Over 270,000 litres of fuel has now been transferred from RSV Nuyina to the Macquarie Island research station, setting the station up for the year ahead. Many thanks to the refuelling team, LARC operators and crew who made it happen.
📷Pete Harmsen

The sub-Antarctic weather has a mind of its own in late May but the team working to resupply and refuel Macquarie Island is making great progress.
Read all about it here: antarctica.gov.au/news/2024/snow…
📷Pete Harmsen

🍾Message in a bottle: a satellite tag, originally attached to a sandpaper skate, washed up on a Tasmanian beach after a 5000 km journey. Its data will improve understanding of these deep-sea fish, which spend their life on the seafloor – or so we thought! antarctica.gov.au/news/2024/mess…

It's International Day for Women in Maritime.
Deck cadets Ayla from Serco and Freya from the Port Authority of NSW are learning the ropes on RSV Nuyina, including helicopter operations.
#womeninmaritime
📷Pete Harmsen

A cold start at Macquarie Island.
📸Pete Harmsen

We're a week into Macquarie island resupply and almost half the cargo has been delivered. The research station is home to 25 expeditioners over winter.
📷Pete Harmsen

The cloud has lifted and helicopter operations have restarted at Macquarie Island. They carry passengers to shore or sling load cargo weighing up to 900kg.
📷Pete Harmsen

Concrete panels being loaded onto a LARC and taken to shore at Macquarie Island for building projects. It's a precision exercise, involving highly skilled LARC skippers, crane operators and crew.
📷Pete Harmsen

Heavy cloud at Macquarie Island blocked out much of last night's light show but it did make a fleeting appearance.
📷Pete Harmsen

So nice to see you! The outlook from Macquarie Island research station as RSV Nuyina comes into view.
📷Penny Pascoe

Shrouded in fog, RSV Nuyina arrived at Macquarie Island this morning. It'll have to lift before helicopter operations can start.
📷Pete Harmsen

Why do we use Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vessels (LARCs) to resupply Macquarie Island? Because they can handle the surf. They'll will be lowered into the sea by crane when RSV Nuyina arrives tomorrow.
📷Pete Harmsen

Two Tasmanian Antarctic scientists are part of an international team selected by NASA to develop a new satellite mission concept.👏
🛰The ‘EDGE’ mission aims to monitor Earth’s vegetation & ice as they respond to climate change & human activity.
antarctica.gov.au/news/2024/aust…
📷RAPPLS

RSV Nuyina may be in the middle of the Southern Ocean but biosecurity dog Curly still needs a walk 🐶

RSV Nuyina heads down Hobart's River Derwent on its last resupply voyage of the season - Macquarie Island.

Curly the biosecurity dog, inspecting the Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo vessels (LARCs) for rodents, before they're shipped south to help resupply Macquarie Island.

🐳Antarctic blue whales are the largest animals on Earth, but they’re incredibly hard to find.

Now, scientists have used passive acoustic devices to listen for their distinctive calls and build a picture of blue whale distribution around Antarctica.
antarctica.gov.au/news/2024/list…

Fibreglass collection dog Stay was a much-loved feature at Australia’s Antarctic stations before she disappeared a few ago. Guide Dogs Tasmania has kindly supplied a replacement - she’ll head to Macquarie Island on RSV Nuyina next week.
📷Jesse Blackadder, Pete Harmsen

Australia's Antarctic stations rely heavily on hydroponic vegetables over the dark winter months. These tomatoes at Davis research station are thriving!
📷Martin Kucera

Are we missing anyone??

These Adélie penguins were spotted on the sea ice in front of Davis research station!

📷 Jared McGhie