Lake George near Canberra at the height of the drought. Can you see the sheep grazing in the middle of the lake bed?
Lake George near Canberra at the height of the drought. Can you see the sheep grazing in the middle of the lake bed?
Valhalla, Nirvana - the Ashford Shop outside Cooma. Yarn, spinning wheels and other supplies, looms. Fibre heaven. I did buy some things there, but not much yarn, as it happens. Just one ball of sock yarn and some roving for my daughter to spin. And a skein for the woman who minded Riley. And a teatowel for a non-knitting workmate. And some of those funny knitting greeting cards. I think that was all... Oh yes, the beading kit and soap-making kits for my granddaughters.
First glimpse of Lake Jindabyne.
View of Lake Jindabyne from our apartment. Tough, eh?
Our apartment is the second from the bottom on the right-hand end. The season doesn't start until next week, so there's almost no-one else here,
The lake is so low that the have had to extend the access path, and now there isn't enough water to keep the pontoon afloat properly.
Excellent example of a thriving snow gum.
Walking in a winter wonderland. Real Snow! And a chance to wear my safe assett, the Kaffe Fassett.
Sandra confirms that is indeed snow.
Smiggin Holes skifields
It's getting colder...
A T-bar lift and run at Perisher Blue. We found out how it got its name. Brass monkey weather.
Some idea of how commercial Perisher is. How many ski-lifts can you count?
More views of Perisher.
Good cover, but still not covering all the vegetation and rocks.
View up Perisher Valley
Perisher again. The lake gets frozen in winter proper.
Sponar's Chalet. Used to be the staff quarters for an hotel that burned down in 1951. Must have been a huge hotel!
The Kaffe Fassett again. I do enjoy wearing it!
The Snowy River from the weir at Dalgety, where we had a wonderful carrot and ginger soup for lunch.
View from bottom of the chairlift at Thredbo.
Further up the chairlift - Restaurant with access problems!
Snow on the trees at the top of the chairlift.
More frozen branches
Isn't that lovely?
Me doing a Sherpa Tensing impersonation. Only 2000 more feet to climb...
Top of the chairlift.
Two snow bunnnies - not!
Frosty the snowman
Your typical Aussie family - Dad glued to his mobile.
And here's the equipment at the top of the mountain that makes it possible.
Stunning, stunnning view
View to the top from the back of the tearooms.
View up the valley
Snow mobiles in waiting
I've never seen an actual snow angel before
Smooth snow, waiting for the opening of the season
As I struggled across the snow I wished I had snow shoes...
Snow across to the next ridge
Deep snow here - the limit Sandra could walk
Geological formations in the snow
I stayed safely on a rock...
...wondering where Good King Wenceslas is when you need him.
Last shot from the top
Coming back down the chairlift
The secret of some of that smooth whiteness below: the snow-making machines at the side of the runs
Back up to the top of the chairlift from the village.
A hillside of ghost trees, remnants of a fire about three years ago. You can see some regeneration here and there.
Fascinating statue of Streszliki, the Pole who was the first explorer of the area and one of Australia's first scientists. It was donated by Polish people in Aus for the bicentenary in 1988, and seems to show how their upbringing in a Soviet state influenced their taste in sculpture for the rest of their lives.
My Official 55th Birthday Portrait, wearing an aran (of course) beside a memorial to the Irish men and women who worked on the Snowy Hydro Scheme.
Note the Serious Shoes. People in the Snowy region all wear Serious Shoes.
