October 2: Snowflakes....

A September project started by my friend Justin on Station was to capture the beauty of some Macquarie Island snowflakes. After watching Justin trying to scurry back and forth between the Market Square and the freezer during snow flurries for a few days, I couldn't help but join in the fun, appointing myself  assistant snowflake catcher.
Let's be clear, these snow flake images were hard fought.
Snow storms pass in fronts here so just trying to collect them on glass plates during 30 to 40 knot winds was the first challenge. It snows at around minus 1 C here, so the next challenge was to run with the captured snowflake, without it sliding off the glass and before it melted, into the freezer. Justin would then be at the ready inside the minus 18 freezer, with his camera poised. A ridiculous but ingenious set up was devised for mounting his camera and lights using bunsen burner stand and tripods that I found in the science laboratory. Then Justin would have to find the tiny snowflake on the glass plate, all whilst his fingers would be freezing. Then finally we'd stand and hold our breath and be really still and then.....click...
.....wonderful sub-Antarctic snowflake crystals. We ran out of time to perfect the set up, but these images capture the beauty of the delicate and intricate crystals of our Macca snowflakes.
Thank you Justin for sharing your project with me! (Especially in face of my incessant over-enthusiasm!)

Snowflake. Photo: Justin Chambers

Snowflake. Photo: Justin Chambers

Snowflake. Photo: Justin Chambers 

Snowflake. Photo:Justin Chambers

Snow crystals. Photo:Justin Chambers

Snow crystals. Photo: Jacque Comery

September 6: Snow storms and sunshine on the featherbed

We experienced some pretty morning light as we headed out from Bauer Bay to the north to continue Petrel nest hunting. Squalls of snow  swept through all day, followed by clear blue skies and sunshine. The featherbed twinkled all day with the sun dancing on the constantly renewed snow dusting.
Driven by maritime weather, the speed with which the weather and the light change here from one minute to the next is incredible.

A dusting of snow on the featherbed looking north west. Photo: Jacque Comery

The next approaching storm from the south-west. Photo: Jacque Comery

August 13: Crisp morning, beautiful skies

North head. Photo: Jacque Cmery

Garden Cove at dawn. Photo: Jacque Comery

Pink hues reflected in Garden Cove. Photo: Jacque Comery

The LARC. Photo: Jacque Comery

August 10: Monochrome snowy world

Frozen LARC. Photo: Jacque Comery

Morning Moon. Photo: Jacque Comery

Southern Aurora Donga (SAD) buried in the snow. Photo: Jacque Comery

Containers an d the plumbers workshop Nissan hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

August 5: Snow day





 

Garden Cove donga. Photo: Jacque Comery

Snow drifts at the Mess. Photo: Jacque Comery

Water tanks. Photo: Jacque Comery

The green store. Photo: Jacque Comery

Station buildings. Photo: Jacque Comery

Distribution hut a little buried. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

August 4: Attempted hike to Davis Point

Andrea (our Ranger in Charge) and I planned a trip to Davis Point Hut on the west coast, to collect marine debris and celebrate Andrea's birthday. Faced with an island blanketed in heavy snow from yesterdays blizzard we set out. We punched up the Doctors Track in hip and sometimes waist deep heavy snow. We took turns breaking track swapping every few minutes. The snow was densely packed and heavy like half set cement. When we made it to the top the drifts over the track were so deep we realised that without snowshoes we just were not going to get through... we enjoyed the view, and the much faster trip down, and headed back to VJM, a little defeated, but still pretty chuffed that we even made it to the top of Doctors.

View of station and north head. Photo: Jacque Comery

Snow drifts over the track. Photo: Jacque Comery

View to northwest, the plateau looks like a big melting ice cream. Photo: Jacque Comery

The view past the Razorback towards the Isthmus. Photo: Jacque Comery

The circular track in the foreground is the IPS installation which is no longer there. We lost the mast in the 85 knot wind storm last week.

 

Andrea pushing up through thigh deep snow. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Me blending in with the track markers. Photo: Andrea Turbett

Jacque and Andrea. We made it to the top at least! Photo: Andrea Turbett.

August 3: Blizzard

The snow began to fall last night, and did not abate at all throughout the day. We have not had such a sustained fall since we arrived. A pretty white dusting soon turned into a blanket, and by evening, snow drifts almost a metre high had accumulated around the mess.


Me waking across market square from the mess to Cumpstons in the mid afternoon. Photo: Andrea Turbett

 

Working from the office on a snow day. Photo: Andrea Turbett

July 17: Trip to Brother's Point

I had planned to walk to Brother's Point Hut and rendezvous with Ranger Anna to assist her with Petrel burrow searches. Overnight snow falls buried many of the burrows, so Anna cancelled the hunt. I was happy to walk out to the hut anyway, and so began my three day Brother's Point Hut trip.  My plan was read, eat, check out the beach for cool stuff, read, etc, walk on the beach... you get the picture.
 

Brother's Point Hut with Brothers Point in the background. Photo: Jacque Comery

This hut is one of two that were actually moved from their original location at the former research station on Heard Island, to Macquarie Island. (The other is at Waterfall Bay). Imagine living in a whole village of googies!  How very Jetsons! The cold porch on the side has shelves for stores and is where we leave wet gear and boots. The green wooden box on the balcony is the fridge. ( It IS just a box, but Macca temperatures are usually pretty fridge like.

The googie or spaceship hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

 





I arrived at the hut in good time, and put on dry clothes, made a cuppa,  and had a relax after my hike out. The water pipe to the hut was frozen so I scooped water out of the top of the tank to fill the kettle and get water for the night. It was so cold that ice was freezing on the jug between scoops!

Inside the hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

Cosy bed! Photo: Jacque Comery

View back up to the plateau. Photo: Jacque Comery



View from Brother's Point to the north. Photo: Jacque Comery

The googie window. Photo: Jacque Comery

Frozen jug. Photo: Jacque Comery

Scooping water from the hut tank. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

My cosy little spaceship hut was warm and toasty in no time, and after taking advantage of the short-lived sunshine I bunkered down to read for the whole afternoon. 

The winds built throughout the day and by nightfall the hut was shaking on it's foundations. I wondered if I actually might experience flying in the  space ship!





 

July 15: Crabs!

These little guys were all along the beach.



 

Crab on the snowy beach. Photo: Jacque Comery

 

Moulted crab. Photo: Jacque Comery

Crab shell. Photo: Jacque Comery



July 8: Footprints in the snow...

Gentoo Penguin footprints in the snow. Photo: Jacque Comery

July 5: White snow and black skies

Leaving Bauer Bay hut early this morning, I found myself a lone figure moving through a beautiful monochrome landscape. The light changed by the minute, casting a new filter upon the landscape faster than I could appreciate the previous one. If light be a costume, Macquarie Island wears it well.

Snowy Bauer Bay morning. Photo: Jacque Comery

Beach ball. Photo: Jacque Comery

First view of the plateau weather. Photo: Jacque Comery

Frozen Island Lake. Photo: Jacque Comery



Sun breaking through. Photo: Jacque Comery

Stormy skies. Photo: Jacque Comery

Almost home. The last section of the Doctor's Track. Photo: Jacque Comery

This post of beautiful scenery is dedicated to my Aunty Fran.