The end of December is approaching and we are starting to decorate the Skua (common building where the kitchen, dining room, living room, bar, library, games room, etc. are located). It's not cold at all, hard to imagine it's almost Christmas!
On December 22, the Marion arrived at Amsterdam. This is the start of OP4! The whole base is mobilized, whether it is for unloading freight, welcoming passengers, preparing common living areas ... Everyone is very busy. And the weather is super nice and hot!
The 22nd is also my birthday ... and what a birthday!
Olivier, Laura and I had the opportunity to accompany Yann for IPEV logistics operations to the Entrecasteaux hut by helicopter. So cool !!!
The IPEV logistic team leaves us while they go to Del Cano by helicopter. They will join us at Entrecasteaux afterwards.
And off we go!!! 15 min flight over the island, it was crazy !!
Entrecasteaux is very beautiful, the hut is located below large cliffs, very close to the beach and the cathedral, the large rocky peak that emerges into the sea. It is here that the largest colonies of yellow beak albatrosses are found. They are everywhere, and they fly super low! They are very big and truly magnificent. There are also colonies of sooty albatrosses and rockhopper penguins.
We spent an hour at Entrecasteaux, the time to repatriate boxes of equipment and drop other teams off at other huts. We had a little time to admire the cliffs, the sea, and the yellow-billed albatrosses that fly close to our heads… just magical!
What a morning!!!
Back on base, I took part in unloading the freight. This day is magnificent, it is hot and so beautiful! Once the operations were finished, I joined the group of passengers from the boat (winterers leaving Crozet and Kerguelen and the boat crew with whom we became friendly during the crossing at OP3), we spent a lovely afternoon talking and relaxing in the gardens around the base.
The days of the OP were busy. I was on duty at the DZ on the morning of the 24th, we unloaded around 50 big bags full of sand for the future construction projects on base. The weather is still beautiful! I spent the afternoon with some friends from Kerguelen who I met during the crossing at OP3 , it's really cool to see them again :)
On the evening of the 24th, we celebrated Christmas with the Amsterdam winterers and summer workers. We were about 40 on base for the evening. The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was very very nice!
After dinner, it's gift time! Each person gives a gift to the person whose name they have drawn from a hat, and William plays Santa Claus distributing it all.
The evening was very festive! The next day, Mission 71 summer workers and winterers left. Goodbyes were very sad.
We are now 29 on the island and we gathered at the mast to watch the Marion pull away in the distance. Florian played us the bagpipes as we watched the boat leave, that made the moment pretty epic haha.
Here we are now, Mission 72!
Business went back to normal. Now that our predecessors are gone, we are solely responsible for our manipulations . It's the beginning .. ! Next comes New Years Eve. We all helped prepare the meal, a great aperitif with lots of good things.
We had a great evening, super team 😊 The year has started well!
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