Cam Main in Antarctica

Double qualified with MITO in both Heavy Automotive Engineering and Automotive Electrical Engineering, Cam has taken his skills to McMurdo Station, completing two three-month summer stints in the Vehicle Maintenance Facility (VMF). Cam's most recent season saw him spend time in the power plant and lead an in-frame overhaul of a CAT 3516 generator.

What makes your role unique?

McMurdo was originally a US Navy base, so there’s a lot of old ex-US Navy trucks and equipment still kicking about. It’s also a very harsh climate; some days the outside temperature is as low as -40C. The sun also doesn’t set over summer, so 24/7 daylight takes a bit to get used to!

What are some of your main responsibilities?

Keeping the equipment running around station, including the machines out at the airfields on the Ross Ice Shelf
Fault-finding and diagnostic work
Completing component changeouts, including engines, transmissions, hydraulics, etc
Attending breakdowns
Preventative maintenance servicing
Lots of jump-starting!

What are the coolest things about your job?

Going out on the ice shelf for breakdowns on a fine day; working under Mt. Erebus and seeing the Transantarctic mountain range in the distance.

Seeing all the wildlife around station. There’s plenty of sunbathing seals, but it’s always exciting when penguins are in town. When the sea ice melts over Christmas, orcas swim into the bay, too.

Cam's favourite work story

During the first week of my first season, I was sent out on the ice shelf to refit a wheel that had fallen off a 4x4 fuel truck.

It was a tricky one to navigate because the truck had articulated steering, the wheel was 6ft tall, the threads on the wheel studs were mangled, and the sea ice below wasn’t too thick. That meant we needed to be tactical with how we jacked the machine.

We ended up reinstalling the wheel safely, and I drove it back to the workshop to complete a more permanent repair.