Port Lockroy Update
23rd February - 2nd March 2010
In this penultimate Port Lockroy Diary entry for the 2009-10 season,
we've had reminders of the manmade world that awaits, with visits
from well-known names, film crews and flying machines, whilst
continuing to enjoy our natural surroundings which we, like others
before us, have had the privilege to call home.
It was good to see Augustin, Expedition Leader (EL), on Ushuaia and
to hear all about their previous voyage the week before, when
Juliette Binoche was on board. The actress was darting around Port
Lockroy in a zodiac shooting scenes for her latest film and so
unfortunately never landed on Goudier Island. However, this cannot
be said about Bill Gates who spent an hour looking around the living
museum and the Gentoo penguin colonies whilst eating a custard cream
courtesy of Eleanor one afternoon this week.
We've been filmed ourselves, with Anna guiding in the museum, Claire
serving customers in the southern most Post Office in the world and
Rick recalling tales at Damoy Hut for Discovery Channel's 'Globetrekker'
and Rachel stamping passports for Australia's Channel 9 'Get Away'.
We've also welcomed the assistant producer and cameramen from the
BBC's Frozen Planet team for a brief tour of the museum. It was
great to hear of their recent filming of orcas when they joined us
for tea and biscuits afterwards in the bunkroom and see them take a
photo of our funny Sir David Attenborough cartoon sketch on the wall
to show the man himself. They also kindly offered to take a mail
bag to the Falkland Islands. As Golden Fleece is probably the last
to take our post this season any postcards placed in the E II R red
post box from now onwards will be sent by next season's Port Lockroy
team!
It was fantastic to receive our own last mail bag via Dave Fletcher,
EL on the Hanseatic. The Lockroy Ladies were thrilled with their
individually parcelled Valentine chocolates from Rachel's friend
Honeybun (thats his surname) and ate them together with delicious
sweets from Eleanor's sister while watching 'Creatures from the
Deep' from the BBC's Life series. We've also enjoyed some gorgeous
chocolates sent by Eleanor's Mum in a previous mail delivery. Many
thanks to family and friends for writing – its being great looking
forward to and receiving post from you all.
Another delivery this week was courtesy of the Hanse Explorer which
brought us a large box from our neighbours at Palmer Station wishing
us a 'Happy Winter'. It contained a scrumptious homemade apple pie,
freshly baked bread and a selection of fleeces, body warmers and
t-shirts. Its been great having contact with the American
scientists working on Anvers Island (See letter 5th Jan) and
research vessel, Laurence M Gould (See letter 29th Jan), and
likewise wish them all the best for the winter ahead. Captain
Berndt, who delivered the goodies, had a cuppa with us before our
dinner and then his colleague Jens, joined us for drinks in the late
evening. This together with Graham coming across with Joe one night
to show us photos from his time with the British Antarctic Survey at
Bird Island and Halley stations, make them the last guests to be
entertained in the atmospheric glow of tilley lamps and fire by the
last team living at Bransfield House.
This week we were moved to meet Kate Reece, travelling on Orlova,
who exclaimed in the lounge “That's my Dad” when looking at the
group photo of men from Operation Tabarin on the display boards.
She also worked out that Alan Reece was probably one of the gents in
another photo of the guys transferring timber from ship to shore for
the Bransfield House build in 1944.
From next season the UKAHT staff will be living in the reconstructed
Nissen hut which is coming along merrily. The corrugated roof is
fitted, the side walls watertight, the outside decking is taking
shape, some internal walls are starting to fill the vast
spaciousness inside and the last item, 'The Wilderness Comfort
Station' complete with wooden seat, has been lifted up the path by
four of us and placed in the throne room. This effort deserved a
couple of beers on the front deck, whilst enjoying the 180 degree
views of the Fief range, Mt. William, beautiful icebergs in the bay
and penguins porpoising home in the glorious evening sunlight.
It was lovely to see Ben and Skye again from Australis who were
moored in the back bay for a few days. They came across for drinks
in the Nissen hut to inspect progress made since their time on the
build and another evening we went across to theirs to enjoy a meal
sat on sofas around the turny table. Their clients have been
spotted on the top of Mt. Jabet and climbing the first of the 'seven
sisters' next to Mt. Luigi on the Fief mountain range (otherwise
nicknamed 'Snow White and the seven dwarfs'). Another sad farewell
for the season was to the lovely John Frick, EL, and expedition team
and crew on Corinthian II. We were all invited on board for showers
followed by dinner at the Captain's table. It looked like we were
coming into a small town on the zodiac ride home, with lights from
about five yachts, Antarctic Dream and the Chilean Navy ship, making
it the busiest we've known Port Lockroy to be.
The Chilean Navy ship, Lauturo, has been at Port Lockroy for around
five days completing bathymetry work in the area. They have erected
several temporary and permanent survey markers on Boogie and Woogie
islands and on the hill at Dorian Bay respectively and one day flew
their helicopters over Goudier Island. A crabeater seal lying by
the boatshed that morning, being tormented by sheathbills that had
persistently pecked at one point on its body to pierce the skin and
devour from the open wound, fled for the water at hearing the noise
and our gentoo chicks formed a 'safety in numbers' creche, like they
do when a skua flies overhead. Also on the wildlife front this
week, we've seen a couple more adult gentoo penguins being thrashed
inside out by leopard seals in deep water and storm petrels skimming
the surface for a morsel or two.
The gentoo penguin chicks are continuing to lose their down feathers
and with the adults coming ashore to moult theirs it looks like a
snowstorm here at times, We woke one morning to a heavy gale and
persistent rain all day and on another looked out the window to find
our penguins walking about on a thin layer of snow. This has
subsequently melted and so Goudier Island smells delightfully of
ammonia again due to the penguin guano becoming wet. We thought we
were set for bad weather for the rest of our stay, however Professor
Multanovskiy brought great weather with them and so a fabulous time
was had by all with a BBQ and dancing on deck. There was a
spectacular sunset behind Goudier Island, with pinks lighting up the
glacier and Fief range beautifully and the full moon making a brief
appearance later on made Mt.William sparkle in the dark.
From 21-28 February we've had visits from nine ships and four
yachts, which has meant some more 'good-byes til another time' to
expedition teams who've become familiar friendly faces over the
season. We are especially grateful to Fram for doing our laundry
and bringing in construction supplies throughout the season, Orlova
for taking away our segregated cardboard, glass, tins and food
waste, along with Fram, Pod Orange and Australis on occasions, The
students of Geelong Grammar School on Spirit of Sydney for assisting
in painting Damoy Hut and again Spirit of Sydney and Plancius for
delivery of our new Iridium Open Port for next season (after the
previous had fried (Blog 9)) and many ships for filling up jerry
cans with fresh water. Special thanks to all ship and yacht crews
for a fantastic Austral summer in Antarctica!
Rachel
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