Antarctic Expedition during the summer of 2007/08 Part 1 - Voyage 2 and Casey Station

Aboard the Aurora Australis in rough seas in the Southern Ocean - 22nd October 2007

Testing times on the Aurora Australis during our voyage across the Southern Ocean - 23rd October 2007

On the Aurora Australis in rough seas just south of a deep low pressure system - 24th October 2007

A different perspective from the back of the Aurora Australis as we make our way through a calming Southern Ocean - 25th October 2007

On board the Aurora Australis cruising through the pancake ice - 28th October 2007

Had a great view of the travel through the sea ice from the forecastle of the Aurora Australis - 28th October 2007

Whiteout conditions - the horizon, features and landmarks become indistinguishable - 29th October 2007

Squirrel helicopter Sierra Romeo Bravo (SRB) ready on the Aurora Australis helideck for Casey fly off - 29th October 2007

It was hard going through the sea ice so essential expeditioners were flown to Casey. I was was on the first flight. This photo was taken from the helicopter SRB as we circled the Aurora Australis waiting for the othe helicopter (SES) to be loaded and airborne - 30th October 2007

Taken from helicopter SRB whilst circling the Aurora Australis. helicopter SES can be seen on the sea ice - 30th October 2007

Aurora Australis in the vast expanse of the sea ice - 30th October 2007

The Aurora Australis parked in the sea ice with helicopter SES being loaded with passengers and baggage - 30th October 2007

Alongside helicopter SES as we make our way across the Peterson Bank ice sheet towards Casey Station - 30th October 2007

Huge iceberg embedded in the sea ice on-route to Casey.Helicopter SES can be seen ahead 9 (top right of the iceberg) - 30th October 2007

After a 50 minute flight across the sea ice, we approach Casey Station - 30th October 2007

Final approach into a snow bound Casey Station - 30th October 2007

The red shed and 2 containers converted into overflow accommodation - 30th October 2007

Main Street Casey - 30th October 2007

Darkening clouds to the west of the station - 4th November 2007

Snow dunes on the southern side of Main Street Casey - 5th November 2007

Looking west along Main Street Casey - 6th November 2007

Managed to get a trip to the Casey skiway (11km to the East of the station) to help set up the runway markers for the 1.5km ice/snow runway. Encountered almost whiteout conditions. We drove up to the skiway in the Nodwell, an old large rubber tracked vehicle capable of carrying 6 people and up to a 4 tonne load - 8th November 2007

Nodwell at the Casey skiway with inclement weather approaching from the west but never reaching us - 8th November 2007

Casey skiway wind sculptured ice with stratus cloud on the horizon - 8th November 2007

Recreation are in the Casey Red Shed Living Quarters - 9th November 2007

A walk just out of station limits - Adélie penguin scooting across the snow on its belly - 10th November 2007

View of Casey station from the west. Notice the track (right of photo) up the slope of the ice plateau to the Casey skiway and Wilkins runway - 10th November 2007

40 to 50 knots at the station - 13th November 2007

40 to 50 knots of wind during the morning. Wind scour formed at the windward end of the Operations building - 13th November 2007

The wind abated and we were blessed with a spectacular late evening sunset - 9:45pm 13th November 2007

Adélie penguin basks in the late evening sun - 14th November 2007

Another magic, late evening sunset - 9:42pm 14th November 2007

Late evening sunset viewed fro west of the station looking north - 9:51pm 14th November 2007

A afternoon at Shirley Island which is a few kilometres from Casey. I captured this photo of 4 Adélie penguins in various stages of of ‘flying’ out of the water onto the sea ice - 18th November 2007

Shirley Island - another photo from a different angle of Adélie penguins ‘flyimg’ out of the water onto the sea ice - 18th November 2007

Shirley Island - during the summer melt the Adélie penguins can get pretty dirty in the extensive breeding colonies on the island - 18th November 2007

Part of the Shirley Island Adélie penguin colony - 18th November 2007

Evening trip to Shirley Island - Adélie penguin - 21st November 2007

Trip to Shirley Island - Antarctic Skua - 21st November 2007

Sunset and moonrise over iceberg alley - 10:14pm 23rd November 2007

Sunset over Casey station buildings - 10:19pm 23rd November 2007

Field training on the Mitchell Peninsula - looking over O’Brien Bay - 25th November 2007

Field Training on the Mitchell Peninsula - 25th November 2007

Small ice cliff on the Mitchell Peninsula - 25th November 2007

Shirley Island - Spectacular geology - 4th December 2007

View of the ice plateau from Shirley Island - 4th December 2007

Adélie penguin on Shirley Island - 13th December 2007

Adélie penguin on its belly at Shirley Island - 13th December 2007

View from Shirley Island - 13th December 2007

Adélie penguins make their way back to the colony on Shirley Island - 16th December 2007

Gathering of Adélie penguins on the sea ice between the mainland and Shirley Island - 19th December 2007

X wing formation gathering of Adélie penguins on the sea ice between the mainland and Shirley Island - 19th December 2007

