Ultimate Night Shift

1300 Monday 21st March

The clock in the Galley ticks over to 1pm , the dining room bursts into "yahoo's' and then clapping. The remaining 'Winter Over' people are laughing and throwing their face masks up in to the air . No more covid protocols. We celebrate. The last flight was boarded , 70 less souls at McMurdo Station .At 230pm we all congregate at the back of building 209 to share a ginger beer(the closest thing to champagne ) , wait out side and toast the last flight out for the winter as the RNZAF 757 fly's over us , it dips its wings as a salute ,taking the last of the summer contractors away .
131 people left, 147 days until the next flight.
It was quite an odd feeling to watch that plane fly away , felt somewhat final and for a split second unnerving , different but exciting . Looking around the people beside me . I took stock .. Im going to know these people very well in 7 months time.
We are officially committed.

28th March
1 month since I left the winterless north and two weeks on the harshest continent on earth . The nose bleeds have become less frequent , I don't seem as thirsty. The dreams less vivid . Finally I think I am acclimatizing . Fun fact , and maybe just a theory , apparently the magnetic fields can have an impact on plants, animals and humans. It is assumed that it can disrupt sleep and that is why the locals comment on the dreams or being wide awake at all hours of the night.
A Mcmurdo wide power cut has town on edge , better it happens during the daylight days so that we are prepared for the on coming darkness . A trip to Scotts Base has been the highlight. While the 'mericans' spend up large in the gift shop , I celebrate in acquiring the last bag of Kettles Salt n Vinegar chips in the NZ store. Being on Scotts Base was monumental for me , not just being from New Zealand although it did feel like I was stepping onto home soil, it was the feeling of reaching a life long goal . I walked quietly down the hall way looking at the faces of the past , getting lost in my imagination ..what did they experience , what story's would they have to share.
'The tatty flag' is the name of the kiwis bar ,yet small it hosts a cozy 100 something Americans for 'American night' . Shuttles bring us over from 7-10pm .All the Scottish whiskeys were a highlight for the US crowd, being only $2.30 a glass, safe to say , there were some very merry people at the end of the evening and I must admit I was a little slow moving in the morning . Thursdays might just become my new favorite outing ! A taste of home might just keep me sane this Winter Over .

29th March
Captain Robert Falcon Scott- Discovery hut -Est 1902
All the layers on , and still I can feel the sharp edge of the cold trying to get me , I approach the small wooden hut , the ice and snow crunching under my feet is the only sound i can hear . Prying my mind away from the cold I try to take in what I am seeing . I am here . Standing in front of Discovery hut. Exploring the history of NZL huts has been a sort after hobby since I could walk and now being here in this moment it doesn't feel real.
The Discovery hut is a large strong building, during the first year, it was never used for living quarters. Its sole use was as a storehouse, and a large supply of rough stores, such as flour, cocoa, coffee, biscuit, and tinned meat, was left there in the event of its being used as a place of retreat should any disaster overtake the ship. During the second year occasional parties camped inside the hut, but no bunks or permanent sleeping quarters were ever erected
"despite Scott's toes now becoming frostbitten, the three remaining men made their final camp on 19 March. The next day a fierce blizzard prevented their making any progress. During the next nine days, as their supplies ran out, and with storms still raging outside the tent, Scott and his companions wrote their farewell letters. Scott gave up his diary after 23 March, save for a final entry on 29 March, with its concluding words: "Last entry ending on an inspirational note, with these words:
"We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last ... Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale".* R.F. Scott

0430 31 March
Dispatch (communications hub for the city). The snow sweeps the sides of the building , the wind blows my window open 30 minutes before my alarm is due , the cold hits my face , the snow flurries drifting in .I close the window pretty bloody quickly and check my redundant cell phone for the time . 0130 , I'm up . packing up my fire house bed and room , i sneak down stairs to relieve Eddy Murtha (Florida man) whose been taking the first half of the night shift on dispatch .
There's weather outside I tell him he says good luck 'kiwi' and with a smile he trots off to bed . Not long after I get settled in , the phone rings from the Weather station , We are changing our level to Con 2 conditions and confirmed that there was no one outside to our knowledge.
For the weather condition to change to level two , winds will be between 48-55 knots, visibility less than 1/4 mile but greater than or equal too 100 feet sustained for one minute , wind chill -75 to - 100 Fahrenheit
For a Con 1 announcement , winds will be greater than 55 knots , visibility less than 100 feet , wind chill greater than -100 Fahrenheit ( -73 degrees Celsius) .
This was my first experience of a Antarctic weather change / storm , and it came with all the excitement I had expected ,working my first night shift in Dispatch and murphy's law ..the works was thrown at me , a late night medical drama had me waking the boys up , dropping the fire house tones and responding them out into the storm , IT issues had all hands on deck until shift change , needless to say it was nothing short of a baptism by fire.

3rd April 1200.
Day lights savings happened this morning and driving the ambo around while the town sleeps , Mcmurdo has a two day weekend so is quiet about the place . The sun takes longer to rise but the sunsets are intense , the snow reflects the red of the sun . It is un describable to see the sun light in the distance on the mountains across the water . It still feels surreal. The Sea is still , flat calm and the big freeze is happening . Slowly the ice covers and thickens by the day and soon will be strong enough to drive on . A mandatory class for those that will drive on it was this week been, I never knew there were so many ways to name 'ice' and the risks associating with driving on a frozen sea. History serves there is a Dozer and its driver still out there somewhere . Really is out of this world interesting and a crazy concept . This morning it dawned on me just how quiet it is here , no mice scampering in the walls , no spiders in the corners , no dogs roaming about , no sound of mozzies buzzing at night , no fly's ... No morning song from birds .Nothing but volcanic dirt , ice and snow 125 Americans and 4 kiwis not including Scott Base 16 . Between the quiet ,the odd truck left running hums in the distance , we have to leave them running so they don't freeze and it is law , that you choc the wheels so they do not slip on the ice . Aside from getting a bolt of electricity every time I touch anything from the lack of humidity , its does feel like these are all the new normals . It is funny how we adapt so quickly .
The upcoming weeks are something to look forward too ,tomorrow I start making coffee a couple of times a week catching the early birds 0600-0730. Opening the coffee machine out of ' Southern" (unmanned bar) . I really look forward to that , I had really enjoyed being a barista in Scotland in the winter months and now have to opportunity to get some regulars , start the morning right with good proper coffee and conversation .Turning 35 years old here in the far far south on shift should provide a days entertainment next week and a moment to reflect on lifes choices haha i am sure there will be a spare moment to check in with myself "what the hell ,and where the hell and why the hell do i do what i do !" haha
. A space party at the NASA outfit on the 12th , has us Fire fighters getting creative with old hazsub suits . 24th the last sunset until Windfly(August), 25th ANZAC day over at Scott base , us kiwis are invited for a dawn service at 11am keeping in mind 'dawn' is all day now .That will be really special and something to remember .

Trying to catch friends and family at home isn't easy ,the 48 hours on 48 off , make the days go fast . The intermittent internet and minimal portal access has me shut off from the rest of the world . Trying to catch RNZ website is the only link to current affairs .
What will the next months bring ...
The first of the Auroras were seen at 0200 yesterday morning .the town is buzzing. Something tells me the best is yet to come .
If you have any questions or there is a topic you want me to talk more on , send me a message .Happy reading
Helz