Mawson boiler maker
Life down south on an Antarctic station is the most unusual and challenging experience I’ve ever taken on. This is my second winter, but my third time down south, and it's starting to get easier. But at the same time the hardships still remain. We have only just recently ticked over the halfway point of our season with our expected return to Australia due end of March next year. For context, I have been away from my home, family, loved ones, friends and faithful companion AJ, since October last year. Although we got a chance to duck back home for a week before we set sail south, it’s still a long time to be away from your home and life. Coming up to 12 months away, with another six months to go until I’m back home and get to see my beautiful dog AJ, it’s not always easy.
Looking back through the photos to find pictures for this article brings back memories of everything we’ve gone through and experienced so far. From station week out at Steele's Island, through to the present moment on station. The time blends together so easily, it's easy to lose sight of the magnificent opportunity you’ve been given. The experiences and sights are something out of this world, with some things we get to do regularly, other people would give anything to just experience just once.
Although employed as a boilermaker for the station, very little of my day to day involves what I'd be doing back home. From repairing the anemometer (seems standing up to 180 kph winds is hard), replacing a “safety rock” with actual proper fixings and brackets, repairing and rebuilding an aging incinerator, fabricating support frames for various projects, repairing rusted and busted equipment ,and the ever-present fixing tape measures (sea ice measurement devices – aka tape measures, to find how thick the sea ice is). One “highlight” would have to be breaking down and making safe a shipping container lid outside in minus 45 degrees Celsius, definitely not something I thought I'd be doing at any point in my career.
I'll end with this...
Though not related by blood, its been an absolute joy and pleasure to go through this experience with this Mawson “family”. It’s been a pleasure to be cooped up 5924 km away from home with them for the past 225 days, with another 192 to go.
Tristan Smith
Mawson boilermaker/welder
