This week our boilermaker and welder, Séamus, reflects on how quickly the summer at Mawson is passing, while the streak of good weather continues unabated, allowing outdoor projects to proceed and producing some spectacular photography.

Time flies on station

How quickly time has flown since we started in Hobart.

Two weeks of training to get us up to speed for station. This was followed by 5 weeks on the ship which included sea trials and shipboard training in navigating, radio protocol, sea ice travel and knots. Then a two-and-a-half hour flight to get us all to Mawson which doesn’t disappoint.

It wasn’t long before we were into working and getting familiar with station life. The days and weeks seem to be going quicker with survival and field training wrapped up and we're already hearing a mumbling about when the ship is coming to collect us again and packing for the trip home.

Time flies when you’re having fun.

A channel of water is carved through ice behind the icebreaker Nuyina.
A crack that has refrozen into the sea ice splits into two and extends into the distance towards a number of icebergs
A red and orange glow from the sunset is visible in the far distance over a frozen sea

The good weather continues!

Such a wonderful run of mild weather at Mawson has certainly allowed the station to progress well with projects that require outdoor work, and which certainly would not be possible through the dark, harsh winters. 

The new bollard out on West Arm to support the RSV Nuyina during resupply missions at Mawson has now had the anchors grouted in, much to the delight of our Engineering Services Supervisor, Sara.

In preparation for some significant future technology upgrades to the station communications system, Rob – our optical fibre specialist – has laid over two kilometres of fibre cable ready for connection (he did have some help from a number of other hands of course!)

Possibly the most spectacular result of the good weather has been the absolutely amazing photographs that Bureau of Meteorology Technician Albert has managed to capture of the summer sun surrounded by a magical halo over station and up on the ice plateau during some recent search and rescue training.

All fingers are crossed that these conditions (particularly the lack of 80 knot blizzards) will continue over the weeks to come! 

A halo is visible around the sun above a number of coloured station buildings on a rocky, snow and ice covered landscape.
A woman is smiling as she stands next to a bollard foundation on a rocky hillside. In the background is a frozen sea
A halo is visible around the sun above two Hägglunds vehicle that are parked on solid ice
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