Month: October 2018

Pre-departure

Getting ready to fly

on 31 October 2018

This week I’ve been busy around head office with final preparations before I head off to Casey. We were scheduled to depart today Wednesday, but due to weather the flight has been postponed for now till Friday. Fingers crossed the weather gods agree!

I’m already kitted out with cold weather gear issued last week, have all my computer access setup and ready to go, and am generally ready to fly so I think all the essentials are taken care of. However, last minute preparations that I didn’t really think of until now include:

An expeditioner needs a replacement laptop charger asap, so stashed one in my bag to take south for them, consign my alcohol purchase for the summer to the warehouse so that it arrives on the ship, check fellow expeditioners flying down with me have the right computer setup for when the get to station, buy more stamps, other last minute shopping just because I’ve got time.

With the pre-flight briefings now complete we are all ready to head south for the season.

Pre-departure

The Antarctic Season Opening

on 25 October 2018

On Tuesday evening, expeditioners were welcomed by the City of Hobart at a civic reception at the Hadley’s Orient Hotel. This is a slightly formal occasion with the Premier of Tasmania, the Mayor of Hobart, designated Station Leaders, and other dignitaries present to declare the opening of the upcoming Antarctic summer season.

It’s a good opportunity to formalise the commencement of the season, but also a chance to catch up with returning expeditioners who I’ve not bumped into at the Division during pre-departure this week.

AntarcticaPre-departure

Would you like a postcard from Antarctica?

on 18 October 2018

I’m getting ready to head south for the summer season again. Receiving mail down on station is such a great feeling, and so is having the opportunity to share my Antarctic experience with others around the world.

When I received the odd postcard last year, I put it up on my donga (bedroom) pinboard. This year I’d like to try a little project and offer a postcard swap. I’d really appreciate if you would send me a postcard from where you are from so I can put it up on my wall. I’ll take a picture of my pinboard at the end of the season and you’ll be able to see my cards from all around the world.

To send me mail, please send a postcard to:

Brendan Barnes
Casey Station
Australian Antarctic Div
203 Channel Highway
Kingston TAS 7050
AUSTRALIA

Just a postcard will be amazing. Postage cost is to Australia (they put it in a mailbag from there and transport them to station) or domestic rate if you’re in the country. Please no envelopes, packaging, food etc. Also can you get your postcard to arrive in Kingston before Thursday 22 November 2018, otherwise it will miss the mail closing date for the ship and there’s limited flights after that which are very late in the season. Plus if it’s on the ship I’ll receive it for Christmas 🙂

In return I’d love to send you a custom postcard from Antarctica which I just got printed for the occasion. It’s got penguins and hagglunds on the front, and our expedition logo on the back. I’ve also just ordered some Aurora Australis edition stamps and we have an Antarctic postmark on station so they should look pretty awesome. I have 200 postcards, so I really hope there’s enough, but at the same time I really want to give them all away!

For me to get your postal address, can you either send me your details by the Contact page or email and I’ll add you to the send out list, or otherwise include a clear legible return address on your postcard. The ones I get via contact/email I’ll do my best to get them posted early on the 5 November flight. I’ll be looking forward to receiving your postcard when the ship arrives.

18–19 SeasonAntarctica

I’ll be working in Antarctica! Again!

on 5 October 2018

With the contract signed this week it’s time to (officially) announce I’ll be heading South for my second season. I’m very excited to be getting such an amazing opportunity to visit a part of the world which so few people get to see – I’ll be working in Antarctica! Again!

This summer season I’ll be working at Casey station as an IT Officer for the Australian program for the 71st / 72nd ANARE.

A lot of planning is already underway – I have flights to Hobart booked in, I know where I’ll be staying in town, I have the pre-departure training guide and many other bits and pieces organised. The second year is always a bit easier though as there’s less unknown – I’ve already done all of these things once before so everything feels quite routine so far which is good.

I guess the main difference to last season is that the logistics around Casey station is quite different to the other two Australian bases. Davis and Mawson get the Aurora Australis icebreaker ship in early, then again a second time late in the season, whereas Casey’s resupply is V2 right before Christmas. This means us summerers tend to fly down to start the summer season, are already on base for resupply, then fly back at the end of the  season. Checking my ticket details (and remembering this is Antarctica – the “A Factor” means plans are always subject to change) it looks like I’ll be heading down in the back of the C17 Globemaster, and returning on the A319. I’m very excited to fly down instead of the ship this year, if anything just for the new experience of getting to the icy continent by air.