July 31: Winds

This is what 85 knots (157 km/h) winds look like in Garden Cove... The record for  wind speed though was set in 1979 at 178 km/hr.

85 knots (157km/h) in Garden Cove. Photo: Jacque Comery

Wind gust blowing the water flat. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 30: The eye

I have no idea what this is or was used for. The steel eye is drilled into rock located to the south of the Isthmus on the eastern shore near landing beach. It may have been related to resupply activities or boating. If I find out more I will provide an update.  It makes for an interesting picture though.



Steel eye. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 29: Rock stack landing pad

Kelp gulls showing off their aviator skills landing on  a rock stack in big seas and gale force winds.



Landing just in time. Photo: Jacque Comery



Precision landing. Photo: Jacque Comery

Taking a break before take off. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Resting between waves. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 28: Macquarie Island fuel farm

These tanks hold our years supply of  SAB - Special Antarctic Blend diesel.
They also welcome all new comers to the island, just in case after sailing across the Southern Ocean they didn't know where they were at!  I love the lettering on the fuel tanks. They reminder me of being at a school sports carnival and spelling out the name of your team with placards.
Go Macca!!!!
The dog kennels in front of the tanks remain from the MIPEP (Macquarie Is Pest Eradication Program) when dogs were used by hunters on the island to locate rodents and rabbits. With the island now declared pest free these kennels are no longer used, and will be dismantled for return to Australia, before the Aurora Australis returns for resupply next April.


Macca Fuel farm. Photo: Jacque Comery



Dog kennels in front of the fuel farm. Photo:Jacque Comery

July 27: Aurora

A call of aurora went out over the telephone system from the meterorogical observer on night shift. I bolted outside to witness a most spectacular aurora that crescendoed and disappeared all within 10 minutes. Curtains of purple and red showered down overhead, before the whole thing seemingly flew across the sky and disappeared. It was as if it were a living creature, just passing by to taunt us only to vanish before we fully appreciated it's beauty. It pulsated to the extent that the exposure time required for each photo made it impossible to keep up with capturing the rapidly unfolding scene.

Aurora looking out to The Nuggets to the south-east. Photo: Jacque Comery

Aurora over Hamshack Hill. Photo: Jacque Comery

View to the west over the containers. Photo: Jacque Comery

Aurora over the LARC. Photo: Jacque Comery

View east from the Isthmus. Photo: Jacque Comery

Aurora over the LARC. Photo: Jacque Comery

Aurora and Gentoo Penguins. Photo: Jacque Comery

Thanks to all of the penguins that stayed nice and still for my long exposures!

July 26: Little things, bold colours

In the often grey scale world that we live in down here, the bursts of colour afforded by nature are bold and demanding of the attention.

Flamboyantly coloured algae held fast to a rock. Photo: Jacque Comery

Purple Algae. Photo: Jacque Comery

Starfish high and dry. Photo: Jacque Comery

Algae in the pebbles. Photo: Jacque Comery

Algae on the rocks Photos: Jacque Comery

July 25: Kelp and rocks

Just enjoying the simplicity of colours and shapes of  kelp and rocks on the east beach of the isthmus .



Kelp holdfast. Photo: Jacque Comery



Treble clef kelp Photo: Jacque Comery



Kelp in a rockpool at the waters edge flanked by purple algae. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Swirling veins in a beach cobble Photo: Jacque Comery