Typical Days at Macca....

 The days are becoming shorter as the sun makes it way northward.

 Everyone is settling in to Macca life, with most of us kept very busy at our jobs and various projects.

Beautiful sunset over Hasselborough Bay

One of the major projects on the island is the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project (MIPEP).This seven year project began in 2007. The aim of the project is to restore the islands biodiversity to a natural balance - to free itself of the impacts of introduced species. It is the worlds largest eradication project for three species at the one time.

This year the project is in its final stages. The focus of the current MIPEP team is to dispatch any remaining rabbits, rats or mice that may have survived the intensive arial baiting program carried out in 2011. 

The team consists of 11 people, a mix of dog handlers and hunters. The island has been split into 3 sectors and with 3 teams of 3 patrolling each sector for up to 4 weeks at a time. They then have a short break at the station before heading out to a different sector. Meanwhile the 2 remaining team members patrol all parts of the island with there three terriers which are specially trained to sniff out rats.

This team of MIPEP people with there 11 dogs, cover 100's of kilometres of rough terrain each week, which also includes periods of night spotting.

MIPEP's Nancye and Mike with Rico (white Labrador) and  Katie (Springer Spaniel)

MIPEP's Steve (Billy) with Colin (Springer Spaniel)

Some of the wildlife is moving from the island. The elephant seals (adults), king penguins and royal penguins are disappearing slowly as they finish their moulting and head off to the winter fishing grounds. Locally, around station, the gentoo penguins seem to be increasing in number. There are many pairs practicing nesting in anticipation of next summers breeding season.

I am still amazed every time I visit the king penguins at the bottom of Gadgets Gully. The big brown fluffy chicks are still abundant, while their parents take turns fishing and caring for the young. There have been several chicks born over the last few weeks, but their chance of survival is minimal, with several skuas and giant petrels hanging around the colony for that opportune moment.

I witnessed this unfortunate chick being plucked from its parent by a skua.

A king penguin defending itself against a skua

The king penguin choral teacher conducting an uninterested bunch of youngsters

king penguin crèche. Safety in numbers as the adults go out searching for food

One of winter crew (Tony) is a qualified chef. Our store is packed with the best quality food. Tony has prepared the most amazing meals, including deserts. Everyone on station is on a roster to work in the kitchen to help chef. This job is affectionally called 'Slushy'. The slushy duties start at 8am and your shift is finished after the dinner dishes, pots, pans floor and counter tops are cleaned (usually around 7:30pm. The slushy has one advantage - he or she gets to choose the music for the day.

In the mess there is a media computer which has around 1 terabyte of music. So in the morning the slushy can choose any of that music which is then broadcast in the mess and also around station and the closest down island huts on a FM transmitter. The great thing is that it is radio without adds.

The Thursday slushy also has the added bonus of choosing what the chef cooks for dinner that night. Last week I was slushy on a Thursday and Tony prepared three big pots of Laksa - chicken, vegetarian and seafood. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dinner.

The desert layout for a Saturday night special. There are 65 pictures on the wall  (not all shown) of every crew that has wintered on Macquarie Island

Saturdays usually end up with a special dinner. Everyone on station usually dresses up for Saturday dinner and it becomes a semi-formal affair.  We also have Saturday theme nights. A couple of weeks ago we had a mexican night, so everyone dressed accordingly and then enjoyed a marvelous mexican banquet.

One Saturday became a sporting day. It started with the Macca Mile, which was keenly contested by five participants. This was followed by a Spit roast (pig) in the green store, which was followed by an evening of table tennis, volley ball and other indoor ball games.

Competitors for the Macca Mile:  back row - Craig, Aaron and Tom,
front row - Dave and Tony (chef)

Running the Macca Mile with some interested onlookers

Craig coming into the home straight to win the Macca Mile

After the spit roast in the green store - multiple player ping pong

Amoungst the windy, misty,  rainy conditions there are days when the weather is superb, which makes photography so nice.

View north along a kelp strewn West Beach

Elephant seals jousting in the kelp on the beach of Hasselborough Bay

The last rays of the sun behind the cloud - looking southwest from West Beach near station

We had a Search and Rescue practice exercise involving all 25 personnel on station. The scenario was that a lone walker radioed in and said he had fallen and was unable to put weight on his injured knee. He gave a position that put him up on North Head. The SAR alarm was activated and everyone mustered in the mess.

We were then split into teams and allocated jobs. The first team was called a 'hasty' team consisting of 3 people who would hike up to where the injured person was and provide immediate aid and comfort.

The second team was the 'response' team consisting of 11 people. they would assess the situation from the hasty team and pack and gather equipment for a rescue, then proceed to the injured person.

SAR exercise - The 'hasty' team setting off up to the top of North Head to provide immediate aid

SAR exercise - The main Rescue team gathering and packing equipment for the rescue

The 3rd team was the 'fire' team, consisting of 6 people who would remain on station in case of any other emergency. Some of the members of this team would also double up as the medical team of four who would also be on standby to assist the doctor in treating the injured person.

A fifth team of two were at the communications building to coordinate all the radio talk and instructions.

SAR exercise - The main rescue team heading up Wireless Hill

SAR exercise - The main rescue team heading up to the top of Wireless Hill

After treating the patient on site the rescue team carried him on a stretcher to a position up on the hill where they would then set up a lowering rig to lower the stretcher down the hill.

SAR exercise - The rescue team at the top of the hill lowering (rope and pulley) the stretcher down the slope

SAR exercise - The person a little way down the hill is the team leader who is relaying instructions and commands between the 3 person stretcher attendants and the lowering team at the top of the hill

Once down the slope the main rescue team joined the stretcher attendants to help carry the patient to the medical facility.

SAR exercise - The rescue team hauling the patient on a stretcher through the thick tussock grass

SAR exercise - The patient - comfortable secure and warm in the stretcher

SAR exercise - The rescue team with the patient arrive at the station medical facility

It was a great exercise and showed us that to affect a safe rescue may take some time.  Stay Safe!

Every day on Macquarie Island brings us new wonders and experiences. I look forward to bringing more of these over the coming year.

Taken from Garden Cove - Thunderstorm clouds to the northeast of the station

View of the station from just up on the Wireless Hill track

Thunderstorms at sunset to the north of North Head

Our first real snowfall - taken from the golf tee on the Wireless Hill track

Macquarie Island is the breeding grounds for many birds.

A pair of Light-mantled Sooty Albatross around North Head

The same pair of Light-mantled Sooty Albatross

From now on we can expect many more days of snow.

Large fluffy snow flakes

Until Next Time.....