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msnTmsMmw A N E W S B U L L E T I N p u b l i s h e d q u a r t e r l y b y t h e NEW ZEALAND ANTARCTIC SOCIETY ( Photo: J. T. Darby. TWIN SKUA CHICKS. 55th ISSUE SEPTEMBER, 1969 AUSTRALIA 1 WELLINGTON -SCHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND TASMANIA * Cimpbtll I (NZ| I*** DEPENDENCE BGH ^ L/> IMT^l ANTARCTICA,,\ / l\ xA PIju.u (US)0>/ Alferei Sobnl (Arj)* tLt/s&i/ ■*.* «** ..V IGutnl Btl|r>no (Arjp" .^"VG MAUo\ ;h,h.,bV(uk) / .k^-^JS/j / - * ^ N D V " - — V j ^ i t M MolodyoihnayaJ^—.» % „ I S A l m l r . n v /*/ / DRAWN BY DEPARTMENT OF LANDS 4 SURVEY WELLINGTON. NEW ZEALAND. AUG 1949 3rd EDITION WAHWAIB(BWH(BW (Successor to "Antarctic News Bulletin") 55th ISSUE SEPTEMBER, 1969 Editor: A. S. Helm, M.B.E., M.A., 37 Worcester Street, Wellington, 5. New Zealand. Business Communications, Subscriptions, etc., to: Secretary, New Zealand Antarctic Society, P.O. Box 2110, Wellington, N.Z. CONTENTS Vanda Base Resupplied University of Waikato's First Antarctic Expedition Deep Freeze 70 Emergency Airlift Americans Fly In British Antarctic Survey Site of the New British Base Elephant Island Expedition Russian News News from the Sub-Antarctic The Reader Writes Antarctic Bookshelf Caretakers for Historic Huts A Closer Look at Antarctic Earthquakes by R. D. Adams Branch News Special Antarctic Reunion ANTARCTIC September, 1969 VANDA BASE RESUPPLIED HAZARDS FOR TRACTOR further excitement occurred before camping at a safe distance from the Bowers Piedmont Glacier. TRAIN The tractor party met up with a party from Vanda Station in the On September 7 a tractor train lower Wright Valley a few days taking urgently required fuel and later. replacement parts for scientific in struments at Vanda Station reached the western side of McMurdo Sound after a hair-raising trip. In a message to Scott Base. Bill Towing seven tons on sledges, the Lucy, leader of Vanda Station, on Trans-Antarctic Snowcat, "Abel", left September 14 expressed thanks for Scott Base at 9 a.m. on Sunday, replacement machinery, "goodies", September 7. On the resupply trip and mail after the winter. "It was were the leader of Scott Base, Robin all much appreciated, more than Foubister of Christchurch, base en you probably imagine," he said. gineer Allan Guard, of Fairlie, and Those wintering at Scott Base Noel Wilson, of Wanaka. have been closer than any outsider Also with these three New Zea to the problems encountered by the landers was a U.S. Navy officer, Don five men eating, sleeping, working Nachtsheim, covering the trip for and playing within sight of one the New Zealand Broadcasting Cor another for seven months at the re poration and the U.S. Navy. mote station, all with the barest After 20 trouble-free miles, a sud minimum of comforts. den change in the surface texture They have had a rugged time, but of the ice ahead brought the cara have come through very well. van to a halt. The most important item to arrive Noel Wilson found the surface at Vanda Station on the resupply, was fresh ice and suggested a drill scientifically speaking, was a re core be taken to determine the ice placement galvanometer for the thickness. seismic recorder. After only a few turns the drill A signal passed to New Zealand dropped through four inches of ice via Scott Base advised that the only several days old. equipment, which recorded the first A warning was sounded to Guard known earthquakes in Antarctica, and Wilson, who were cavorting had recommenced operation on Sep about on the thin ice to keep them tember 12 after having been idle selves warm in the sub-zero tem since the galvanometer mirror was peratures. distorted by cold on April 28. Allan Guard, who swims like a A diesel generating plant, built in stone, remarked: "I would not have the Scott Base workshop from com been standing there if I had known ponents flown in by Hercules air that only four inches of ice separ craft on September 1, has been put ated me from two thousand feet of into operation at Vanda Station. It water." has replaced the unreliable petrol Back on the thicker ice the New units, which have been a back-up to Zealanders found they were still in the wind-driven generator. trouble. Another drilling showed The wind-driven generator has that the entire caravan was sitting been idle for most of the winter be on 16 inches of ice. A rapid with cause of the unexpected long calm drawal was called for, and the trac spells which prevail in the Wright tor train retreated half a mile to Valley during that season. where the ice was 54 inches thick. The return