This week we were back out on the sea ice and the plateau in very cold conditions, while back on station we celebrated two birthdays — which meant cake for everyone!

Radio repairs with a view

Radio communications are essential at Mawson especially when we are out in the field keeping in contact with each other and the station.

Doug, Alex, Leon and Benny recently repaired the radio repeater on top of Mt Henderson — this repeater ‘bings’ out our radio communications across the plateau.

Even in Antarctica we use solar panel technology — in this case to charge the repeater battery. In the middle of an Antarctic winter and in −28°C temperatures it is tough going for the solar panel, and for the repair team…but the views of Mt Henderson and the plateau were worth it.

Three men in yellow freezer suits check out the radio repeater.
Three men stand next to a radio repeater on a mountain.
A red hut, yellow Hägglunds vehicle and a mountain peak.
Two men look inside a radio repeater.
A close up photo of yellow lichen growing on rocks.
Mountain peaks poke out of a frozen plateau.

We're back out on the sea ice

We are very happy to report that the sea ice around Mawson station has re-frozen and we are now able to get back out on to those superhighways of ice travel to explore the emperor penguin colonies off the coast of Mawson.

Last week a team travelled towards the Auster Rookery approximately 55kms from Mawson to prove our sea ice travel route.

Travelling on quad bikes in −28°C air temperature (−44° wind chill!) the team found a safe route for future travel. Whilst they encountered stunning towering icebergs, unfortunately on this occasion they couldn’t locate the emperor penguin rookery — but the search will continue…

A frozen landscape and pink clouds.
A red dome shaped hut sits amongst ice covered rocks and icebergs
Four quad bikes sit on ice surrounded by towering icebergs
A frozen landscape with blue icebergs and a pink sky

Birthday celebrations with cake and boots!

Back on station we recently celebrated Benny’s birthday with a Muppets themed quiz party followed by a night of tuneful karaoke. Undoubtedly the highlight of the night was Benny receiving his hand made ‘BB’ platform boots from a very creative carpenter on station.

Sometimes we all need a little help reaching that top shelf or that name tag on the muster board…

We also celebrated Doug’s birthday on station last week, with a giant slab of delicious fruit cake with a ‘VLV Mawson’ radio call theme just for Doug.

A group of people in fancy dress stand in front of a cake
A man cuts a birthday cake
A man holds up red and black platform boots.
Three men stand arm in arm.
A man stands in platform boots reaching up to a tag board
A slab of birthday cake.
A man in a crown blows out birthday candles.
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