Getting to know Australia – Thredbo

I have lived in Australia for many years, but during the years I lived and worked in here I went for holidays and traveled mainly in Europe. It is the time to change it especially that Australia is sooo beautiful. For an European beauty of the country may not be immediately visible. At least it was not for me. I missed European vivid green of late spring and summer and shy, pale green of spring. I was not impressed by the muted colours of gum and eucalyptus trees. I am now.  Now I understand beauty of Australia. These days colours of Australia are familiar and make me feel at home.

I went with two of my friends to Thredbo this week. A lot of Australian landscape I saw during the trip was new to me. We were driving for miles not seeing a sign of life. Maybe except for wombats, possums or kangaroos killed by drivers.  Not that this could be really called a sign of life. Vast areas of gold soil, dry grass with spars gum trees. I must have been in a good mood and easily pleased but I really liked the gold-silver views.

We went to Thredbo, Australian ski resort similar to Zakopane in Poland or Chamonix in France. It is strange to think of snow in Australia especially that we were there in the middle of hot summer.

This was the view from our window. I was told that the Kosciusko mountain  is just behind what we see at the picture. One day I would like to take the chair lift to the top and see the mountain with a Polish name. 

They were very enjoyable few days even if temperature was definitely on a high side for me. We still managed a walk along the local creek. For me it was another opportunity to discover Australian landscapes different to those I know from Sydney and its neighbourhood.

Additional attraction was a visit to Wildbrumby Schnapps Distillery. Place between Jindabyne and Thredbo. I loved everything about it. Design of the place, coffee they served, coffee place on a shaded deck with sweeping Snowy Mountains views and sculptures placed casually around the place, veg’s patches and most of all their selection of schnapps.

 I always loved eau de vie de Poire Williams and here I found a strong schnapps named Pear William. I could not believe my luck. After years of searching in Poland and Australia for the drink to no avail I found it in Australian middle of nowhere? Not quite, it is not the same drink but beautiful to my taste nevertheless. 

Australian schnapps

I left the place a happy person with three bottles of schnapps. My friends where a bit surprised at my excessive purchase. Maybe I did go over board... hmm... On reflection I found an excuse of my excessive behaviour. One of the bottles will be a present for my friend who likes after dinner drinks the other will be an ice-cream accompaniment and Pear William will be my after dinner. I think this is quite acceptable. One present, one cooking ingredient and one small bottle of Pear William for degustation. Nothing excessive.