Quirke Visit to Oz - Thredbo Skiing

The Quirke ski trip started off with a bus ride from Canberra to Thredbo in the Snowy Mountains. We knew we were there when the kids spotted the snow cap mountains and Dyl summed it up "Wholly Molly!". Our accommodation was but a 10 m stagger to the nearest chair lift, ski boots are soooo cumfy this was coincidently the same distance from our bar to the chair lift. Mum had really done her home work on the accomodation. The rest of the first day was all over the place getting gear and ski passes sorted but we awoke to snow on the first morning and 2 degree weather. The kids were enrolled in the Cruiser club were they skied from 0900 to 1500 for five days straight. Mum and Dad started off with ski lessons at Friday flat. A few spills for mum and the kids but in all it was a great day until............... mum's mind said go this way off the chair lift but her legs went the other way and her knee went in a whole new direction. To her credit she made it down on her own with no ski patrol assistance.

The only entire family shot in the snow.

Dropping the kids off to their first class.

Mums first class - I am snow ploughing, bum out, check.

Nope Not the actual stack but just another uncomfortable rest.

Sooo...... the next day was spent at the Dr's with Jodie's knee and one strained medial crucial ligament later it was off for reimbursements. The kids and Dad continued to ski for the next five days and mum visited, the shops, the physio and of course the Bars. We had two perfect days and on one of them mum made it half way up the hill for lunch and beers while the rest of us did laps on that chair lift. Checking on mum to make sure the sun or altitude weren't getting to her. She told us she fell over in the snow to make snow angels? Likely story!

"The Knee" and strapping.

Dad checking on Mum at Merits - Half way up the mountain and half way through the beer.

The powder at the top.

Every arvo after the kids finished classes they'd nick off to the top of the hill with Dad for the last few runs / family races. Although snow ball fights and snow man building was also high on the agenda along with wildlife spotting. We actually saw a wombat and a few very fast rabbits (snow bunnies). One day we even got caught on the hill when they turned on the snow makers, different and very wet. Other activities when we weren't on the slopes were the sauna and heated pool, dinners out, a fireworks display and flare run down the slopes by the instructors, O's & X's by the fire place and of course a few bars. We also meet another family who's son, Jake was great mates with Dylan from ski school it turned out they were also once from Kedron (Jodie's old home ground).

The three monkies on the start of the Blue runs at a balmy -2 degrees.

O's & X's by the fire.

Jodie at our hotel bar. We'd do lunch at new places every day.

What else do you do after a day of freezing your butt off?

Mum playing in the fresh snow dump on our last day.

5 days of classes and the kids ended up at level 5 - with poles (weapons I thought) and parallel turns. The helmets were a good choice by mum!

Our best snow man but even more fun was destroying him and rolling him down the mountain.

And the strange things you see or don't see at high speeds!

The creek crossing outside our hotel ' The River Inn'

The Q tribe waiting for the bus back to the tropical weather.

The kids have already got us booked in for another snow adventure in the next few years but this time snow boarding is the go. Bring it on!