365 @ 54°30' South: The Nuggets

Showing posts with label The Nuggets. Show all posts

Sunday, 23 August 2015

August 19: Morning light

Morning sun on the plateau. Photo: Jacque Comery

View to The Nuggets. Photo: Jacque Comery

Saturday, 22 August 2015

A night of little wind, the clearest skies that I have yet experienced and a spectacular rising moon. Standing out in the crisp air in the wee hours, taking photos, watching the skies dance and the plateau coyly respond to the building moonlight was a wonderful thing.
Had I been without a camera, I still would have stood out there soaking up the beauty afforded by a rare glimpse past the clouds and up into the skies above.
When you when you can cast your gaze above and see familiar constellations, like old friends, it matters not where you are geographically. We are a tiny speck on our small blue planet, in a sea of galaxies. Relatively we are always close to home.

Aurora over The Nuggets. Photo: Jacque Comery

The Hamshack. Photo: Jacque Comery

Aurora to the south. Photo: Jacque Comery

Aurora reflecting on the bay. Photo: Jacque Comery

Wednesday, 5 August 2015

July 19: Leaving Brother's Point, headed to Station

After a lovely last night, of listening to the wind whistle around the hut, I decided to make an early break for Station, to try and get up and over the plateau before mid morning winds were expected to build to around 40 kts (50 kts up on top).
I set off at around 0700hrs, in the very early dawn light and snow. The walk in flat light was pretty, and the snow got deeper as I walked, with some of the drifts getting up around mid-thigh depth at times. The fog closed on just as I got to the last part of my walk, making navigation a challenge, especially as most of the track markers were blown over! A fun surprise was finding penguin footprints up the track almost all the wat up to the plateau. How (and why) those little guys waddle all that way in snow up steep hills on their little short legs is a mystery to me.
A wonderful 3 day solo trip, exploring this beautiful and wild place.

The RAPS unit at sunrise, with The Nuggets in the rear. Photo: Jacque Comery

A snow flurry on the beach, as I am leaving the hut. Photo: Jacque Comery

Giant Petrel footprints in the snow. Photo: Jacque Comery

Sandy Bay Track looking back to Sandy Bay. Photo: Jacque Comery

Sandy Bay track looking up towards 4-Ways track junction. Photo: Jacque Comery

Snow drifts hiding the track markers. Photo: Jacque Comery

On the trail home. Photo: Jacque Comery

Saturday, 27 June 2015

June 21: Midwinter Day on Macca

The shortest day of the year was celebrated with respect to old traditions and a few fun activities of our own.
The traditional midwinter swim was first up with a swim on both sides of the Isthmus. Cold is an epic understatement. This was followed by recovery in the sauna and spa, and an afternoon Macca multisports olympics. In the evening we enjoyed a mid-winter cocktail, and a spectacular gift of a 13 course degustation menu from Chef Justin.
We welcome the arrival of longer days to give us more daylight in which to explore our island home.

All set for the midwinter swim in sub-zero temperatures. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Must run faster....can't feel legs.. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

The east coast. Photo: Mark Baker

Post swim hot tub. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Shooting hoops at the Macca Olympics. Photo Rich Youd

Recording midwinter.: Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

68th ANARE crew. Photo: Lionel Whitehorn

Thursday, 25 June 2015

June 18: Pastel sunrise

Such a simple thing as the colours of the sunrise, are a sight not to be taken for granted during winter at Macca. With almost everyday delivering us precipitation, we usually awake to grey cloud laden skies.
On this crisp morning pastel pinks were painted across the sky like water colours. A beautiful sight. It is the things that you don't see that often that captures your attention and your imagination sometimes.