Laters...

Certain events bring home the reality that the end of the season is nigh. It started last week with the departure of the last planes from Rothera. Having lived with the regular sounds and activities that come with living by a runway, after the Dash 7’s fly-by everything suddenly seemed very quiet. The last two Otters and the Dash head north back to Canada where they will chill out and get ridiculously pampered and massaged for the entire northern hemispheres summer.

Today was a pretty heavy day also… we said goodbye to the majority of the 2006 winterers, some of whom seem like they’ve been at Rothera for 100 years!!! And oh what wags they were!!! One thing I was previously unaware of is that on the eve before departure, it is standard practice for the departing winterers to basically booby trap the entire base, and generally cause mayhem for the new guys. So, after returning from the ship’s bar in the wee hours of the morning, my room is locked and the only way in is to release the safety catch by a long ski pole while standing in the back of a gator and getting someone to give you a leg up. Not ideal in –10 C after a larger shandy or two! By morning the full extend of the ‘pranks’ was becoming more apparent. Ever eaten you cereal with a folk? I did this morning – no spoons! Today we listened exclusively Russian radio. Rice in boots! Our lab literally tied up with rope, the list does go on! With a guaranteed hangover via the generosity of the ship, it’s just how everyone wants to start the day! And you know it… we’ll do just the same to the next mob! Full circle.

But it was sad to say goodbye to so many people that I have lived, worked and played with continually for the last four months. We all gathered at the wharf to wave off the troops heading back to the real world.

The gangplank is raised. This is it; ladies and gentlemen: The Shackleton has left the station. Cheers and tears begin, as do the flares and explosives for the less emotional amongst us. And the even less emotional and complete total nutters take to the chasing the ship in a Rib! Cool effect though guys!

It is strange though how long we did stand there and watch it. There is something very powerful about watching your link to the outside world getting smaller and smaller. I really wonder now how we will all react in three weeks when the RSS JCR departs.

That will leave the 22 staying for the winter behind, and signaling our last physical contact with the outside world until the sea ice breaks up at the start of next summer!