No "Hunny" for Pooh

To Depot Beach, NSW, Australia

After five wonderful days, it was finally time to say goodbye to Helen, Shane, Rosie and Tom. It was a treat for us to spend time with them and get a glimpse of their daily lives. As today was the first official day of the new school year, it was a busy morning -- ironing of school uniforms, double checking schedules, getting school supplies in order....

Our camping destination for the day was Pebbly Beach in the Murramarang National Park. The drive was pleasant; Dex and Kylie did homework as we passed through rolling ranch land and Eucalyptus forest. Helen had told us about a bakery in Braidwood, and, of course, we took her advice very seriously. We also had fun searching out teddy bears tied to trees along one particular section of highway. Pooh's Cave was fun to see -- if only we’d had some”hunny” for Pooh.

When we arrived at the park, we found the Pebbly Beach campground full, so ended up at Depot Beach a mile away. The kangaroos were clearly not bothered by us humans. We saw them on the beach, lounging on the grass in front of the camp cabins, and hopping around the campground. As cute as they were, I would not want to see what their giant foot claws could do if they ever got angry.

Like usual, we headed off to the beach to explore the tide pools before returning for an excellent early dinner of chicken and warmed-up butter masala. We've definitely become experts at filling in our free time. Dex and Kylie played with their Kindermen as bowerbirds and red wattlebirds flew in to watch... or perhaps to steal their toys as bowerbirds are known to do.

Female Saint Bowerbird

Red Wattlebird

The camp was noticeably less full now that the school holidays were over. With a two year old and a six month old, our camp neighbor, Joe, like us, was free of the school schedule. He and Jack came over to introduce themselves. We enjoyed their company, and Jack, was clearly an awesome camper as he helped Dex and Kylie play with their toys. As Meg always says, I've never met a kid that doesn't like camping.

Happy Birthday, Helen

Back to Chapman, ACT, Australia -- January 29-30

Because Tuesday would be the official start of the new school year for Rosie and Tom, yesterday (Sunday) was the end of our relaxing time in the Snowy Mountains. We tried not to dilly dally too much in order to beat the heat and make sure the Guinea pigs got some water.

We learned just the other day that February 2nd would mark Helen’s 50th birthday. To celebrate the momentous occasion, we agreed to an adult’s-only dinner out, Helen choosing the venue. It was a very nice evening indeed. The Water's Edge restaurant was in the center of town down by the lake, close to parliament and many of the national museums. Shane kindly offered me a button down shirt, so I could forego my blue Nepal hiking shirt. We had a grand time and supplemented the small, fancy portions with a couple bottles of wine. To be safe, we decided to leave the car where it was, so Helen and Shane also got their first Uber experience.

Although we had originally planned to head off from the O’Brien household, we decided that Canberra, as the nation's capital, deserved at least another day. There were many choices, but we ultimately decided on the War Memorial, commemorating all the wars Australia has fought in starting with WWI.  Naturally, as a member of commonwealth, Australia supported Britain in both the first and second world wars. It was interesting to learn about the war from the Australian perspective. The”Anzacs” -- Australian and New Zealand troops, were instrumental in the WWI battle of Gallipoli in modern day Turkey (then part of the Ottoman Empire). In WWII the most immediate threat was from Japanese troops that, having invaded Malaysia, quickly occupied Singapore and New Guinea and Java. Australia was next.

Austrialian Parliament House

War Memorial: names of soldiers killed

War Museum

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home. Dex and Kylie played in the pool with Rosie while Meg and I went shopping for the planned taco dinner. It was nice to have something to offer the O'brien's. After a hard day's work, Helen and Shane seemed quite pleased to have a home cooked meal (thanks to Meg). We all appreciated the comforts of home - thank you Shane, Helen, Rosie and Tom!

