Snow (Hey Oh) - Red Hot Chili Peppers

Last Tuesday we went to the snow! Nick, Eli, Rachel and I headed north to Mt. Buller around 5:30 am. It took us about three hours to drive all the way up there and we were going to have to stop in town to rent ski and snowboard gear and buy lift tickets, etc. Realizing about an hour into the trip that I completely forgot to bring my camera, I was extremely let down, but Nick snapped a few that I hope to get a hold of before I leave the country.

Rachel and I decided to rent skis- I am pretty experienced on skis from my past family vacations in Park City, Utah, but Rachel had only skied once before. In fact, this trip was the second time Rachel had ever even seen snow! Nick and Eli are both pretty experienced skiers, but they decided to try their luck on snowboards this time around. We were all fairly tired from the drive when we first arrived on the mountain, but it was amazing to see how we all perked up once we saw the snow.

As always, it’s impossible to capture the beauty that surrounded us up on that mountain, but I spent the day soaking it all in. After spending a bit of time on the bunny hill, Eli and I explored more of the mountain, finding a few blue (intermediate) runs that we could ride pretty well! I was impressed with how quickly I picked back up the sport, but I was more stunned by how well Eli taught himself to snowboard. We explored a massive amount of the area- even making it up to the summit a few times. Avoiding the black diamonds wasn’t too hard- and the snow conditions were a lot better than I expected. The morning snow was beautiful and full of powder, but by the end of the day it was definitely more challenging snow- icy at the tops of the runs and slushy at the bottom—it became quite a workout at some points! But, I was very proud of myself- I only fell a handful of times the whole day!

My favorite moment I brought home from the snow was during one of my last runs down my favorite blue, called Shaky Knees. There was only one other person on the run with me- a bloke who was pretty far down the slope. I saw him stop fairly abruptly and it made me slow my speed and open my eyes- and what did I see? A bumbling wombat slowly lumbering across the snow. I stopped a few yards away and both my viewing partner and me stood in awe of the spectacular nature in which we were surrounded. We let the creature pass by us and watched him head for, what we assumed to be, home. Heading back to civilization from the snow was a bit of a melancholy experience, but I was so lucky to spend my day in such an amazing place.

Saturday we headed to Phillip Island, south of Melbourne to see something I only ever expected to see in snow: penguins!!! Phillip Island is home to fairy penguins that grow to be about 30 cm tall. Eli, Brayden, Shelby, and I spent an hour or two on the sand before heading to the Penguin Parade. We walked the beach and although it was a little chilly, the waves Bass Strait (a part of the Southern Ocean) were stunning.

While at Phillip Island we also had a chance to stop by the Chocolate Factory- a scrumptious little adventure. We took the tour of the chocolate museum- which was fantastically interactive- we even got to make some of our own treats! It was a calorie-filled adventure that I think we all enjoyed a little too much.

So after the sand and the sweets, we headed to the main attraction- scheduled for sunset. The Penguin Parade consisted of watching the adorable fairy penguins make their way home from their day at sea. Every morning at sunrise the penguins leave their burrows that are all around the beach and the surrounding bush and head out to the ocean. Then, every night at sunset they return home. It was unbelievable to watch about 600 penguins make their way out of the water in sets of 50 or so. We were able to sit just a few feet from the little creatures and it was unbelievable to see them so close up and personal! Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take pictures, but I will never forget the mental images! I feel so lucky to be able to experience something that happens every day! This world sure is a breathtaking place.

And, this lucky girl gets to experience even more of it as I head off to New Zealand for spring break with my friends Chris, Brian, Laura, Ana, and Silvia. I cannot wait for what is to come!