The last week has seen some absolutely fantastic weather here on Macca, which led to a few of us getting out and about to do some exploring.
George, Mal S and I got out and about near Handspike Point, a nice little hour and a half walk along the beach from the station - a great change from the normal walks which include a dreaded climb up Doctors track. Unfortunately the actual point is in a specially managed area which is restricted at this time of year, but you can still get some lovely views from the accessible part of the track.
Handspike is a lovely spot to see some beautiful rock formations, rolling surf and at this time of year, about 100 Antarctic fur seal pups. These pups can be spotted all over the beach, in the tussocks and running around the rocks.
Although they look quite cute, these guys are already getting quite aggressive and will give you a little bark if they notice you. If the bark of a 1 foot long, 2 week old pup isn’t enough to scare you away then the 100kg dad is usually close by to chase you off. We give these guys a lot of distance so we don’t stress them out (long camera lenses are a must down here!).
As we head into the last few months of our season I think most of us are starting to wonder how many more trips down this magnificent island we will get. Let’s hope the weather gods are kind enough to give us a few more weeks of great weather!
Troy Henderson
Macca’s Best Looking Expeditioner/ Station Communications Technical Officer
