This week at Mawson: 24 November 2023

As the Mawson summer swings in to gear, the wintering crew were greeted with fresh new faces.

The new arrivals were delayed by a couple of days due to bad weather but once it cleared up the Twin Otter spun up its propellers and delivered the first lot of expeditioners to station. Over the next couple of days 16 expeditioners arrived, along with close to two tonnes of cargo, including fresh food, essential parts and expeditioners’ baggage.

For the new arrivals to Mawson, it’s been a big journey. We were lucky enough to be on board the RSV Nuyina while they were conducting the ice breaking trials, arriving at Davis to help where we could with their resupply, taking off in a Twin Otter from a sea ice runway and finally, arriving at Mawson station.

Mawson station is the first ANARE (Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions) station, established on the 13^th of February 1954 (the 70^th Anniversary is just around the corner).

The station is now bustling with the influx of new arrivals and has swelled to 30 people. Once we are all settled in, the plan this summer is to conduct essential maintenance; project works and assist our two seabird scientists conduct their research and studies.

As for myself, I will be managing the Green Store, packing and processing the cargo that is returning to Australia and preparing for the busy resupply in March 2024.

It looks like it is going to be a busy and rewarding summer for the whole of station.

Ryan Thompson (Mawson Station Supply Officer)

With the final four flights now completed between our sister station Davis and ourselves, Mawson now settles into a new - somewhat more energised - summer routine. With more new faces than old now on station the coming weeks will see new friendships created (and a few old ones re-established among those repeat Antarctic offenders!) as the remaining winterers reacquaint themselves with the art of small talk.

The flights also delivered a significant amount of cargo to the station. Having gotten used to tinned fruit and vegetables, the tantalising promise of fresh food was being discussed even before it had arrived. Would there be mangoes, apples, pineapple? Only time will tell as Nick, our chef, carefully appraises the new stock and rations it accordingly over the next month or two.

Unfortunately, one of the downsides of the fast approaching summer is the deterioration of the sea ice around the station. The increasing number of petrels flying around station is just one clear indication of the warming weather. We can see the rapidly approaching open water on the satellite pictures – and even its dark reflection against the clouds to our north – and just hope that a lucky few may still yet get a chance to visit our emperor penguin friends at Auster Colony once more.

Cat (Mawson Station Leader)