12 January.

Cowie and Pyne, who had arrived at Scott Base the previous evening from NZ, completed a helicopter reconnaissance of the sea ice from Cape Roberts to the sea ice edge, a distance of 20 kms. Assisted by Ridgen and Americans Bill Hals and Buck Tilley a close investigation was also made of the tide crack or transition area at the southern access to the Cape. It was apparent that conditions were not as good as they had been for the previous ship off-load and that greater care would have to be taken in route finding and testing the ice. Ice at the transition was still thick (up to three meters) but was clearly deteriorating.