The busy month of May

May has been a busy month for us all on the Isle of Macca. While there has been a certain amount of work done, it's really been the ramping up of our social calendar which has kept the days ticking along rather nicely.

Jez Bird, our very aptly named resident bird scientist, had his birthday first up. These occasions bring the privilege of being able to select the dinner and cake of one's choice. Jez went with a pizza night, which was such a success that I can't actually recall what he had for a cake.

My birthday came next, and after requesting "something of an Asian persuasion", our chef Annette went all out and cooked a Thai feast (generating a feast-load of dishes) followed by a lemon and berry dacquoise. Having a professional chef for the year really is as good as it sounds. A week or two before I may have got a wee bit tipsy and unleashed my full karaoke rendition of the Lion King soundtrack, so somehow it ended up being a Thai Lion King themed celebration.

Next up was a viewing of this year's Eurovision (just a few weeks late) with compulsory wig-wearing.

Finally we celebrated World Whiskey Day by entering Macquarie Island as an official celebration site. This was roughly my eighth attempt at trying to like whiskey (or whisky depending on its origin) and while I definitely can't say I'm a convert, I came closer than I ever have before. 

Here's to June and whatever it brings.

Jez Bird is a PhD student studying burrowing petrels (a type of bird found on sub-Antarctic islands). The appropriateness of his surname is uncanny.  

More pizza topping choices than Pizza Hut in the late 80s

Danielle and Angus are both quite pleased with their topping choices

Annette keeps a watchful eye on the cooking process

Angus, Greg and Jez decide pizza night definitely justifies a couch-dinner. Also an excellent meal choice for low levels of dishes.

A Thai feast somehow combined with the Lion King theme. Not your traditional combo, but it worked surprisingly well.

Our dinner soundtrack - who needs the backing music? I know every word.

So many choices; definitely a night for over-eating

But sadly the opposite to pizza night in terms of dishes. The clean-up required 3/4 of the station. Very pleased to have an excuse to get out of dishes that night!

Post dinner, the most rousing version of 'Happy Birthday' sung all year (a kind of jungle chaos theme)  - Danielle on keyboard, Rich on 'cymbals'...

And Ranger Chris on 'drums'

The berry and lemon dacquoise

Seriously delicious, although seriously difficult to cut tidily

Onto Eurovision night - the rule was 'no wig, no dinner'. Annette and Richard get the night started early (Rich complete with his crochet)

And some more punters arrive. From left Vicki, Tim, Jez, Norbert, Danielle and Richard. Fortunately there are about 40 wigs on station, so no chance of running out.

And finally onto the slightly more sophisticated World Whiskey Day. The organisers were quite excited to have such a remote site registered as holding an event. The range of whiskeys we happened to have on station was quite impressive.

Whiskey cocktails to start the evening (definitely my pick of the night) and we even managed to find a bit of tartan. From left Jez, Norbert, Greg, Ali (our station leader and main whiskey enthusiast), Ranger Chris (with a brave hart inspired wig), Danielle and Annette