Jindabyne

We were fortunate to spend this past weekend in Jindabyne in the heart of the Snowy Mountains. At this time of the year there is a sense of waiting... in just another few weeks the official snow season begins. In the meantime the area is so delightfully uncrowded, the weather so bracingly crisp and the scenery so picturesque you can't help but love it. The town's stunning centrepiece, Lake Jindabyne, goes from misty-broody grey in the early morning to spanking-bright blue by the afternoon. The residual gold leaves on the trees love to show off against the blue backdrop! When the sun finally burns off the mist, this historic town of outdated chalets really sparkles.

What we love about weekends such as this is discovery. There is always somewhere you feel sure you must have been and then realise you haven't. For us it was Guthega Village. We drove up the Kosciuszko Rd and turned off onto Guthega Rd. The Main Range begins to make its presence felt, with huge moutainsides of bowed snow gums like great waves about to wash over you (my husband described it as such and I have permission to use it) and Alpine pastures you can't wait to hike. The nicest part was that we met Nick Kennedy up there in his cosy Guthega Alpine Inn overlooking Guthega Dam and sipped good coffee and chatted to Nick, while the great peaks of Mt Kosciuszko and Mt Twynam, a little spotty with snow, beckoned to us across the way from out the window. Now this is charm at its most irresistable. We are so going back.

Back in Jindabyne, where it was two degrees and frost covered the ground and the rooftops, we needed a hearty breakfast and coffee. We found Jo and Andrew at Burger It. They are so friendly and welcoming. And Andrew cooks up great bacon and eggs with a side of buttered mushies, grilled tomato and sausages. When his little daughters skipped into the shop saying, 'Hello, Daddy!' I was kind of sold right then even without the fresh free range eggs and bacon. Being the daughter of a shopkeeper myself I kind of related. Jo and Andrew run a family business. So if you rock up to Lakeview Plaza, Snowy River Avenue on a cold morning looking for something to get you fuelled up for the day, they will look after you for sure. A visit to Jindabyne now wouldn't the same without brekkie at Jo and Andrew's place.

Now that I've waxed lyrical about our weekend in Jindabye, it's back to Liberty & Property volume two. I'm all charged up and ready to write!