In this edition:
Gough65 celebrating team member, Bubele Nongwejana’s birthday. Photo: Thendo Sikhwari
Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 24 October 2019
In this Edition:
Deputy Team Leader of SANAE 58, Mpati Boleme.
– Get to know the SANAE58 deputy team leader, Mpati Boleme.
– Learn more about the scientific work currently ongoing at SANAE IV
– See what was the weather like during the month of May 2019.
– Team gatherings
– Learn some facts about Antarctica
Click here to download/view the SANAE IV Newsletter, May 2019 Edition.
Click here to view all the SANAE newsletters available on the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa Archive.
Anché Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 13 June 2019
Greetings from the M75 team to all our friends and families!
Where have the days gone?! March, our last full month alone on Marion, has flown by! For many of the field assistants, the work has slowed down substantially as the final tasks are being ticked off. For others, there is still quite a lot that needs to be squeezed into these final days. And, on the other hand, there are some (including the sealers) whose work has continued uninterrupted as is the case with base personnel who need to keep the ball rolling until we’ve boarded the ship home.
In between our duties however, the big clean-up has begun. All the huts have been tackled by the field assistants and back at base everyone is pitching in to make sure that everything is ready for take-over. Apart from the general base skivvy, we have all been busy packing up our own rooms too; as the total population of Marion explodes from 24 to over a hundred (with all the scientists and maintenance crew), we will soon be bunking with each other and the new M76 team while they find their feet.
Outside, island life goes on, oblivious to our bustling preparations. The wandering albatross which dot the landscape continue with their inredible life cycle and the fur-seal pups are venturing further and further from comfort as they grow at a rate. The winter leaves sap in the fading sunlight and the mountains are beginning to try on their winter coats.
We are sad to announce that this edition of The Wanderer (March 2019) will in all likelihood be our last. The next few weeks are undoubtedly going to be very chaotic and there will be little time to spare before we board the S.A. Agulhas II to go home. It has been a massive privilege to bring you these insights to our fantastic adventure in this paradise! We hope that you’ve enjoyed them as we have and that these newsletters can become part of M75’s legacy and serve to inspire future expeditions and explorers!
Authors: Elsa van Ginkel (Editor) and James Burns (Co-Editor), 75th Marion Island Overwintering Team, 16 April 2019 (received 13 April 2019)
Click here to view all the Marion Island newsletters available on the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa Archive.
Greetings to the friends, families and followers of the M75 team!
And so goes the second month of the not-so-new-anymore year. It has been another wonderful month on this incredible island! The Christmas trees (correction: one of the Christmas trees) have just been packed away and the base is visibly tensing for the onslaught of the upcoming take-over month. The new M76 team has started training in Cape Town and we are all getting ready to show them the ropes when they arrive. But despite the approaching conclusion to our adventure, we have still been having a fantastic time here in paradise!
Winter is coming, and fast! February saw a very noticable shift in weather as the winds pick up, temperatures drop and the interior recieves a regular dusting of white. Field workers have been busy as the last of many of the newest generation of island birds leave their nests and the fur seal pups grow at an alarming rate. The iconic wandering albatross have mostly settled down and the first few chicks have even hatched. There is still a lot of work to do, both outside and in the lab, before the ship arrives. We have been in high spirits back at base and still enjoy our weekly braais, a couple of birthdays and other fun events.
This edition of The Wanderer (February 2019) is packed with great photos and the amazing experiences that we have been enjoying here! We hope you enjoy them all too!
Kind regards,
the Wanderer Editing team
Authors: Elsa van Ginkel (Editor) and James Burns (Co-Editor), 75th Marion Island Overwintering Team, 19 March 2019 (received 14 March 2019)
Click here to view all the Marion Island newsletters available on the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa Archive.
Greetings to the friends, families and followers of the M75 team!
The last month of 2018 was a memorable one! Starting the festivities early in the month with decorations, the excitement built up steadily to Christmas day and we had an amazing time! Movie marathons, fun teamwork in the kitchen, potjies, presents, a secret santa and more made for a jolly season indeed. Unfortunately no snow on Christmas but we enjoyed some great sunny and calm days instead, summer finally arrived!
The team hasn’t stopped working and, between all the celebrations, fieldworkers have been out and about with lots to be done as the breeding season continues. Everything is still running smoothly at base although there is a definite mindset shift in the team as takeover approaches.
We apologise for the delayed distribution but we hope you all enjoy our latest edition of the Wanderer (December 2018)! We wish everyone the best for the upcoming year and thank you once again for supporting us from afar!
Kind regards,
the Wanderer Editing team
Click here to view all the Marion Island newsletters available on the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa Archive.
Author: James Burns, 75th Marion Island Overwintering Team (Meteorological Observer), 05 February 2019 (received 12 January 2019)
The Gough64 team members decided to take turns in writing blog posts, to update family and friends back home.
The first post was written by Cathy Mbazwana, Medic of Gough64.
This blog entry is about team member, Christopher Jones’s birthday party (Click here to read the blog). She also added the sea temperature and climate data for September and October 2018 to this blog post. It is great to hear that your team takes pride in planning and attending each other’s birthday parties. Your team dynamics definitely show positive signs for the year ahead.
Thanks for this great initiative Gough64.
We do still hope that the team decides to compile a newsletter in the coming months, but we are excited about this blog initiative and the stories your team will deliver.
Author: Anche Louw, Antarctic Legacy of South Africa, 20 November 2018
Greetings to all from our little island down south
We have had a great month here on Marion! October has been very productive for the field assistants and the huts have been experiencing a steady stream of visitors and some have been housing long term residents where there is lots to do nearby. Back at base all is running smoothly and we are all kept warm and well fed!
We hope you enjoy this edition of the Wanderer (October 2018) and that it gives you all a taste of our fantastic experience here!
Please click here to view all M75’s newsletters written so far.
Author: James Burns, 75th Marion Island Overwintering Team (Meteorological Observer), 19 November 2018
The current Marion Island overwintering team (M75) wrote monthly newsletters since May 2018, when they were left behind on the island after the departure of the take-over crew and previous overwintering team.
These newsletters are not just a great way for family and friends to stay connected with team members, but also a way for people that have never been to the island to learn more about the ins and outs thereof.
Also, for those that have been to the island, especially previous overwintering team members like myself, one can browse through these newsletters and have a chance to reminisce about the past.
In the July issue the team started a ‘Round Island for the readers’ series, where different huts will be visited in every Wanderer issue. In this month’s issue the hut visited is on the western side of the island, which is an ultimate favourite for myself and many other islanders – Mixed Pickle. Read all about the Mixed Pickle hut in the September issue (click here).
Map of Marion Island indicating one of many round island routes and also 8 of the 9 (current) field huts and one of the old huts (Long Ridge hut). The ‘Round island for the readers’ will be conducted anti-clockwise. Please note that names of some peaks have changed over the past few years. (Click here to view the map on the ALSA Archive)
Click here to view all the newsletters published by M75 so far.
Author: Anche Louw (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa), 11 October 2018
All available team newsletters now linked on the SANAP Website!
The 57th SANAE Overwintering team has already produced eight newsletters since their arrival at South Africa’s Antarctic research station (SANAE IV), last year December.
What you can expect from this team’s newsletters:
For loads more interesting topics discussed by SANAE57 (Click here).
To see newsletters from previous SANAE teams as well as current and previous Marion Island and Gough Island Overwintering teams (Click here).
Author: Anche Louw (Antarctic Legacy of South Africa), 10 September 2018
R. S. A. in Table Bay next to pier
SANAE I team on Polarbjorn 1959
