Jeff of the South: Post the Thirty-Sixth

We left Davis twice. It seems only right and fair that we should therefore arrive at Mawson twice.

And that's what we did. What follows is a sketchy and ill-thought-out account of our second arrival at Mawson.

As you'll probably remember, we 'd left Mawson and her ice-filled harbour hopeful that the next morning's katabatic winds would do the right thing by us.

For various reasons I was up and about very early in the morning, so I popped up onto deck to see what was what.

It turns out that this was what.

Purdy.

I don't reckon I'll see many prettier sunrises that that one. A smashing way to start the day.

Ah, but it was about to get better.

I'd had yet to see a jade iceberg. Jade icebergs are quite rare; most icebergs are white, which is due to the millions of tiny pockets of air trapped within the ice. Jade bergs don't have those pockets of air in the ice, and as a consequence are beautifully coloured with a range of blues, greens and aquas.

It just so happened that as I'd emerged onto deck the ship was sailing past a jade berg.

Not yet jaded by all the icebergs.

You can be assured that I took a great many photos as we steamed past. You may also rest assured that I am refraining from bombarding you with them.

Actually the early morning light is not ideal for presenting a jade berg at its best - strong sunlight is best for for that. But still I think there was enough there to warrant inflicting a couple of shots on you.

Sometimes muted colours are nicer. Right? Right?!

Several hours later and we were back in the vicinity of Mawson. And the state of the ice? Much had blown out overnight and in the morning, but sadly not sufficient for the Aurora to moor in the harbour,

Strong winds (and a potential blizzard) were forecast for late that day and the following two days, so we were reasonably confident that one way or the other the ice would leave the harbour. (Either by hook or by crook!)

But in the meantime it meant that the ship had to stand out some distance away. Cargo operations would begin nevertheless since the jet barge could get to the Mawson wharf without any trouble. And the first load of cargo? Us!

Here you can see the hatch in the side of the ship through which we made our exit, as well as the Jacob's ladder, which your correspondent descended like a pro. (I had to. There were a lot of people watching).

A plan is hatched.

Away we went!

Nothing like travelling in the lap of luxury! (And this was nothing like travelling in the lap of luxury).

Once ashore we made our way up the hill to the Red Shed, which is the accommodation and living quarters at Mawson. (Of note is that Casey's accommodation is also a 'Red Shed'. Davis is the odd one out there).

The Shed that is Red.

After you enter through the main door and cold porch you are greeted by Sir Dougie himself. And a stuffed husky. I shan't bother trying to tell you which is which. You're big enough to work that out for yourself, aren't you?

The welcoming committee.

Turning right from the main entrance above will take you into the kitchen and mess. And that's what I did.

Why? Because I was there to work. A slushy's work is never done, irrespective of the station.

Nor is the chef's work ever done. Indeed, Lesley (the Davis summering chef) had come ashore too in order to assist the two Mawson chefs during the resupply and handover.

So here is a slushy and a chef, happy to be back in the saddle again!

Hannah and Lesley about to crack on wif it.

If you've been reading my blog from the beginning you'll be familiar with Ray Smith. Ray was my cabin mate on the Aurora as we sailed south, and has been the sole chef at Mawson over the summer.

Here's Ray proudly standing behind some of his creations.

A little Ray of lunchtime.

Taking over from Ray over the course of the resupply is Justin, the Mawson 2013 wintering chef.

It's Justin time.

Sorry.

So while the resupply is happening there are three chefs in the Mawson kitchen, churning out delightful dish after dish. (Just don't try the broth. I've heard something about multiple chefs and broth, and I wouldn't want to risk it).

The Mawson population is quite a bit smaller than Davis's, with only 17 during winter and 22 over the summer. The mess reflects that in its size. It's quite cosy, but I must say that it has a very homey feel to it.

I quite liked it.

What a mess.

At the far end of the mess is a cosy (there's that word again) lounge area where expeditioners (who aren't slushies) can sit, enjoy a hot beverage and look out over the harbour. Nice.

Cosy. Well, it is cosy. I'm not a walking thesaurus, you know.

Standing at that lounge and turning back around 180°, here is the view back into the mess. They have a coffee machine here too! You can just see part of the kitchen there to the right.

It's important to look at things from differing viewpoints.

At the end of my day's work it's time to head to my accommodation. Unfortunately there was just not a room for me in the Red Shed, so I was put up in the Ops Building (about a 200m walk away down the hill) in the bunk room.

Here I had the very great fortune to share this room with 5 other men.