S.K.I.-ing In The Snow!

---

(SPENDING the KID'S INHERITANCE!!)

Monday 31st October is, of course, not just Halloween, but, more importantly, Graham’s birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRAHAM!!

I had gathered a few cards and a package which had been sent to David’s so there were a few things for him to open. More cards and another package had arrived in Warwick after we had left so he’ll have the pleasure of opening them in a couple of months when we meet up with David again in Melbourne. In addition, there were several emails, some in the form of birthday “cards”, and text greetings and we knew that, later in the day, we would have contact from the UK via the phone and via Skype. Because of the rather wet weather we had delayed our trip to Thredbo which was a shame because it meant that we were travelling on Graham’s birthday. Luckily today dawned bright and clear so we kept our fingers crossed that the weather would be kind to us over the next couple of days. So, after the excitement of opening his presents we had to pack up and go, leaving the caravan behind in Corryong, and to climb up through the hills to Thredbo – the tourist and skiing capital of the Kosciuszko National Park. The caravan park people were happy for us to leave Sweetie “on site” at no charge which was very good of them. So it will be there waiting for us when we return on Wednesday. We had been hoping to have a special little break for a few months now so with the help of Sarah and Darryl it was about to happen and so we were very excited to be going up into the mountains.

We left at about 10:00am and on our way to Thredbo we had to call in to a National Park office at Khancoban to purchase a park pass. After that we began the long climb up to Thredbo – a journey of about 80 kilometers but, of course, it was mainly uphill. The scenery was beautiful and we made a couple of stops on the way, firstly at Scammell Spur Lookout just to admire the view and then at Geehi Flats for a mid-morning break. We had been told that Geehi Flats was a kangaroo’s paradise and sure enough, there appeared to be hundreds of them but they were all very docile and made no attempt to scamper away like they usually do. We settled at a picnic table next to the fast flowing Geehi River. The break was well timed as the journey was proving to be tougher than we’d anticipated. We thought we would arrive at our chosen hotel, The Denman, before midday but it was nearer 1:00pm when we finally got there. It was a top class hotel, described in the literature as “a boutique hotel”, whatever that means, but it was very special – and we were the only guests!!! Thredbo is a year-round resort with July and August being the peak season for skiers and December/January/ February for the mountain-biking, walking and fishing fraternity. There were plenty of other people about but we knew this to be the quietist time of the year.

Ironically, for a top class hotel in a top class resort, it was sadly lacking in parking spaces so, once we’d checked in and off-loaded our stuff, the car had to be parked in a central car park and Graham was shuttled back to the hotel. Most hotels and apartments in Thredbo lack parking spaces, because of the mountainous nature of the town, but they manage well by providing large, free car-parks in the area known as The Village Green which is also central to the main skiing activities. The car-parks cater for day-trippers as well as hotel and apartment dwellers. Graham had done the booking himself as he wanted to make sure we had a room with a mountain view – their advert suggested that not all of them did. Fair play, the view was magical (I suppose, being the only guests, it wasn’t difficult to accommodate our request!) and the huge balcony was a delight as we sat outside in the sun with a cup of tea admiring the glorious views towards the snow-clad peaks of Mt Kosciuszko. We were lucky with the weather too as there was a cloudless blue sky and the forecast for tomorrow was just as good. The hotel boasted a first class restaurant which was also open to the public so we thought we’d spoil ourselves on this special occasion and made arrangements to have our evening meal chez Denman. Having settled in, we strolled around the town, passing the park where Graham had left the car, and found our way to the main ski lift. It was one of five but the only one that operates all the year round. We bought a two-day pass and took our first trip to the top where there is a lovely café with fantastic views looking back down towards Thredbo. Here we had our mid-afternoon cuppa and we also had some scones with jam and cream. We checked out the many walks that start from this point and one in particular which we hoped to do tomorrow. We enjoyed the ride back down the mountain – because the chair-lifts are not enclosed (you sit with your feet dangling !) we had uninterrupted, stunning views. The chairs don’t stop when the destination is reached and it’s up to the passengers to get off and get out of the way as they sweep round and start back up or down the mountain. We managed that OK and then found the shortest route back to the hotel which was considerably shorter than the walk we did at first.

Back at the hotel, we knew we would have some Skype calls later so we planned for an earlyish dinner and prepared to visit the restaurant at about 6:30pm. Even so, while I was still in the shower, Sarah rang with birthday wishes for her dad and of course sang ‘Happy Birthday’. She must have been up with the lark (probably before it!) but wanted to ring before she dashed off to work. We’re so glad she did as we had a lovely long chat and Graham was thrilled. On our way through the hotel to the restaurant area we were able to have a “nose” around, including a wander through a very comfortable looking lounge and an equally comfortable looking library!! Everything was “plush” to say the least. The birthday dinner was absolutely delicious - along with our glasses of Tasmanian red wine, we both started with minestrone soup with sourdough bread which was like a meal in itself. Then I had Ocean Trout while Graham had Haroumi – a cheese based dish. We shared a large bowl of salad and a similar bowl of chips, neither of which we emptied! It meant that we couldn’t seriously consider the wonderfully sounding sweets (inspite of my normal strong will-power stopping me from having desserts I really fancied the chocolate and rhubarb gateaux! – Graham thought it must be a Mrs Cropley recipe!!!). Given that the top class restaurant charged top class prices, it probably wasn’t a bad thing that we couldn’t manage them. The only minor drawback to the evening was that the hotel owner, a boorish, loud ex Glaswegian, insisted on trying to ingratiate himself with all of the customers, mainly telling them/us how successful he has become from humble beginnings. Mind you, he had clearly done well for himself – we just didn’t want to hear it (over and over again!!!).