Breakfast, Bobsleds and Bikes

Kosciusko NP, Australia -- Day 3

It was another beautiful day in the Snowy Mountains. I saw dozens of kangaroos on my morning run. They seem incredibly tame though generally keep a pretty close watch on what I'm doing. The opossum that has come to our camp for the last three nights however seems almost oblivious to us and our headlamps. Shane even reached out and pet it as it was eating some spilled rice on the grass.

Helen and Shane suggested eating at the Thredbo resort. It was very nice especially with a table in the dining room looking out to the small lake. Apparently the resort is completely packed in winter time so now is the time to be here.

The main aim of the day was to take advantage of the many activities in Thredbo. After breakfast we took a brief paddle on the small lake then let the kids bounce on the trampolines for a few minutes. One of the big highlights however was riding the bobsled. It's a summertime course with small plastic sleds with wheels riding on a metal dish-shaped track. The whole ride takes only a couple minutes but is a real hoot. You learn quickly to lean inward on the banked turns else you get thrown to the outside of the turn. Otherwise, you only control is a joystick, which you can pull back on in case you need to stop -- completely unnecessary if you goal is to reach maximum speed.

After some BBQ’d sausage for lunch during which the kids all told every joke and riddle they could think of, we split into two groups, Shane, Helen and I headed out on mountain bikes down an excellent single track trail back to our camp at the Diggings about 16km down the hill. It was a ton of fun zipping along the winding trail over rocks and roots and between eucalyptuses. Every time we crossed the Thredbo River or small creeks leading into it, there was an excellent metal bridge or platform to ease the way.

Meg, meanwhile, stayed with the kids at the indoor pool complete with slide and obstacle course. They had a grand time as well and were thoroughly entertained the whole time we were bouncing down the trail. It's been great how well the kids have been getting along together. I think it's been a real treat for Dex and Kylie to have someone else to play with. Kylie has been holding Rosie's hand during some of our walks and yesterday she was giving them both piggyback rides.

By the time we and the cars were all back at camp, we were all pretty bushed. It's been a couple busy days -- hiking, running, swimming, biking.  Nevertheless, the kids were still running around before dinner -- a tasty vegetable curry thanks to Shane. With the evening cooling off quickly, we gathered around the fire for dinner and the quest to roast the perfect marshmallow.

Raising the Roof...of Australia

Kosciusko National Park, NSW, Australia -- Day 2

This morning, I had the pleasure of an early morning bike ride and cup of coffee with Helen and Shane. Conveniently, there are single track trails that head up and down the valley along the river. It was a short but fun ride to the Crakenback resort.

The momentous goal for the day was to summit the highest peak in the whole of Australia, Mt Kosciusko itself, at 2228 m (7309 ft)!  Okay, as continental high points go, McKinley, Kilimanjaro, Everest... Kosciusko is rather humble. A ten minute ski lift from the ski resort and an 5km stroll along a steel boardwalk, got us to the lofty peak. The kids gave victory poses to commemorate the event.

Mount Kosciusko

We had gorgeous weather for the hike. Despite the modest climb and moderate incline, I was very glad "we" had packed sandwiches, which we gobbled down at the summit. And there really were a few large patches of snow left to justify the Snowy Mountain moniker.

On the way down, we headed off the elevated walking platform and down the soft moss and grass covered slopes to a small lake. We all jumped in, albeit briefly, for a refreshing swim. Nothing like a little peer pressure to overcome normal common sense.

By the time we made it down to the cute little ski village and back to camp, we were ready to cool off once again with the lilos on the Thredbo river. This evening, we were rewarded with additional wildlife sightings, a kangaroo on the other side of the river, an alleged platypus swimming about 25m away, a darling wombat just on the edge of camp, and another bushy tailed possum. The platypus “ripple” was definitely the rarest of all the sightings. Platypuses spend practically all their time feeding in the river or huddled in their riverbank dens. The wombat, despite its brief visit, was super cute, reminding me of a small, happy, furry pig. The possum could hardly be bothered by us humans. He was on the hunt for food and had no problem with us coming within a few feet. The bushy tail was the saving grace as far as Meg was concerned -- much cuter that way.

Bushy-tailed possum