Wilkes Ghost Station

Wilkes Hilton

To continue from the last blog entry I posted, here is one of the other sorts of recreational excursions or “jollies” we can get to whilst down here. A weekend away at one of the numerous field huts around Casey is a coveted experience, and one that is never quite guaranteed until one actually arrives on site. A few weeks ago a some fellow expeditionners decided to organise a “Ladies' weekend” to Wilkes Hilton, a hut at the old derelict Wilkes station just across the water from Casey.

View back onto Casey from Wilkes station

Preparation for Jollies is not a simple feat, there is an application form that needs to be filled out and submitted to the station leader for approval. There need to be arrangements made for transport to and from the hut, potentially having to reserve certain vehicles or find someone able to run a shuttle service. Weather needs to be taken into account as much as possible, and the wind/snow/ice/road conditions adequate for safe travel to and from the hut.

Supplies need to be packed by the party members, including survival backpacks for each (see my survival training post earlier on for some of what is included in those), grey-water containers, water, radios, general waste containers, and of course – Food supplies!

Wilkes is quite well known for the fact that it has one of the only wood-burning fire places on the continent, and with that comes the ability to bake pizzas in the wood oven. So quite obviously we planned to take all the most delicious pizza toppings we could get our hands on. And since this was a “jolly” we brought ample supplies of cheese and wine and chocolates to make sure it lived up to it's name.  

Limo service for the ladies

Personal floatilla

Once all the formalities were taken care of, we caught a Limo down to the wharf where our private fleet of power-boats was waiting to take us over to

the exclusive Hilton retreat. Translation: piled into a few utes (pick-ups) with all our bags and buckets of supplies to head down to where we would pile into some zodiaks to take us out across some choppy waters to where we could safely scramble up some rocks at Wilkes under the aroma of the nearby penguin colony.

Appalling doorman
neglecting his duties

After carrying our heavy load up the rocks to the Wilke's Hilton, we were appalled at the doorman's clear lack of service and grabbed a few shovels to clear the front door.  

Team work! 

Once inside, however we quickly found our Hilton complimentary slippers and quite a cozy living space, though again the room-service was no where to be found and we had to resort to putting together our own buffet of snacks. 

The wine, cheese and antipasti were of quite fine standing however, and definitely made up for the effort we put into bringing them with us.  

  Once the fire was lit and our bellies filled, we took off for a wander around the remains of this historic station. 

         Built in 1957 by the American Antarctic Program, it was only used by them for 2 years before being partially taken over by the Australians in 1959, then fully in 1961. By 1969 the station was starting to fall apart, and Old Casey was put in place across the water (down the road from where we currently are established). 

What this little history lesson doesn't address is the fact that the station remains pretty much as it was left in 1969, falling to pieces and littering the entire landscape with what looks like no clean-up whatsoever.

As you wander the former station, derelict buildings stand (or lean) about, loosing panels and roofing to the winds. 

Reflection of time

Milk, anyone?

 Crates full of condensed milk cans or better yet, unknown powders or chemicals are strewn about the rocks, seeping into the soil below.

Tar?

Pieces of machinery and electrical cables can be found emerging from the snow, and one has to be careful to not fall through the snow covering some old buildings.  

buried buildings

rust and ice-lakes

The contrast between this abandoned trash, decrepit buildings and the stunning untouched landscape beyond is just outstanding. A clear remind of the destructive impact we have on the places we colonize, and reminder to be mindful of our footprints.  

 

The cleanup of Wilkes is a conversation that every party of expeditionners to visit it seems to have, and the fact that neither the US nor Australia have taken responsibility for doing it is just appalling.





It is clear the project would involve a LOT of work to be done properly, but it seems the work needed even just to do it partially (avoid more debris being blown into the ocean for example) would not actually be that painful.

As visitors nowadays, we remove everything we bring in with us, so when we sat down to feast on our pizzas that evening, we were careful to leave nothing behind, and even wondering if we might be able to take some of the mess left from decades ago to help.

As it usually does, the warmth of the fire and presence of good company quickly cheered us back up from our thoughts, and we sat up until late in the evening talking of life and love and experiences.

Thank you Scott Base for
even making these awesome patches

The women (and men) I am fortunate enough to be meeting down here are all of a magnificent resilience. There really does seem to be such a thing as an “Antarctic type”, which has a different hunger for adventure and experience than your average Jane.

 I am increasingly proud and flattered to have been chosen for this adventure, and inspired by the people I have been meeting along the way.

Wilkes Ladie's weekend survivors!