Bren on 28 October 2017 What a busy week! Everything from quad bike training to the expeditioner farewell in Hobart has kept me very busy. The family also came to visit and we visited Port Arthur and had a look around campus at the Division. Time to head off soon!
Bren on 22 October 2017 Training continues, and the initial excitement of being here has finally settled down, so during my time off this week I took some time to explore Hobart and nearby Freycinet National Park.
Bren on 16 October 2017 Training continues and we’re into a good routine now. This week we got an opportunity to get on the ship early and install some new equipment. Back at the office there was also a presentation with a krill tank on display, and the new Hagglunds for Davis station parked out front. It was good to have a look inside these vehicles and appreciate just how different things need to be for the cold climate down south.
Bren on 7 October 2017 What a busy time in my life! Last week was all about moving my Melbourne things into storage and vacating the apartment, in preparation for this trip. This week was my flight down to Hobart and starting my new role as ITO.
Monday was “Day 0” – flying in and getting setup at the hotel which I’ll be calling home for the next month. It’s a pretty nice 1 bedroom serviced apartment in Hobart CBD. Sweet! I also took a walk down to Salamanca Place as the Aurora Australis is in port at the moment getting ready for the summer season.
Tuesday I started at the Division. We got the expeditioner bus into work and the morning was briefings, meeting our training organisers, and the ICT staff here in Kingston. The most fun part of the day however was our kitting appointment, where we were issued all the survival, PPE, and trade clothing we need for our trip south. As you can imagine we tried on every piece of clothing to make sure it fit us well.
For the rest of the week I’ve been working with my fellow ITOs heading to the other continental stations of Casey and Davis. A lot of our time is attending to the Service Desk here in Kingston to become familiar with the Division’s systems. We also had a fair bit of classroom training of what the infrastructure is like and how the satellites connect to the stations and the ship. I’ve also been finalising paperwork, collected my staff ID, and consigned my personal items as cargo in the warehouse.
Now it’s time for a relaxing weekend off and enjoy the warm Hobart sunshine while I still can!
Bren on 5 October 2017 Moving can be stressful, but it’s so much better when you have good friends and family around you, and a cool job to go to.
Bren on 13 August 2017 This week I officially received my contract. This has been a long time coming, and a very exciting moment in my life. It’s so cool to be getting such an amazing opportunity to visit such an incredible part of the world so few get to see – I’ll be working in Antarctica!
More details to follow, but this officially kicks off my travel blog. I’ll be detailing my travel adventures, and also give some insight on what it’s like to work in Antarctica as an IT Officer for the Australian program’s 70th ANARE.