Being on top of Australia!

The ground was mostly flat, yet I struggled to steady my breath. It came in short puffs of smoke as the air escaping my lips froze instantly. The ground in front of me was mostly made of dull green, brown and spots of white. Winter had been over for months, yet here it seemed it was only just ending. Trickles of water passed the side of the metal-path and, at some points, crossed beneath it. The snow was finally melting and I wondered how long it would take before the locals here saw the sun, if at all.

The hike was a long one and I was only at the beginning. My body was still warm from the heater inside the building at the bottom of the mountain. The ski lift up had been a short ride. The wind had brushed my hair and tinted my cheeks red but failed to penetrate my thick snow jacket. My parents had sat beside and I wondered if they would make it all the way. Now I was wondering if I would make it.

The path went up and down, as if bending the earth’s will. It sometimes disappeared under a large pile of snow and reappeared a couple hundred meters away. Mother nature was playing tricks on those who wanted to stand at the summit of Australia. A large river passed under the path and my mother stopped for a break. My father had long given up and had retreated to the warmth of the heater and a steaming cup of tea. My mother never gave up on anything and this was no different, she would make it to the top. I could not let her do it alone.

I looked around, observing the people who were also attempting the trek to the highest point of Australia. A girl was standing by the river in nothing but tights and a sports bra, posing for a photo. A shiver ran down my back as the man behind the camera took one, two, three photos. As soon as she heard three clicks, the girl ran back to another companion and put on a snow jacket that had been waiting for her.

My mother and I resumed walking along the path. Slowly, one foot in front of the other, counting our steps as we went.

203. 204. 205.

During a particularly large expanse of snow, it became completely quiet. Too quiet. I had  spun around to check on my mother whose footsteps had stopped and caught her red handed gathering a small pile of snow ready to throw at me. We made eye contact and she still threw the small ball of ice, it making contact with my left arm. My eyes narrowed into slits and I reached down and gathered my own snowball, throwing it at her but chickening out last minute and only hitting her feet.

A small bubble of laughter escaped her throat as she continued to walk, this time leaving me to follow.

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Hello!

Recently I went on a family road trip with my family for my parents 30^th wedding anniversary. We had decided to go up to Jindabyne as my mother’s workmates always boasted about the small town for the large lake and close proximity to Mount Kosciuszko. I had been especially excited to climb the tall mountain which is the tallest mountain in Australia!

Mount Kosciuszko stands 2 228 metres above sea level and is surrounded by more mountains almost the same size. Between the mountain range stands a few small towns like Jindabyne and Thredbo. Trekking to the top would mean talking a short ski lift from the town of Thredbo to the base of a neighbouring mountain and walking 6.5 kilometres to the top (13 kilometre return) which would roughly take 4 – 5 hours to get to the top and return. Alternatively, there is a longer hike from the other side of Mount Kosciuszko, starting at Charlotte Pass with no chair lift this is 18.6 kilometres return and takes roughly 6-8 hours return. This was the most popular hike that my mother had heard about, however due to out health conditions, we decided to take the ski lift option.

My father stopped just before a resting place 2 kilometres into the trek, which he definitely felt proud of himself for. My mother and I never did get to the top, but we felt accomplished just reaching the base of the mountain. We had hiked 5 kilometres before turning around, which meant we had done 10 kilometres in total. The hike itself is fairly easy and mostly flat, but it does get a little steep in certain areas. It was the beginning of November so there was still left over bits of snow, but with a steady foot, shouldn’t be a problem.

The area surrounding Mount Kosciuszko had plenty of things to do. In town, there was a large lake where my dad had gone fishing (he unfortunately didn’t catch anything), and a local shopping centre with plenty of warm smiles and friendly faces. A brisk walk around town leaves you knowing more about the local history and its Polish roots with monuments and plaques that line the nearby body of water.

A short drive out of town led us to a local distillery, where we had a Distiller’s Plate for lunch, which consisted of three types of meat, three types of spreads, three types of cheese and three types of bread. I also had a hot chocolate with a cheeky shot of peppermint schnapps. It was quite tasty and I would recommend it.

Altogether, I would recommend a trip to Jindabyne for a long weekend getaway. The highlight of the trip is climbing Mount Kosciuszko, the tallest mountain in Australia. However there are plenty more activities to do while there.

Have a good one,

Natasha xx