My Year on Macca: It's been a fabulous trip around the sun. The final entry.

As quickly as it started, it has all come to a finish.

The Aurora Australis arrived at Macquarie Island in early March, bring this year's wintering team along with all the provisions they'll need during their time (and plenty they won't - like another 2 tonne of toilet paper to add to the existing 10 tonne on station...).

After a slow start due to weather (pretty much nothing happened for the first 5 days) resupply finally kicked off and from there is was all go. Food, trades equipment, medical supplies, diesel and a whole lot of chocolate got transferred from the ship to the island via helicopter and LARC - see my first entry for more on this fabulous amphibious vessel.

Everything went very smoothly, including the ship-to-shore transfer of a 13-tonne digger and an enormous JCB (telehandler). Apparently it took 5 years to get the last JCB ashore, and that was a fraction of the size. Thank goodness for the odd day of calm seas!

After handing over our jobs and the station, we packed up, boarded the ship and set off for the pretty short journey home. Two days later Hobart came out of the mist. And then it was all over.

In the words of one of our Macca family (the esteemed Danielle McCarthy 'DC'), "it's been a fabulous trip around the sun".

The Aurora Australia arrived in mist and high winds - it's out there somewhere! The ship stooged up and down the island for 2 days before we managed to get a groups of new winterers ashore.

And a mere 5 days after arriving, the helicopters finally get off the ship and start unloading some of the people and cargo. Danielle is very excited. Stu isn't so sure.

And here come the people! The first group off the helicopter make their way through the station gate.

After a week or so of unloading cargo, it was time to start pumping tens of thousands of diesel ashore. I spent a very cold 4-hour shift in an IRB patrolling up and down the fuel line. No leaks!

Another misty Macca day. One of the trusty LARCS takes a load of cargo ashore.

And then suddenly it was time to pack up and go. The hard working Nui (a biosecurity dog who checks every crate of cargo coming ashore) gets lifted onto the ship.

And this year the LARCs are coming back to Australia for some long needed maintenance. They get a helping hand aboard too.

I leave station and board the ship a few days early to allow the new doctor to move ashore (there always has to be one doctor ashore and one onboard overnight). The view back across to the station.