Snowy Mountains

 Like London buses, you wait for ages the suddenly all the blogs come at the same time. We are at Bob and Judy’s house, an isolated farmstead some kilometres from the nearest small town, itself further  kilometres from any big town,

 then a half day train and bus  trip from Sydney, yet they have a wireless connection so we are seizing the opportunity.

 Since our last posting our next two weeks have been a tale of cascading hospitality, starting with a couple of friends of Margot’s who had stayed in York some years ago. Through Bob and Judy we had been offered the use of  Jean’s house in Bullaburra in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. But first we were to meet a group of 21 friends of Doug and Isabel who have met every second year of the last 20 years for a weeks walking and talking in a mountain lodge in the Snowy Mountains. The area is primarily a ski resort but a fair number of people come in the summer for the hiking.

 We parked our van in the neighbouring car park under a sign threatening $300 fines for  unauthorised parking, but it was off season so ‘no worries’. Otherwise we were made most welcome by the whole group, sharing breakfast and supper and lots of interesting conversatio

ns. Even kinder were the offers of further hospitality by those whose homes happened to lie along our intended route for the next couple of weeks, John and Joy in Sydney, Tom and Bev in the Blue Mountains and Peter, who promised a sail on his 28’ yacht in Sydney harbour!

 

Conquering Mount Kosiuszko

 

The weather forecast for the following afternoon threatened storms – high winds and lightning, so the highest point on the continent didn’t seem the best place to loiter. Our ascent was therefore aided by a drive up to the ski resort of Thredbo and a ride on the chair lift to within striking distance. The route to the top is a well made path and not too steep, but it differed from Imlay in being above the tree line so affording carpets of wildflowers and impressive views in all directions.

 

A short walk in the evening to see the sun set was followed by supper and a fairly riotous game of ‘scum-bag’ the rules of which were never apparent to Peter as an onlooker but Margot upheld the family honour somehow.