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Victoria University Antarctic Research Expedition Science and Logistics Reports 1994-95: VUWAE 39

7.1. Event Diary

7.1. Event Diary

Following is a summary of our day to day events whilst at Scott Base and in the field.
Nov 22nd: - Bill Atkinson arrives in Antarctica.
Nov 23rd: - travel Wellington to Christchurch, accommodation Windsor Hotel.
Nov 24th: - flight check in 0400, departure to Antarctica 2315.
Nov 25th: - arrive Scott Base 0630, briefing and sleep.
Nov 26th: - Event briefing, Field Training in afternoon.
Nov 27th: - Field Training continued, preparation for shakedown trip.
Nov 28th: - shakedown trip to Cape Royds.
Nov 29th: - packing of cargo.
Nov 30th: - cargo taken to McMurdo.
Dec 1st: - gravity measurements at McMurdo and Scott Base.
Dec 2nd: - skidoo driving practise and HF radio testing towards "Room With a View".
Dec 3rd: - skidoo practise and discussion on GPS with Perry Gilbert (NZAP) and McMurdo USGS surveyors Larry Hotham and Barbara Littell.
Dec 4th: - skidoos delivered to ice runway, bag drag in evening.
Dec 5th: - to ice runway at ~1930, supervised loading of LCI30, take-off at ~2045. Touch-down in the field at Camp Lima (refer map) at ~2300.
Dec 6th: - day spent organising equipment.
Dec 7th: - measurements and testing at Lima measurement site (km-190).
Dec 8th: - measurements km-190 (Lima) to km-160.
Dec 9th: - camp move to km-130.
Dec 10th: - measurements km-150 to km-110.
Dec 11th: - no progress due to bad weather (wind and poor definition).
Dec 12th: - camp move to km-70 (in poor weather conditions).
Dec 13th: - no progress due to bad weather (wind, snow, poor visibility).
Dec 14th: - no progress due to bad weather (wind, snow, poor visibility).
Dec 15th: - no progress due to bad weather (wind, snow, poor visibility).
Dec 16th: - measurements km-100 (Kilo) to km-90.
Dec 17th: - measurements km-90 to km-70.
Dec 18th: - measurements km-46 to km-70.
Dec 19th: - camp move to km-22.
Dec 20th: - measurements km-44 to km-22.
Dec 21st: - measurements km-0 (Julie) to km-22.
Dec 22nd: - no progress due to skidoo repairs and battery charging.
Dec 23rd: - return travel km-22 to km-100.page 8
Dec 24th: - return travel km-100 to km-190 (Lima).
Dec 25th: - travel to km-160 and back to retrieve damaged skidoo (AL4).
Dec 26th: - packing of equipment in preparation for scheduled pull-out, also attempted measurements with seismograph.
Dec 27th: - flight postponed.
Dec 28th: - tent bound due to storm.
Dec 29th: - tent bound due to storm.
Dec 30th: - tent bound due to storm.
Dec 31st: - storm cleared, but no flight scheduled. Dug sleds etc out of snow drifts.
Jan 1st: - no flight scheduled. Food drop requested from Scott Base.
Jan 2nd: - flight scheduled for 2300, then postponed and postponed some more.…
Jan 3rd: - plane arrives ~0300 but doesn't land due to poor surface definition. With little warning, at 0500 plane arrives and drops US Navy "Survival" rations. Pick-up rescheduled for next day. Jan 4th: - two planes develop mechanical troubles en-route to pick us up, one of which we believe carried the requested NZAP food drop.
Jan 5th: - Flight travelling via Byrd eventually arrives on schedule at ~0100. In poor conditions (low cloud and poor surface definition) plane lands. Loading completed in 1½ hours. Arrive back at Ross Island ~0500, emergency landing due to damaged nose ski.
- day spent packing science cargo for return to NZ.
- board flight back to Christchurch at 2200.
Jan 6th: - arrive Christchurch 0630, returned to Wellington by 0930.
A summary of the time in the field is as follows:
total days making measurements = 8
total days lost to weather/repairs = 6
total days for camp movement = 5
total days for put-in/pull-out = 2
total days delay from field = 10
TOTAL DAYS IN FIELD = 31