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Sundown on our first long term housesit, and Glenda & I were very sad to say goodbye. If all our future sits are as marvellous as this one, it will be difficult to come back to reality. Our wonderful house in Jindabyne, courtesy of Donna and Rob, was idyllic… a little touch of bucolic bliss we borrowed for all too short a time. The house itself left nothing to be desired, with all the modcons we could wish for and a level of comfort fit for royalty. We will really miss Oscar, our lovely little canine friend who kept us company every day with walks and rabbit chases. Our ladies, the cackling crew of five Isa Brown hens were hilarious with their busy little antics and their unfailing supply of 5 eggs on a daily basis did nothing to reduce our waistlines (No, we didn’t eat them ALL, but we did put a dint in them!) Scooter the cat was predictable in his sleeping habits. I don’t think I have ever met a cat that sleeps quite this much! Happy to be patted at any time, in fact he fair revelled in it, but would not seek attention at all (except at meal times).

The region is some of the most picturesque in the world, between the mountains, the iconic Australia farmland, dotted with snowgum and huge boulders and the huge Jindabyne lake which plays host to the lovely village. Our trips up into the mountains were memorable for the wildflowers and vast expanse of mountains heading into the distance. It was just amazing and I could sit and take in those scenes forever.

Alas, it’s over now, but we will remember our time there forever. It finished in a lovely social evening with our poor exhausted hosts, Donna, Rob and Ryan, who had driven all the way back after taking the Spirit of Tasmania overnight. I hope all our future hosts are as fantastic as these ones. It really was a wrench to leave, but life goes on and there are more travels to be had.

There are a bunch of photos of our experience here in the galleries on the portfolio section of this website and I will be posting more as I get the inclination to process them. None of them can do justice to the region, but I will try my best.

Cheers

Gary and Glenda

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Nothing is likely to get me out of bed in the morning like a good mist. This morning was no exception as a lovely, unexpected fog rolled in, deadening the sounds and softening the scenery. We took the dog for a walk in the dank mist. There is nothing quite like Australian rural scenes when it’s foggy. The gumtrees melt into the whiteness and the animals seem a little calmer and of good humour.

We came across a few cows and their young along the way and they were just that little bit curious but unconcerned. A little later in the morning, I headed down to our creek at the bottom of the property. The mist had risen considerably at this point, but was still lingering a little in the background. It’s a beautiful setting and I hope to stagger down there one evening when the light is golden..

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The start of our discovery year began with us finishing up our employment. Both of us felt a certain sadness about this. For me, it’s the people I will miss. They are a great bunch at Millennium and I have known most of them since they began there. After nearly 10 years, I have strong friendships with many of them which I hope will continue on. My last night was a great night, with all the interstaters down for the Christmas do. The was lots of toasts and hugs, not a little wine and cheer and finished off with espresso martinis in the wee hours of the morning. Bliss. Thanks guys!!

The next morning, bleary eyed and not a little hungover, we packed the car to the hilt (I refuse to travel light!) and headed off. First stop Lakes Entrance in a charming, and charmingly named, Warm Holes Cottage. We didn’t see much of Lakes given we both fell asleep upon arrival.

Next morning, early, we headed off to Ingebirah, which is about 20Km from Jindabyne. We had a choice of routes… the long sealed road or the shorter dirt road… no real choice in my book.. the shorter road it was. And what a choice! We headed up the Snowy River Road through Buchan, after which it become very narrow for a period. No room to pass an oncoming car or any areas to pull over. It would have required reversing. We didn’t meet any other cars though. I have to say, this is probably the most beautiful road I have driven on, and I have driven on some wonders. The scenery is just wonderful – Mountain ash trees, vistas of the layered snow mountains with the shades of grey and blue and the fast running snowy river wending its way through. Very distracting when you are trying to keep four wheels on the road!.

We arrived at our new home in Ingebirah around lunchtime. They are about 1Km up a dirt track. Rob and Donna, the owners, are a lovely couple with a young lad, Ryan. The property is amazing. Five acres spotted with gnarled and twisted snowgums. About 3 acres is mown and manicured, with a variety of cubby houses, sheds and chook pens around the place. The bottom part of the property is natural bushland which slopes down to a fast running rocky creek. The house is large and modern, with all the modcons, including a gym (oh well) and games room. There is a huge decking with uninterrupted panoramic views of the snowy mountains.

I woke up on the first morning and headed onto the deck. There were a few cockies and galahs in the trees (not making a noise surprisingly), the chooks were pecking away around the grass and a big grey kangaroo came bounding up through the back yard from the creek. The kookaburras were singing in the morning. What can you say really… it’s somewhat pleasant!

We have in our charge a lovely old staffie called Oscar, a very aloof old cat called Scooter who seems to sleep almost all the time and our five plump ladies, the Isa Brown Chickens. These girls are VERY productive giving us 5 eggs every day and sometimes a sixth! We share these with our neighbours down the road.

We walk Oscar first thing every morning. It is so good to walk a dog without a lead! He loves to chase the rabbits and kangaroos, which of course he never catches. I believe he also likes to take on wombats. Very brave! We haven’t come across that yet.

On our first day, we drove out to the trout farm and sorta got conned into catching fish there. We caught a couple of big rainbow trout, which of course we then needed to pay for. Most expensive trout EVER! But they have been and will be delicious.

Yesterday, we drove out to Charlottes Pass up in the mountains. This is the gateway to the walk to Mt Kosciuszko, something we didn’t want to attempt on the day. We are both still a little lethargic after the last few hectic months plus the altitude is taking some getting used to. We hope to get up there later on. The drive through the mountains is again, sensational. The flora is at its peak at the moment with carpets of yellow, white and orange covering the rugged rockscapes. There is still snow on the upper peaks which makes a great backdrop.

Enough for now. I will post some photos up in the “jindabyne” gallery soon. I have been a little lazy with the camera while I get a feel for the land, but I do hope I can get something worthy of this amazing place.

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