Back in our room, the timing couldn’t have been better. No sooner had we set up the computer than Barb, Tony and Enid were all regaling us with a Tewkesbury rendition of “Happy Birthday” after which we all had a good long chat using the webcams. Conversations like this make us wish we were a lot nearer home and already, from time to time, we think ahead looking forward to next March when we will be trying to settle back into our usual Pommie lifestyle. In the meantime we get to enjoy wonderful locations like Thredbo and we know we still have plenty more wonderful places to visit. Nevertheless, messages from home are like life-lines and we are lucky that we get so many. We had some Aussie messages too and a lovely long chat with dear Mele from Warwick. As birthday celebrations go, unusual though it was, Graham thoroughly enjoyed his 63rd.

It was a truly beautiful morning on Tuesday 1st November - the view across the valley looking up to the snow at the top of the chair-lift was fantastic. We were looking forward to our chosen walk which would take us towards the highest point of the mountain range – about twice the height of Snowdon in Wales. First we had to partake of our continental breakfasts which consisted of juices, cereals, fruit and yoghurt, cheese, smoked salmon, meats and a variety of bread with condiments and plenty of tea/coffee. It was all scrumptious and as it would have been rude not to try everything we ate much more than usual at breakfast but it set us up nicely for the challenging walk ahead. Suitably clad (there was a chilly breeze at the top of the chair-lift yesterday) we set off to catch the lift up to the café area. From there we planned to follow the path towards the peak although we both realised we were unlikely to get there as it was a difficult 7 kilometers away. Graham has sensibly lowered his targets lately following the “funny turn” he had whilst doing the tough Pyramid walk in Girroween a month or so ago. Then he thought he was just tired or a bit under the weather but, in hindsight, it was probably a bit more serious than that. Thinking about it, he has come to realise that he can no longer approach things as he used to – like a bull at a gate – and that he must take things more leisurely. Consequently, our target today was to be the Kosciuszko Lookout, a stiff walk of about 4 kilometers return which would give us a clear view of the peak. Even so, the walk was tough and involved clambering over long stretches of snow whilst gradually but continually climbing. Of all the things we had thought we might encounter in Australia, trudging through snow and throwing snowballs was not amongst them!! We spotted one lone skier who repeatedly climbed to the top of a snow-covered peak to sweep down the few hundred meters of pristine snow – stopping each time just short of some dangerous looking rocks. The walk was well marked and, for most of the way, was along a constructed metal walkway, designed to prevent erosion of the marshy ground. The walkway disappeared occasionally under the snow but other walker’s footprints made it obvious which way we should go. We were surprised to spot the occasional lizard at such high altitude and we could hear frogs but didn’t see any. Birds drifted by now and again and no doubt, with the onset of warmer weather, much more wildlife would become apparent over the next few months. There were a few walkers on the mountain this morning but most, like us, made it only as far as the lookout. We could see two other couples in the far distance attempting the full trek to the summit. We were content with our view from 4 kilometers away and, in the full glare of the sun, it was stunning. The walk back to the chair-lift was slightly more treacherous – going downhill over the snow – but we made it in one piece although I couldn’t resist bombarding Graham with a few snowballs. After last night’s “binge” we decided to have a light lunch today, taking in the glorious view from the café. We settled for soup and a roll and I was able to write out several postcards before we took the lift back down.

I posted my cards and did a little bit of grocery shopping before we went back to the hotel. Our “host” was anxious for us to join his Melbourne Cup party – “some bubbly and some nibbles with some close friends” – but we were equally anxious not to attend. We hope we didn’t offend him. However, we then spent the next hour or so glued to the telly watching all the paraphernalia associated with the Melbourne Cup – the race that stops a nation. I even selected a horse – Red Cadeaux – and was convinced it had won only for it to have been beaten in a photo-finish by the very narrowest of margins. Later in the afternoon, to make the most of our chair-lift passes, we went up and down again – just for the hell of it – and then went on another walk, this time along by the river where platypus have been sighted. We covered another 4 kilometers following the river bank but, needless to say, we didn’t see a platypus. We saw several places where, in calmer circumstances, they might inhabit, but, following the recent heavy rains, the river was a series of very fast rapids. It was an enjoyable walk though and we found a seat where we tarried for quite some time, mesmerised by the swirling waters. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing in our room or enjoying the view from the balcony until a bit of rain forced us inside. I was able to make some sandwiches and, with our tea-making facilities and complimentary biscuits, we had a very satisfying supper before watching the latest Aussie X Factor programme. With a slight detour planned for tomorrow before our journey back to Corryong, we made good use of the excellent shower and settled in for an early night.

---

Photos

Still wispy clouds about as we drove up the mountain
view from the Scammells Ridge Lookout

A birthday cuppa with the very last pieces of David's cake
at Geehi picnic area