The 1972 Casey Winter expedition left Melbourne for Casey on 7th January 1972 on board the icebreaker "Thala Dan".
I don't have a picture of the Thala Dan in Melbourne. Those of us involved were rather too
busy to stand around and take photographs. However I DO have one of the Nella Dan
which left for Mawson in late 1971.
The Thala Dan is similar in size and appearance.
This map gives the general idea of where we went.
We arrived at the station early in the morning
of 17th January after an uneventuful (if somewhat rough) trip down. Sadly, I discovered that I
am NOT a very good sailor in ships which roll 30 to 60 degrees from the vertical!
The "changeover" (when the 1971 Wintering Party relinquished control of the
station and we, the 1972 Wintering Party assumed control) took place on 26th January. The ship
sailed off on the 28th January and we were effectively on our own for the next twelve
to thirteen months.
