Saturday, 14 July 2012

The closing ceremony


With the final date fast approaching everyone is moving into the prep phase for what could basically be called the closing ceremony of our year on Gough.
Almost time for take over.

With less than a hundred days to go until the relief team arrives in September, we are all planning the final bits and pieces that need to be sorted out before the arrival of the SA Agulhas II. Most of this involves prepping the base and the surrounds. So just a bit of spring cleaning here and there and a spot of gardening.
But hey, this isn't to say we don't keep our home clean. We just want it shinning for our relief team. Gough 58 we are all very excited to have you join us and hope you will enjoy your stay as much as we have, and will appreciate the effort we put in, in preparing “Gough House” for you.
At resent the G58 team are in training in Johannesburg and Cape Town and I am sure are getting extremely excited about heading down south to the roaring forties.
Other things we are all doing is trying to figure out what happens when we all get home. Where will we work, what will we do. Each of us will soon be going in our own separate direction, so now it's a matter of trying to get ducks in a row.
Since my last post we have once again headed out to weight the seal pups. This time it was just Nkoane and myself. The size of the pups has not changed since our last weighing trip, but the lack of an extra pair of hands in the form of Karen and Sylvian was definitely felt.
The average weight of a pup being around 11-12kg's becomes rather burdensome after about the 50th pup. Thank goodness Nkoane is “a giant” and is more than capable of grabbing the scale and finishing up when it felt like I was on the verge of slipping a disk.
It's really hard to explain how difficult it can get when weighing the pups, but hopefully the facial expressions will tell the story a fair bit better than I can.

 
It took us a little bit longer to get hold of all 100 pups but eventually we managed and were warm and dry up until the very last one. But it wasn't the rain that got as shivering, instead it was the sea water.
Each week when we finish up we head on to the waters edge to give the hands a bit of a clean in the ocean. It's a bit of a task as you have to balance precariously on the slippery rocks with plenty seals lurking about whilst timing your movement towards the water just right with the rhythm of the incoming waves. Problem is you always seem to get the big one that comes with the set. This time both Nkoane and myself were caught totally off guard and got a through soaking. Guess it's no different to when you go out waking and the rain starts to fall.
We just laughed it of and sat down for a break before we headed back to the base. And it just wouldn't be right if we didn't have Nkoanes favourite jelly-babies and eat-sum-mor's for lunch. I think he has got me hooked now.
We are also caught slightly off guard when a couple of the pups managed a quick turn and nipped one of Nkoanes knee's, as well as my fingers and both knees. Thankfully it was nothing serious and we still had our wits about us and were able to avoid the full force of a bite. Still a scary moment non the less.
Happily we still have all apendages in tact and hopefully we can keep it that way until we head home
Still got another trip out to weigh the seals before take over, and then will finish up the seal season during take over once the project supervisor, Professor Marthan Bester arrives.
Definitely looking forward to having him around to finish up the season and hopefully hear a couple stories of his time on Gough as part of G20, G21, G23. Definitely an island veteran. These combined with his overwintering expedition to Marion Island and his numerous take over trips to both Marion and Gough.
But that's pretty much it for now. All we waiting for is spring and the ship to arrive, and for our arrival in Cape Town. Still loving every second out here, and will probably be dragged off kicking and screaming when it is time to go.
Gough 58, you are going to have the time of your life and have an experience that you will never forget. We all look forward to meeting you.
Here is a link to take a look at regarding the new ship that will be coming out to fetch us, as well as a video of Nkoane weighing one of the pups.


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