater units in the mess.
Bureau of Meteorology senior observer Keon had a few days off roster this week, and accompanied TASPAWS ranger in charge Chris to Brothers Point hut for three days in order to assist Chris with track maintenance work en route and around Brothers Point. They had a very pretty walk back to station through a snowy landscape on Wednesday morning.
Our hydroponics production unit is now in full swing, thanks to a team including Evelyn, Sean, Ryan and Meg. We have already had our first greens, and our first tomatoes won’t be too far away.
Ivor is locating places where he took photographs in 2010–11 prior to the rabbit eradication programme showing the state of the pre-MIPEP vegetation, in order to take comparative photos now.
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