Adélie penguins on their rock nests on Shirley Island. The eggs start to hatch from this date on - 19th December 2007

Adélie penguins on their rock nests on Shirley Island. The eggs start to hatch from this date on - 19th December 2007

One of the first Adélie penguin chicks hatched on this day at Shirley Island - 19th December 2007

Taken from a different angle - One of the first Adélie penguin chicks hatched on this day at Shirley Island - 19th December 2007

This road through the ice and snow was constructed between the station and the wharf for the up and coming re-supply of the station - 26th December 2007

Took a trip (12 km) on quad bikes to Jack’s Donga for a bit of R&R. Jack’s sit on top of a moraine overlooking the Swain Group of islands in Vincennes Bay - 29th December 2007

Moraine lines at Jack’s Donga overlooking the Swain Group of islands in Vincennes Bay - 30th December 2007

Jack’s Donga - 30th December 2007

Robinson Ridge overlooking Ford Island across Penney Bay - 30th December 2007

Trip to Robinson Ridge - Part of Penney Bay surrounded by 50+ metre ice cliffs - magic place to spend New Years Eve - 31st December 2007

Eroded ice edge of Newcombe Bay near the station wharf, overlooking Nicholson Island - 5th January 2008

1100 UTC weather balloon launch carrying a radiosonde - 7th January 2008

Went to Robbo’s (Robinson Ridge Hut) with 3 of the crew from Wilkins runway for an overnight R&R. Taken their by a couple of IRB’s - 16th January 2008

From Robinson Ridge overlooking the ice cliffs around part of Penney Bay - 16th January 2008

Standing at the base of a steep ice slope near Robbo’s hut (Robinson Ridge) - 16th January 2008

Moss and lichen beds at Robinson Ridge have been the subject of extensive research - known as the Daintree of Antarctica. the moss is only exposed to the sun for a very short period during the Antarctic summer - 16th January 2008

Moss and lichen beds at Robinson Ridge have been the subject of extensive research - known as the Daintree of Antarctica. the moss is only exposed to the sun for a very short period during the Antarctic summer - 16th January 2008

On the way back from Robbo’s we cruised through the passage between the Mitchell Peninsula and Cronk Island - we came across this small iceberg - 17th January 2008

On the way back from Robbo’s we cruised through the passage between the Mitchell Peninsula and Cronk Island - we came across this small iceberg - 17th January 2008

Spectacular morning at the Casey wharf - 17th January 2008

Late night up at the Casey skiway - witnessed a mirage - 11:48pm 17th January 2008

A trip to the old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - stayed in the “Wilkes Hilton” which was the Transmission hut of the old Wilkes station - store and rubbish was left at the station when it was abandoned - 4th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - the buildings are mostly buried under snow and ice - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - stores and rubbish was left at the station when it was abandoned, including a crate of a tinned sardines from Portugal - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - stores and rubbish were left at the station when it was abandoned, including a crates of a tinned food - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - the buildings are mostly buried under snow and ice - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - stores and rubbish was left at the station when it was abandoned, including a American jerry can - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - stores and rubbish was left at the station when it was abandoned, including empty 44 gallon drums - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - the weather balloon shed is mostly intact but filled with snow and ice - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - the weather balloon shed is mostly intact but filled with snow and ice - it is in a great spot for launching balloons in the fearsome easterly winds - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - the fibreglass radome was in very good condition - 5th February 2008

The old abandoned Wilkes Station which is across Newcombe Bay on the Clark Peninsula - old vehicle rises up through the ice - 5th February 2008

Just to the north of Wilkes is a small Adélie penguin rookery - the grey down covered chicks are nearly 6 weeks old and hang around in a crèche waiting for their parents to come and feed them - 5th February 2008

The Aurora Australis arrived in Newcombe Bay the previous day and Casey re-supply is in full swing - 10th February 2008

Fortunate enough to go on a trip to Wilkins runway to retrieve some gear - stopped off at the sign marking the Antarctic Circle latitude - 12th February 2008

D7 dozer parked up for the winter at Wilkins runway (~70km from Casey) - 12th February 2008

On the way back from Wilkins Runway - this image is of the road between Wilkes and Casey - this is a great example of zero surface definition - 12th February 2008

Travelling back from Wilkins Runway - again showing an example of poor surface definition and poor horizon definition on the right of the image - 12th February 2008

After more then 2 hours in the Hägglund from Wilkins Runway we were on our final run down to Casey - 12th February 2008

Late evening sunset over Newcombe Bay - 12th February 2008

Accompanied the techs to check the cameras that take a daily photo - these photos were used in research of the movement. amount and status of the sea ice in Vincennes Bay - 13th February 2008

Accompanied the techs to check the cameras that take a daily photo - this view is from a moraine towards the south across Sparkes Bay, Robinson Ridge, Odbert and Ardery Islands - 13th February 2008

View across Newcombe Bay - after a successful completion of the Casey re-supply, the Aurora Australis ready to leave the next day - 13th February 2008