Scotty and Joe walk to Hurd Point, TASPAWS rangers thank others on station for helping with their work projects, and an unusual visitor comes to Macca.

Scotty and Joe walk to Hurd Point

Supervising communications technician Scotty and building services supervisor and carpenter Joe returned to station a few days ago from a week long walking trip to Hurd Point at the southern tip of the island. The purpose of the trip was to perform some maintenance and repairs at the Mt Jeffryes VHF repeater near Hurd Point, and carry out other hut building and communications facilities maintenance and repairs along the way.

The Mt Jeffryes repeater is essential to provide good radio cover to the southern end of the island, and is particularly important for safety reasons given the relative remoteness of the area. Additionally, the nature of the albatross and other wildlife research that is done in the area requiring access to steep coastal slopes, means that our communications to this area must be good.

Joe shares some of his photos of their trip.

Royal penguin colonies at The Nuggets
The "grassy jump down" access to Hurd Point
The royal penguin colony at Hurd Point is also thinning out rapidly
Windy Ridge hut from the overland track near Hurd Point
Lake Tiobunga and Tiobunga hut from the Tiobunga track
Major Lake from Tiobunga track
King penguins at Green Gorge investigate the camera equipment

TASPAWS rangers thank others on station for helping with their work projects

Last weekend, Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Services ranger in charge Chris, wildlife ranger Mike, and summer ranger Andrea, assisted by albatross and giant petrel project researchers Kate and Jarrod, put on Saturday night dinner for all on station. This was a way of saying thanks for assistance provided by everyone else on station at various points towards the numerous TASPAWS field and wildlife projects, and work programmes. In turn, these activities have provided very welcome opportunities for station based expeditioners to get out into the field to participate in the interesting TASPAWS projects and see more of the island and its wildlife than they might not have otherwise been able to do so. 

Chris, Mike, Andrea, Kate and Jarrod put on a very well cooked barbecue lamb-on-a-spit dinner, followed by some light hearted presentations to some of their key helpers.

Mike carves the barbequed lamb
Mike and Chris present Evelyn with an award
Chris presents boating officer Pete with the award for "Most patient TASPWS support crew"
Chris presents Paul and Greg with the joint award for "Most energetic volunteers"
Benny with The Golden Flipper award

An unusual penguin visitor

Summer ranger Andrea spotted an unusual penguin visitor this week, an Antarctic chinstrap penguin, amongst some local gentoo penguins. The nearest chinstraps are on Heard Island and Scott Island in the Ross Sea. Vagrant chinstraps are seen here occasionally, and this is our second for the year.

Chinstrap penguin in long grass looks up
Chinstrap penguin close up, penguin looking left
Chinstrap penguin in between two gentoo penguins
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