Days 8 & 9 Snowy Mountains

Evening everyone.
This post will be a bit of a photofest.
 Yesterday, we drove down to Cooma from Canberra.   Lovely drive.   The scenery is beautiful - rolling hills,  old ruins,  cattle,  sheep.   Overcast skies,  but quite pleasant,  otherwise.

Arrived Cooma too early to check into motel,  so went to the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre.   This is where you follow the story of the Snowy Mountain Scheme.   A lot of technical stuff meant little to me - you're surprised,  I know - but the story of its construction and the people who contributed to it is fascinating.
What a project!   The biggest construction project ever undertaken in the southern hemisphere.                                                                                          

                                                                       

Thursday now.    We headed to Adaminiby this morning;  about an hour's drive north of Cooma.   Not much to see there except the Big Trout,  so we moved on to the Yarrangobilly Caves.   Went through two caves - South Glory was disappointing, even though I counted 207 steps!!!  but Jillabenan was great.   Not a very long or deep cave,  but the path through it is narrow,  and you are so close to the stalacmites and stalactites.   It wasn't nearly as cold as South Glory,  either.
The roads in and out of the caves area is something else!   6km of narrow,  winding,  winding gravel road in,  and 7km of the same on the way out.   Just as well each way is one way!!!

Having trouble uploading photos,  so the photofest has become a wordfest!!!

Friday:    another beautiful day,  sunshine,  blue sky,  comfortable temperature.
Off to the snow today.    Drove through Jindabyne,  around Lake Jindabyne to Perisher Valley,  then to Charlotte Pass.   Nothing is open in these towns now the snow and ski season has finished.   Had breakfast at a little cafe at Perisher Valley - had to stop someone to ask if anything was open - in the back of a building housing the railway station - yes,  railway station - medical centre,  ski hire, and heaps more.   The only thing open was the cafe!!!   Looks really rundown with everything closed and no people around.   I think the railway station was part of the Skitube,  going to Blue Cow (ski run?).  Possibly an underground system,  saw no rail lines anywhere.  
When you reach Kosciuszko National Park the lines on the road change to yellow - bright yellow - and the road markers are red - some of them up to four metres high! - so how much snow falls here?

Anyway,  walked to the lookout at Charlotte Pass.   The view is spectacular!!    The wind freezing!  freezing!  freezing!   Still a lot of snow on the mountains,  as well as on a lot of the paths to the various viewing points.   Charlotte Pass is the end of the road.   From there you can walk (hike) to Mt Kosciuszko.   Takes six to nine hours (round trip),  without allowing for the snow you have to walk through,  which slows you down.    We settled for the distant view of the mountain!!!!!

Spoke to a man who was taking a group of people to Rawsons Hut for the night,  then to the top of the Mt Kosciuszko,  and back to Thredbo.   They had already climbed Mt Hotham (Vic),  kayaked for three days, (can't remember where),  these two days in the mountains,  then off somewhere else.   They arrived by bus at Charlotte Pass,  so not the whole trip has been hiking.   About three weeks altogether,  carrying those huge backpacks.   Not for me,  obviously!!!!!

We went from Charlotte Pass to Thredbo,  back the way we'd come - only one road in and out!   Again,  the walk to the top of Australia was too long and hard for us - still a lot of snow to walk through!!!   Did the chairlift instead.   Just over twenty minutes from bottom to top.   We walked on the path from the top of the chairlift to the lookout,  and used the steps (100) to get back to the top of the chairlift for the ride down.   There is a path from the top of the chairlifts to the top of Mt Kosciuszko,  but still too long a walk for us!!!!   Also,  I think spikes on your boots would be a good idea,  save a lot slipping and sliding on the snow!

Had lunch in Thredbo,  then headed for home.

Today is a rest day.   Bit overcast,  pleasant temperature,  rain overnight.
We thought the races were on here today,  but no,  mistaken - again!!   So we're going to have lunch at the RSL and play punter for the afternoon.   Alan said we haven't done this since Yamba,  when we used to go to the Bowls Club with Mum for the TAB,  coffee and cake,  and a few beers.   Not a cheap afternoon then,  so hope we do better today!

Alan Fuller update:
He has septicemia (?),  to add to his perforated bowel.   Probably the cause!!!    He's in paliative care,  but don't know where.   They were hoping he could go to paliative care down near Jan and Barry,  then Aunty Nancy could stay with Jan.   It's a terrible thing for A. N. to have to deal with.   She really needs full care herself!   Will get an update from Karen tomorrow,  and include it in the next blog.

Love to all

Still can't upload photos!!!!!!