Day 3

Alert ………

Fierce winds are forecast to batter Victoria today, and the alpine regions are forecast to get an extra dose.

The wind in the village first thing this morning was 70kph, gusting to 85.

Oddly, at the house it’s blissfully peaceful and the snow capped mountain we’re looking at through the lounge window looks very inviting in the cloudless sky.

Looks can be very deceiving.

True to form, there is no warning on the money grubbing ski resort website. Even though all the lifts are closed and the mountain shut down …… come on up, pay the non refundable $40 parking fee and get nothing, maybe enjoy a cup of soup; only $14. Ha

Thumbs up Falls Creek, we’re on to you!. We’re off to Bright for the day

We plan a day off each snow week anyway, so today became the day off by default.

We headed into Bright for lunch at our favourite Edelweiss bakery and coffee shop. The trip to Edelweiss consists of 2 separate but equally important sessions; the lunch and coffee session followed later by the cake and coffee session.

The wind reportedly howling across the snow resorts and blowing people to theirs deaths was completely absent in the lower valleys. The snow condition on a blackboard outside the Bright snow shop read for a mild day with little wind. Feeling more than a little confused both Barb and Ross whipped out their smart phones for a comforting update from the weather report online. Relief came in the confirmation the conditions were in fact ……. Still Crap.

A wander around Bright and we decide to venture up to Mt Buffalo, particularly the Chalet. The chalet was built over a hundred years ago by the Victorian Railways and has remained government owned ever since; albiet lease to commercial operators. We decided to check out both the chalet and the ski area (just as tourists) on our “day off”

Before we left Bright Daniel recreated the scene from the dreaded Bright Booger Man. A story Barb will be only too happy to recount to anyone Interested.

In this picture Daniel is playing Barb (without the wine), and the tree is being played by itself.

The chalet has been closed for the last 6 years and it’s long history of privately operated leases and leasings inherent avoidance of maintenance is painfully evident. The chalet is in extremely poor condition, which is certainly not from the last 6 years.

Ross has been to the chalet when it was operating 20 years ago and has vivid memories of it. As we wandered around we met with the resident caretaker. After a chat about the sad condition and lack of direction for a remedy, he offered to let us inside and showed us around.

What an absolute treat. The chalet is enormous and the place is still virtually fully furnished with beds in the rooms still made up. It was very much like the movie, The Shining. Unfortunately flaking paint, rotting boards, structural movement and water damage was everywhere. And the “official” response is a solitary caretaker. Pretty sad and unfortunately very predictable. More ironic when we consider 100 years ago the government of the day forced the occupant of the same land when they could see the potential for $ in his “tourism” idea, then milk it ever since and let it rot now it’s value in return is questionable.

As we arrived at the chalet the wind was pretty strong and got stronger by the minute. We left the Chalet and continued to the ski area, which is tiny (and like the chalet, also abandoned)

The trip back down the mountain and into Bright was littered with branches and trees blown across the road. We had the stop and move a decent size tree which completely blocked the road. The road across the Tawonga Gap from Bright to Mt Beauty was also dotted with many fallen trees.

Safe at home with a roaring fire, but no TV, which must be a victim to the storm.

Hoping for better days ahead on the slopes, but we had a fun and interesting day off