Go Go Gadget's

With the end of winter and the upcoming arrival of our summer expeditioners, the bi-annual mission to dig out Gadget’s Gully Dam has been on the to-do list for the last few weeks. All of our water on station is sourced from this dam and piped down the hill approximately 1.5km into our station tanks. The dam is filled by surface water from the plateau, and with the water comes a steady supply of sediment, rocks and mud which means a major dig out operation is required a couple of times each year.

Being a little bit lacking in the upper body strength department (and a lot lacking in the shovel-skill department) I felt comfortable in the presumption that there was no way I would be called on for the task.

But of course, when it turns out there are only 4 of you who are available for the job (not in the field and not on the fire team), upper body strength and shovelling abilities suddenly don’t count for much.

‘Team Gadgets 2018’ (Tim – our carpenter/BSS, Greg – our plumber, Danielle – one of our meteorological observers, and myself – the doctor) were up bright and early last Tuesday morning, hoping for a lovely sunny and wind-free day, but of course getting dense fog, bouts of rain, and the usual 20-30 knots of wind.

On initial inspection we thought it didn’t look too bad, but of course that was before we drained all the water out and realised that what we optimistically took for rock was in fact, quite a lot of mud. At that stage the only thing to do was to start shovelling. And shovel we did, for the next 6 hours or so (with the odd break for cups of tea and general cursing) until bedrock was hit and the job was done!

Team Gadgets (plus Danielle taking the photo) leave station equipped and trying to muster enthusiasm

Gadget’s Dam on our arrival. Doesn’t look too bad does it? Shame about the weather.

Tim, Greg and Danielle discuss the approach “We’ll drain it and then we’ll dig it out” while I document the momentous occasion.

Plumber Greg disconnects the station water supply line (heading over the hill on the left side of the frame) and the dam drain commences.

Ok, a bit more mud than we thought…

I get the digging while Tim throws water around

Tim and Greg encourage a lot of mud through a rather small hole in the base of the dam. A lot easier than bucketing it over the top which we originally tried....

Look at that shovel full. Not my happy place.

I get sick of digging and take up scrubbing. The dam wall does come up nicely.

Danielle in her not-so-yellow-anymore waterproofs, proudly standing by the finished product – check out that exposed bedrock!