Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Scrambled Brains

A couple of weeks ago I was given the option of staying on after the resupply in April. I took a week to make the decision and in the mean time spoke mostly gibberish, couldn't think coherently and ran away from station for a night to converse with the penguins and ele seals.

In the end I've decided to head home in April and will put in an application for next year to do the job again - hopefully at a different station, I'd like to see the ice.

Sitting at Green Gorge with Claudia and Dean (Jack and Dana are hiding behind the lens), having some beers and general good times.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Summer Science Programs

As previously mentioned (don't ask me where or when, I don't have much a sense of time any more) there are extra expeditioners sent in to work on various science programs over the summer. Two of the longest running and most extensive programs are the fur seal project and the albatross research program. Everyone is given the opportunity to help the scientists out if they need the help and I was lucky enough to do so recently.
A day or so before New Year's I helped Jaimie and Julia on the east coast near Brothers Point Hut where we were counting how many Light-Mantled Sooty Albatross were in the area. As we climbed the slopes Jaimie said she saw a couple of chicks that had hatched within a few days, sadly I missed seeing these little guys. A lovely night was had in the hut with gnocchi, prosciutto and wine and we had a nice walk back to station conversing with the penguins along the coast. A young King penguin may have been running up to us and chewing on our fingers, but if that did happen, we didn't take any photos.

Jaimie making her way along the slope while a Sooty checks her out
Julia giving directions around the more precarious parts of the slope
A Sooty in a nest - gotta love telephoto lenses

Last week some time, or was it the week before?? Anyway, last week sometime I helped Mark with the fur seals on North Head. This program monitors the Antarctic, Sub-Antarctic and New Zealand fur seals and their offspring as they slowly repopulate various parts of the Island after the fur seals were wiped out by the Sealers all those years ago. It isn't known what species was here before and the anecdotal descriptions by the Sealers hasn't been good enough to identify weather or not the fur seals were one of the listed above, or their own "Macquarie Island" fur seal.

A male, female and pup. I don't remember what kind of fur-seals these are, but there's different chest colouring or snout size or head shape which make it easier for those in the know to know which is which.

We were noting the tags of males, females and pups in the area in order to find out which ones were still around and which had already left for the season. Tim was having a day off and taking a day trip to the south of the station. We were also tagging the pups that had started to moult and let me tell you, these guys are vicious little bastards. Don't let their cuteness fool you, they have sharp little teeth and aren't afraid to use them - it's hilarious! The pups have to be caught and then held down, usually by using your knees against their head so that they have a kind of cave and are subdued by the lack of light. Unfortunately for me one of the pups wasn't as quiet as he should have been and he tried to bite in a rather delicate area... luckily I was quick enough to push him away while feeling only the lightest of touches. I would've been speaking in falsetto for a long time.
Pups playing in the tussock

Friday, January 13, 2012

NYE

I'm a bit late, but here's a quick note about New Year's Eve... Great fun, great food, lots of badminton, table tennis and dancing. The next day was very, very quiet.

Delicious salad all grown in our Hydroponics
Fire to keep us warm
Sparklers!
"How's this game played again?"

Friday, January 6, 2012

2011 MI Brewing Comp


Harking back to the times of yore,
Where the beer was great and did not bore.
The brewmaster invited the local townsfolk
To try their hand, and thus he spoke:
"Rally, my friends, use your head
For brewing this beer in my stead."
And lo, the people answered the call
To brew a special beer for all.

When the MIPEP crew returned at the end of November and all were on station, teams of 2 or 3 (or some individuals) colluded together to make some wonderful and not so wonderful experimental beers. The beers were bottled and ready for taste testing as a start to the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

There were eight beers in total:
P22, a ginger beer with cinnamon, cloves and cardamom added. Made by Tim the seal researcher and named after an unruly male fur seal.
Back Door Tony Spearmint, a black and tan by Back Door the hunter made from stout and draught with spearmint added to it.
Back Door Tony Liquorice, a black and tan by Back Door from stout and draught with liquorice added.
Macca Merry Beer, a lager with a special mix of berries and spice – for the Christmas spirit – made by Claudia, Nancye and Dana.
Tama’s Piss, a lager with citrus flavours added and made by Doggo, named after his dog Tama.
BCB, a stout with blackcurrant juice added made by Stumpy and Captain.
T&E, a stout by Tony and Eve with black jellybeans that give an extra kick.
SSM1, the entry made by our illustrious Comms Techs Dan and Trevor. A larger that also had citrus flavours added… in the form of concentrated cordials and essences that closely resembled one of the cleaning fluids: Sanitizer Super Mix 1.

The judges: Julia the Alby researcher, Col the Electrician, Danny the Chef and Me the Met Tech (brewmaster); were given a blind tasting of each beer and simply gave a score out 10, along with tasting notes for each of the brews. The lucky winners would be given the prize of a cooked breakfast by the judges.

Judges preparing to taste the fine wares (photo by someone else, not me because I'm in it)

In third place, with a score of 28, was BDTS. This beer was said to have a good taste, be very complex, but lacking in aroma.

Second place, on a score of 30, went to P22. The ginger ninja has slipped and skidded his way past the field with his special blend of spices and a great head. One judge went on to say that it was “the best ginger beer I’ve had.”

And in first place, on 32 points, winners of the 2011 Macca Brewing Competition, were the head hunters Stumpy and Captain and their stout BCB. This stout was said to be interesting yet different, bitter and with coffee flavours too.

The two Petes arrived in the mess on Monday for a delicious breakfast, although both had to be reminded by the judges that they'd won and they ate almost an hour apart from each other.

Captain enjoying his winnings (photo by someone else)

Stumpy about have his delicious food served by me (photo by someone else - again)


This story was supposed to appear in today's Icy news, but didn't, so it's here. I'll post something about NYE in a few days. Maybe.