1978 School Magazine

SNOWY REPORT

Siesta Villa Motor lnn 15lgl7B.

Dear Jan, The days are going very quickly because I am enjoying myself so much. After getting up at about 5 a.m. Friday morning to be at the airport by 6 a.m., the plane did not leave till after 7 a.m. We changed planes at Sydney before flying to Canberra where a bus escorted us firstly to the War Memorial and then to the Mint (you know, where they make minties). Unfortunately much of the bus-driver's commentary as we drove through Canberra was unheard because the microphone was very temperamental. For instance, we would be travelling past the Captain Cook water jet: "The water reaches a height of . . ." SILENCE. Anyway, after lunch in Canberra (l had lasagne, potato scallops and a sort of Greek pastry thing filled with lots of yum- mies), we departed noisily for Jindabyne. We arrived at our motel at roughly 5 p.m. but disappointment: there was no snowl Our spirits, however, were elevated somewhat when we collected our ski gear that evehing -skis, stocks and ski boots. I feel just like Frankenstein when I walk around rn tnose ski boots - the way I walk in them I probably look like Frankenstein tool

The weather was perfect for skiing on Sunday and it took only 45 minutes to reach Smiggin Holes f rom our motel. I must admit when I first put on my skis I felt like a person walking on banana skins and at times it was very frustrating - I would want to go somewhere, only to discover my skis wanted to go into a totally different direction, culminating in countless ungainly falls and crashes into poor, innocent, unsuspecting people who were just minding their own business and who, I might add, had to invariably help me to get up after I collided with them. After my f irst 2 hour ski lesson (the poor ski in- structor was on the verge of pulling out his hair and screaming at the end of it), Jenny and I spent the rest of the day praclising on some very gentle slopes, i.e. about '10". The number of times lfell overl! As soon as I started picking up speed or went over a 2cm bump, I would panic and end up spinning around on my skis completely out of control before crashing gracelessly in- to the snow. The next day I went up on the J-bar. On my first attempt I fell off (oh well, after all I was only a begin- ner), on my second attempt I fell off (l'll get the hang of it soon). On my third attempt I fell off (ahhhhhh l) but on my FOURTH attempt I actually managed to get to the top! However, I fell off the silly J-bar twice more that day (l don't know how everybody else manages to manipulate the uncontrollable things!) I've heard the T-bars are worse - HORROR, HORRORI I am now starting to find skiing more fun than scary. To- day I managed to ski all the way down without stopping and without falling over. I also managed to ski down WITH stopping and WITH falling over. (l was more suc- cessful at the latter of course). We also had our 3rd and last skiing lesson today. Apparently in yesterday's lesson we learnt how to control our skis. Then why am I always travelling in the wrong direction or at a speed 5 times that of my intended sPeed? At the end of each day we are all so tired and hungry about halJ of us have some form of injury - hurt legs, necks or hips etc. Apart from being a bit sore (especially on my bottom where I skidded on some ice and crashed elegantly down the stairs after buying my lunch) I am totally ininjured. For the first few days I was late for everything - breakfast, dinner, the bus - but Mrs. McPheat inspired me to be more punctual by crossly remarking one morning: "l don't see why you have to be late for everything!" I will finish this letter now because I am tired and in desperate need of sleep. Jenny is already asleep (she just watched a T.V. documentary on the pyramids and I think she must be dreaming about pyramids because she was muttering something aborit them in her sleep). Janette is watching T.V. from the spacious luxury of her double bed conveniently located directly in front of the television. She is waiting patiently for me to turn off the lights and go to bed. I said I was going to finish this letter so I will write no more. Good-bye, Anne.

On Saturday morning we left the motel early for Smiggin Holes where we would be skiing for the week. lt was snowinE heavily practically all the way up the mountains and it took us an unbelievable 41/z hours to reach the place; a mere distance of 30 miles or so. After a couple of hours confinement to the bus, during which time we enviously watched other people having snow fights, ski- ing down the road, building snowmen etc., we were f inal- ly allowed to "frollick" in the snow for ourselves. Strangely enough our first ski lesson was postponed that day because of terrible weather (the temperature was -7oC, there was an icy wind, it was snowing like a bliz- zard and visibility was 20 feet). But I loved it.

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