June 1 - the first day of winter

I have arrived in Thredbo.

The best news is, the season doesn’t kick-off until the June long weekend and there is already snow on the slopes and in the village – what a wonderfully white welcome to Thredbo.

The drive from Sydney takes about 6 hours and although I had my car fully serviced before going down to the snowy mountains (including getting anti-freeze in the radiator), I didn’t factor in my female instincts which prevented me from filling up with petrol before hitting the freeway! What can I say except that I am living up to my name – blonde with a backpack.

Luckily, a BP was just over the next hill as I hit rock bottom so as I rolled down in neutral and released a sigh of relief. My passenger, Chris who is also coming down for the season, was known the wiser, despite thinking I was a little too excited about filling up for gas.

So each day more and more staff are rolling into the village and it is starting to buzz. I have spent the last two days in orientation and am terribly excited about the season ahead. The only major draw back – staff accommodation!

I am in an apartment block named Bogong 4 but when I was first handed the keys and told to go move into ‘bogan 4’ I thought it was a joke. The truth is there were some serious bogans living in my flat before me and they made it their mission to make the place as filthy as they were. Example one of 50 was the fact I no longer have a kitchen window. A thin curtain may have disguised the fact at first, but after a very cold first night I quickly discovered this vital element to my new home.

Luckily, this has been fixed and I currently have the place to myself and it has been cleaned. My room mate (yes, room mate) will be arriving soon and my two flatmates arrive next week. I have been told that they are lifties (lift operators) so I am expecting two robust, hairy guys named Bazza and Wazza to come knocking on my door next week. Let’s hope I am pleasantly surprised.

I do, however, have a spectacular view of the snowy mountains from my bedroom window which is a dream to wake up to.

Simone signing off, from Thredbo.
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