Davis.... the ‘Riviera of the South' 😀
Mick - there are actually 37 buildings at the Station, and they are
registered on the Register of the National Estate......
back in 1999 or 2000 i think.
Three are identified as having exceptional cultural significance, and another four as having considerable cultural significance. Not sure if this may impact their removal or refurb or rebuild... happy if someone has more info on that.
But if you look at the upgrades that happened at Casey as a result of the Wilkins Runway/Airlink project then the infrastructure proposed for the Vestfold Hill aerodrome will certainly do wonders for Davis.
As for tourism.... I doubt this will happen. The aerodrome, like Wilkins, is managed and maintained by the AAD. A plane load of tourists would only be permitted to land in an emergency.... the AADs vessels an aircraft do not, nor are they equipped for nor would accept fare paying tourists.
The expansion of all Stations an Bases, not just Australian, is pretty important given the increasing need for the number of projects an scope of some of the important work being done down there and how that science impacts across the globe.....meteorology for example. Global warming is another example that has generated renewed interest in the study of the polar regions.
NASA is doing research in Antarctica to support human spaceflight that could shed light on the role that vitamin D potentially plays in the immune system’s response to viruses.... including Covid.
Australia is a highly respected leader when it comes to the Antarctic. We support other Nations, just as they support us.... as seen over Christmas with China and the US joining to assist the medevac of an Australian expeditioner.
This aerodrome isnt just for Australia... it will assist more than the Nations that have bases in Australian Antarctic Territory (remember that the Larsemann Hills are around 120km southwest of Davis station and they are home to the Indian base Bharati, the Chinese base Zhongshan, and the Russian bases Progress 1, 2 and 3), it will bring jobs to Tasmania, and increase cooperation between Nations. In Antarctica.... there are no politics ... just people doing important science.
Anyone know where Stay is at the moment?