The whispers are in abundance around the corridors…is it true one may ask, are we really going to have new people arrive on station???
The Station Leader sits us all down and confirms, Mawson is going to have an influx of summer expeditioners. We all look at each other in disbelief, here we are, a close-knit community, where secrets don’t stay secret for very long and we are all very comfortable with each other. Routines are like clockwork and the left hand knows what the right hand is going to do, before they do it.
OMG…how are 12 new individuals going to fit in with this crazy winter crew.
I know they would be thinking the same thing as we all are, all the while trying to enjoy the excitement of coming to Antarctica. The winter Mawson crew are a jovial lot and even though the jokes of not needing new people on station is made, secretly, we are excited to see fresh faces and share the wonder of this place we call home. So as a crew, we band together and start to make up the spare rooms and add little things that might make them feel welcome.
There is some sadness, mixed in with all the excitement, as some close friends will also be leaving us when the plane arrives. Strong bonds have been forged and those leaving us early will be greatly missed.
The Mawson team all understand science will be a large part of the summer program and opportunities to travel and see the penguin colonies, the new seal pups and all the other wonders of Antarctica will start to dwindle. All stations have limited resources and tough decisions need to be made by our station leader, to prioritize work programs and the resources we have.
All that said, the winter crew are making the most of the limited time left, to get out and enjoy Antarctica while there is time. This place still amazes all of us on every trip we take. One would have thought, seen one iceberg or a penguin, you have seen them all……not so, I can confidently say.
Reality has actually hit home, as we enjoy the long days of warm sunlight. With the arrival of summer our season is slowly coming to an end. The summer program kicks into full swing and there is a new energy level about the station, but then we realise, the ship will be arriving in Horseshoe Harbour before we know it, ready to take us back to Australia and leave another excited team to call Mawson their home.
Now the question is raised, “Where has the time gone?"
Andrew Brock (Brocky)