of sunlight to the Dry Apart from crossing several minor Valley complex is expected to cracks and one three feet wide, no propagate wind. September, 1969 ANTARCTIC Since the installation of the diesel- As well as the mail, fresh veget generating plant, there has been a ables were flown south in the air cut in radio noise caused by the craft. Urgently needed equipment generation of electricity, thus assist for Vanda Station was transported ing Vanda Station's aim to be a also. However, it may not be pos "quiet site". sible to deliver this to Vanda Bill Lucy said the isolated party immediately. is still not entirely "out of the woods," as it is dangerously low on petrol. Five drums were dumped at the end of the Wright Valley 18 N.Z. FLIGHTS miles away from Vanda Station by Hercules transport aircraft of the a party from Scott Base. Royal New Zealand Air Force will However, he had elected to load make three flights to the Antarctic his tractor trailer with heavier this year. items, which required the combined As in previous years since 1965 efforts of the three men from Scott the flights will be bunched together, Base and the two from Vanda rather than spread out through the Station to lift, and then come back summer season, and will take place in a few days for the petrol. between November 11 and 13. Unfortunately, soon after his The Hercules, which belong to No. arrival at Vanda Station the Fer 40 Squadron based at Auckland, will guson tractor developed an unidenti fly cargo from Christchurch. fied fault. In addition to the airlift of cargo He advised he has only enough the flights will give Air Force crews petrol to heat the engine to start it valuable training in the operation of and get down the valley to the the aircraft in polar regions. stocks of petrol. In addition to their Antarctic The Scott Base tractor train flight the Hercules are also used in arrived back at base on September flights to Rarotonga in the Cook 12 after crossing 70 miles of sea ice Islands, thus covering the tropics as on McMurdo Sound in fog, their well as the far south. only navigational aids being the tracks they had left in the snow on the way out. N.Z. SCOUTS SELECTED Two Queen Scouts and a Boys' Bri gade Queen's Man have been "WINFLY" FLIGHT selected as nominees from young For the 11 men wintering-over at men's organisations to work with Scott Base, the mail on the "Winfly" the Antarctic division of D.S.I.R. at flight by United States Hercules Scott Base this summer. aircraft on September 1 was the The Queen Scouts are Lindsay first to be delivered since March. Burton, of Hamilton, and Michael The five men at Vanda Station Ellis, of New Plymouth, who were however may have to wait some selected from 150 applioants. Peter time before they receive their mail, Oliver, of Rangiora, is the Boys' Bri delivery of which depends on suit gade member. able conditions for travel. The successful nominees were Two C-130 Hercules flew from selected by Mr R. B. Thomson, Christchurch Airport to McMurdo director of Antarctic division, Mr R. Sound; one then flew on to Byrd B. Willis, leader of the 1969-70 re Station to pick up a cook suffering search programme, and Scout and from illness. Boys' Brigade representatives. Mr D. A. Hodge, stores officer of Reserves have been chosen also, the Antarctic Division of the in the event of the first choices D.S.I.R., was the only New Zea- being unable to go. They are lander on the "Winfly" flight. He James Grierson, of Otautau, and will check on stores preparatory to Paul Gardner, of Taupo (Scouts), the arrival of the 1969-70 pro and Keith Turner of Auckland gramme personnel in mid-October. (Boys' Brigade). ANTARCTIC September, 1969 Photo: A. J. Heine. Lake Vanda before summer melting. of these containers will be des STORES FOR SCOTT patched to Antarctica. AND VANDA BASES Sixteen men will spend the winter at Scott Base or Vanda Station and Electrode rods, vitamin capsules, 70 others will be in the Ross De radio masts and dog pemmican are pendency during the summer. This among a wide variety of stores season, university research parties accumulating in Christchurch to will go to Antarctica from Victoria, resupply the New Zealand Antarctic Auckland, Canterbury and Waikato bases for the 1969-70 research pro Universities. Research will include gramme. biological studies of penguins and About 35,000 lb. of stores and seals, geological and geochemical equipment will be sent south for studies in the dry valleys, and base personnel and field parties of acoustic measurements under the the Antarctic Division and the Ross Ice Shelf.