Arriving on Macca as a first-time expeditioner feels like the first day of school, your first day at a new job, and moving into an enormous share house, all at the same time.
It’s surreal that 18 months after applying - after all the interviews, selection centres, medicals, psych testing, training in Hobart and time on the ship - it takes just 90 seconds to ‘helo’ (helicopter) from the Nuyina to Macca – your home for the next year.
You hug the people waiting to greet you because you feel like you know them, having followed along with the Macca Station News since you found out that this was to be your new home. You realise as you hug them that they don’t know you, and you’re just another newbie stepping off the helo, but they humour you and hug you back.
There are 28 hardened expeditioners already here as you invade their home with your shiny hi-vis jacket, brand new AAD beanie, clean boots and wide eyes. They patiently wait while you take your hundredth photo of an elephant seal or gentoo on the isthmus, while gently nudging you along to inductions, handovers and resupply activities.
For the first couple of days, you don’t wear enough layers, buffs, beanies or gloves – you quickly start to learn that layering is your best friend and wear almost everything you brought with you. You see the team from the 77th moving between buildings in just tee shirts or light jumpers. You’re wearing four layers so you just can’t fathom how they do it!
It takes you what feels like an excruciatingly long time to get your boots on and off every time you enter or leave a building. The outgoing ESS is patient while he waits, encouraging you that you’re getting faster every time. You soon give up on work boots and adopt gumboots – a little Macca hack that saves you time and effort in cold porches all across the Station every day.
You walk into the Mess in your gumboots before being politely reminded that they are not allowed.
You put the cutlery in the cutlery tray the wrong way.
Magically the dishes all seem to get washed and the kitchen cleaned every night after dinner.
You see the 77th mingle behind the bar, chatting and playing darts, talking about bulls and beds and shangs – you have no idea what they’re talking about.
You’ve been told that people get sensitive about the milk not being refilled correctly, so decide to avoid the milk jug for now and stick to soy or oat.
You have a fire team handover and fumble your way through, taking what seems forever to don your fire PPE and breathing apparatus, then trying to find where the hoses and hydrants are, and bowling hoses straight into tussocks.
You hike up Wireless Hill and find it physically challenging and slightly terrifying, stopping to catch your breath many times, and not letting go of the rope for a second.
The wind is fierce and relentless – you almost get blown off your feet as it whips through from the west coast. It takes maximum effort just to walk between buildings, hunched over and pushing hard to get momentum and make ground.
You wander around totally amazed that this is your new workplace and home. The scenery is breathtaking, there’s snow on the hills, the west coast is wild, there’s elephant seals and gentoos everywhere, and helos are landing just outside your window. How can the 77th not stop in awe every 5 minutes just to take it all in??
Six weeks later, you know you’re just ducking quickly across to the MESS, so you don’t bother with a jacket. It’s windy (as always) but you’re used to it by now, so you just hunker down and get on with it. You’ve learned the spots where it whips through the station and know to brace yourself before you pass these locations.
You realise the kitchen didn’t clean itself after dinner – it was the 77th all jumping in to help the Chef and Slushy at the end of the day. It’s soon second nature that you and the 78th do this as well.
Your boots come on and off in a matter of seconds.
You know exactly when and how to make the milk to the right consistency.
You put the cutlery in the tray the right way.
When you have a fire alarm, you quickly make your way to the Fire Hut and don your fire PPE and breathing apparatus. The fire team are ready and waiting to respond before the Fire Chief even has a chance to advise you that it’s a false alarm.
You hike easily up Wireless Hill, using the rope occasionally but trusting your sure footing, and not needing to stop to catch your breath.
You learn to play darts and soon everyone is hitting bulls and beds and counting their shangs – although at the time of writing, you’re still shang-less.
You still notice the elephant seals, the gentoos, the crashing waves and the snow on the hills, but you stop briefly to admire it all and get on with your day, as just another incredible day for the 78th ANARE on Macquarie Island, 54 degrees South of Ordinary.
Erin Cupper – Macquarie Island ESS
