My Year on Macca: How to hut - Macquarie Island style

For the average Australian Antarctic (or sub-Antarctic) expeditioner, heading off station for a few days to visit a field hut is one of the many pleasures of our year south. While commonly recreational trips, there is also a range of maintenance and repair jobs needed to keep each hut in top notch condition.

Here on Macquarie Island, we have five full field huts dotted around the coast, and one additional shelter (almost as good as a hut, but lacking a few of the luxuries). Most people spending a year here will try to get to each hut at least once, which is no mean feat when the main transport method is foot and the island is almost 13,000 hectares of mud, tussock and hills.

In order to keep everything running safely and smoothly, there are certain things you do when arriving and leaving a hut. No one wants to be the person who forgets to turn off the water valve and freezes the hut supply line, so we all listen attentively to our handy Field Training Officer (FTO) who gives us the run down during our first trip out. After that, individual hut routines are finessed with each passing trip, and by the end of the year we’ll all have it down to a fine art.

So, with some help from my trusty fellow expeditioners, here is ‘How to hut – Macca styles’.

Hoorah, first view of Hurd Point Hut. This hut is right at the southern end of the island so it takes a bit to get there. After 2 days and 34km of walking, it's definitely time for a cuppa!

But before rushing in to put the kettle on, there's a few things to take care of. First thing is to get the power on. Each hut has a RAPS unit (remote area power source) which uses solar and wind energy to provide us with power. Here at Green Gorge Hut, Angus turns on the unit while Pete makes a beeline for the hut.

Safety never rests, and an AAD expeditioner always checks the hut vents are open. Each hut also comes equipped with two different carbon monoxide monitors, so we are pretty sorted in that area.

With the vents open that cuppa is one step closer. Next step is getting some gas to heat the water. Here at Waterfall Bay Hut I open the LPG cylinders.

Most huts have plumbed cold water from a rain tank outside, and on arrival you open the outlet valve from the tank. David Point Shelter is a little more rustic, so filling up the kettle involves Chris popping to the tank outside. Still pretty luxurious, although note the hut itself is the rather tiny converted water tank on the left hand side (the wooden structure is just a storage shed). Standing room for one only!