More from the Easter Holidays…

After the short stay in Canberra we travelled further south and into the Snowy mountains for a two night stay in Jindabyne. The weather has not been kind to us during Dani’s Easter school holidays but when you are away on vacation you try to do whatever you can…

Jindabyne is the gateway town to the ski slopes of the Snowy Mountains. Like many similarly located towns in the European Alps it has enough places to buy or hire ski equipment and clothing and lots of hotels for tourists. It also means there are several decent restaurants and places to get a drink. There is nothing wrong with the town but it is basically a base to explore the Snowy Mountains. Our first stop was the caves at Yarrangobilly.

Yarrangobilly Caves

Located in the north of the Kosciuszko National Park, the Yarrangobilly Caves lie beside the Yarrangobilly river. They are the third limestone caves we have visited in NSW. (The others being at Wellington and the Jenolan caves.)

After paying the small park entry fee and cave entry fees we took the walk to the far side of the caves via Yarrangobilly thermal pool. The pool is fed by a natural spring with water staying 27ºC year-round. I was expecting a small random shaped rock pool for splashing about or sitting, but no. They went to town on this thing and made it into a full on rectangular swimming pool. Incredible sight in the middle of a secluded mountain park. Dani had a swim in the pool but his parents decided to sit it out…

Then we  followed the Yarrangobilly River back to Glory Arch walk, through the cave and back to the visitor’s centre. The cave we went in was a self guided tour (unlike the others we have visited).

The Big Trout.

I love these things. This one is another classic piece of Australiana. Or, as I recently found out, these things are also referred to as, ‘The Bigs of Oz’.

This is supposedly the worlds largest fibreglass trout. Hard to imagine people around the world striving to better is it? But still… Legend has it that a local angler was pulled into the water while trying to drink a gallon of Guinness (while fishing) and almost drowned. Naturally the man finished his gallon of Guinness and the trout was erected in honour of ‘the one that got away’.

Alternatively it is said that the Big Trout was created by artist and sculptor Andy Lomnici (1920-1990) and was erected in this park in Adaminaby in his honour.

I prefer the former but will believe the latter.

Jindabyne

The town is a great launchpad into the two biggest ski areas of Thredbo and Perisher. But as the clouds were growing and the tops of the mountains were becoming less visible we only went so far up. Luckily we found a resort that was still mostly open. Dani tried a spot of archery for the first time. He is no Robin Hood that’s for sure but he gave it his best and managed to hit the centre of the target once. Albeit from close range!

In the afternoon I took Dani to the nearby lake for a spot of spinning. That’s not the static bikes they have in gyms – at least that is what they are called in the UK. No. This type of spinning was fishing with a fake fish-like lure.

I taught Dani how to cast off and how to reel in smoothly. Hardly rocket science but he is a beginner. We never caught anything but he was happy to stay there quite some time and displayed surprising patience. When he does catch a fish doing that he will love it.

Near the lake we did bump into one of Australia’s oddest animals, the echidna. It is a bit like a porcupine or a very large hedgehog, covered in spines. It is also called the spiny anteater and feeds on ants and termites. It is one of those uniquely Australian animals in that it is an egg laying mammal.