FriendlyBrooks

What better place to startm than the top of Australia

Lance Brooks, always on the go, January 2026

We had expected rain overnight. There was hardly any. Lance started his day at the crack of dawn as usual. By the time I woke up he had already had a swim and gone for a walk and was just starting a yoga session. I prepared my coffee and enjoyed the sunshine.

After breakfast (part of yesterdays almond croissant for me, fruit and yoghurt for Lance) we headed back to Thredbo to do our activity for the day – walk to Mt Kosciusko. The wind and rain started getting fierce just as we parked the car. Probably lucky that we changed our outfits to include long pants and quite a few layers.

We bought our chairlift passes ($70 for Lance and a mere $55 for me, a senior at 65 years). We were warned that if the weather got worse they might shut the chairlift and we would have to walk down. Not a great incentive to head up in the fog wind and rain.

Off I trudged in the fog only to find after 5 minutes that Lance was not behind me as I had thought. A few frantic phone calls and we found each other and headed up the hill together. I have done the walk to Kozzie many times and every time I find the first couple of inclines pretty tough. I would like to say it was the altitude effecting my asthma or the less than favourable weather conditions but I am afraid to admit that I am just not that fit, despite my almost daily Aqua classes.

We battled the wind and rain and by now literally almost freezing conditions but we had time to admire the stunning scenery, made more beautiful by the gray mist.

After speaking to the only 2 hikers coming down we started discussing our options. I was pretty happy when Lance suggested that it might be sensible to turn around at the lookout just 2km along the path.

Making use of some of the boulders as wind protection we ate our lunch of cheese, salami cucumber and tomato wraps.

By the time we got back to the chairlift drenched and shivery, we thought it would be a good idea to make use of the bonus gondola ride which was included in the exhorbitantly priced day pass. Looking forward fo a hot chocolate at Merrits we were again disappointed to find the restaurant was closed. Back down the gondola to the always reliable Avalache Cafe for a sinfully good hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows (for me) or a soy milk with no cream and marshmallows (for Lance). Is it any wonder why he is trimmer and fitter than me!.

After a bit of grocery shopping (in Thredbo at Thredbo prices) we returned to our beautiful valley which was bathed in sunshine. We spent a pleasant afternoon at our camp improving our van set up.

I never warmed up but somehow Lance found room for a swim.

Drinks snacks and another BBQ (pork chops this time) completed our day.

Its been a wonderful place to start our travels and I am so glad Lance suggested it.