JINDABYNE COACH TRIP 2019 - LIFE OF RILEY TOURS
FRIDAY 8TH FEBRUARY, 2019 (Click here to see the photos)
40 members gathered at Rockdale Railway Station for a 9.30am departure. Our coach captain was Geoff from Coast Liner – Central Coast NSW who efficiently stowed our luggage and had us on the road with no fuss or bother.
Our first stop was a comfort stop at the Suttons Forest Service Centre then on to the Goulburn Service Centre to enjoy lunch at Trappers Bakery. We then continued southward to Cooma with a comfort stop at Centennial Park and then onto Jindabyne arriving at the Jindabyne Hotel at 4.45pm where rooms were allocated at which time, everyone dispersed to gather again for dinner at 6.30pm.
Our meal tonight consisted of Tomato Soup, alternate Chicken or Fish with mash and peas with waffle, ice cream and caramel sauce for dessert.
It is to be noted that all the rooms had a view of Lake Jindabyne.
SATURDAY 9TH FEBRUARY, 2019
Buffet breakfast was served from 7.00am.
Alan our guide from Life of Riley Tours joined the coach for a 9.00am departure for Cooma to visit the Cooma Gaol Museum. On arrival morning tea was provided by Life of Riley Tours after which inmates of Cooma Gaol gave us a tour of the museum providing commentary and answering any questions. As Cooma is a low security prison and inmates work within the facility some have the opportunity to be guides as their work.
The tour was very interesting and informative on the history of Cooma Gaol and other gaols in NSW and the history of how inmates were treated in the past, right back to the First Fleet and how they are currently being treated, how they spend their time, types of work available e.g. sewing, carpentry, kitchen etc and that inmates at Cooma also do Local Council work such as lawn mowing, cleaning of amenities blocks in parks, painting and other repairs and maintenance products.
Topics covered during the tour were types of past punishments (The Pillory, whipping stands, whips), why the guards were called screws, contraband items seized, how finger prints were taken and how they do it now, we also saw copies of charge sheets and a sample of a goal cell. Along the walls were numerous displays and information.
At the end of the tour there was a Museum Shop where the articles for sale were produced by inmates of the facility.
Our tour then continued through Nimmitabel and Bibbenluke to just outside of Bombala to visit the historic Victorian House of Burnima Homestead.
The owner of the above premises Steve Ricketts, met us at the gate and guided us down the long tradesman’s entrance to the side of the house.
Steve explained that the house up to 1952 was run as a truly Victorian House like Downton Abbey or Upstairs, Downstairs. Miss Elizabeth Edwards was the owner until this time and lived like a true lady of this era and ran the house accordingly.
The house was large and furnished in the Victorian style with typical men’s rooms, library, business and billiard rooms. The women had a sitting room for reading and embroidery. The garden was also impressive.
A picnic lunch with sandwiches and fruit was provided by Life of Riley Tours.
After leaving Burnima Homestead we travelled a short distance to Bombala for a tour of the town before returning via Dalgety to Jindabyne.
On the trip back we saw a DVD on Tom Tomasi who set up the first Snow Rescue Team and how he came from Italy to Perth and then onto working on the Snowy Mountain Scheme and then settling in the area.
We arrived back to our accommodation around 5.00 p.m.
Dinner tonight was Thai Chicken Soup, alternate Chicken Parma or Fish with chips and salad and mini Pavlova with cream and berries.
SUNDAY 10TH FEBRUARY, 2019 (Click here to see the photos)
After another wonderful buffet breakfast we departed for the Jindabyne Visitor’s Centre where we saw a short film on the geology, fauna and flora of the Snowy Mountains.
We then proceeded onto The Gaden Trout Hatchery where we saw a short film on how the hatchery operates, followed by a walking tour of the grounds and ponds.
Morning tea was provided by Life of Riley Tours.
Geoff and Alan then took us to the Wild Brumby Distillery where we partook in the Schnapps and Gin tasting. All the schnapps and gins are made on the premises using pink lady apples as a base then adding flavours such as peach, butterscotch, pear etc.
Geoff then gave us a tour of Jindabyne before returning to the hotel for a BBQ lunch of steak, sausages, chicken wings, fried onions, potato gems, salads and bread and butter.
After lunch we had the afternoon free to explore the town, walk by the lake or just take it easy.
Dinner tonight was cold meat with salads with alternate black forest cake or tiramisu for dessert.
MONDAY 11TH FEBRUARY, 2019 (Click here to see the photos)
Today it is time to visit the Mountains.
After a hearty breakfast we left the hotel at 8.25 a.m. for our tour through the various ski resorts.
Our first stop was Thredbo where 31 brave Rockdale Probians took a ride on the chairlift to the Eagle Nest Café on top of the mountain to enjoy the views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
After we all returned safely to the valley floor we were then driven through Bullocks Flat and shown the ski tube which goes through the mountain to Perisher and then on to Blue Cow.
Picnic lunch today was on the banks of the Thredbo River.
After lunch we continued on to Smiggin Holes, Perisher and Charlotte Pass. From Charlotte Pass lookout we had a view of Mount Kosciuszko. Afternoon tea was in a reserve in Island Bend which was previously a Snowy Mountain Scheme Village.
Dinner tonight was Calamari and Salad, Beef Stew with mash and fresh melon salad with ice cream.
After dinner Muriel entertained us with a few jokes and then we had a game of trivia. Fun was had by one and all.
TUESDAY 12TH FEBRUARY, 2019 (Click here to see the photos)
Today is our last day in the wonderful Snowy Mountains.
We departed the Jindabyne Hotel at 8.30 a.m. to drive out to see the dam wall at Lake Eucumbene. Our driver, Geoff, drove us down and then up the spillway side before crossing the top of the wall for a photo shoot stop. Lake Eucumbene is presently only 30% full. We then continued via a part gravel road and lovely farming country to Adaminaby for morning tea in the grounds of the Snowy Museum Adaminaby. We then saw a short DVD on the building of the Snowy Mountain Scheme and its people.
After the DVD we were free to walk around the various exhibitions to view photographs, maps, plans and also machinery and vehicles used during the construction. There were also maps, photo’s and plans etc of Adaminaby before it was flooded and how houses, businesses etc were moved from the old site to new sites in the new town.
We then proceeded to Centennial Park in Cooma for a picnic lunch and some free time for some retail therapy.
After lunch we went to the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre to see a DVD on the planning and building of the Scheme. They also had interactive and other displays to look at before a town tour of Cooma and returning to Jindabyne through a dust storm.
Today has been very, very windy all day.
Our guide Alan, from Life of Riley Tours has now taken his leave to return home, and we gave him a small gift of our appreciation of his wisdom, wit and extensive knowledge he has shared with us over the past few days.
The lake this morning had white horses riding all over it, but this afternoon because of the strong winds it was really whipped up with large waves breaking along the shore line with large sprays of water.
Our final dinner was Pumpkin Soup, Lamb Roast Dinner and Chocolate Chip ice cream and berries for dessert.
WEDNESDAY 13TH FEBRUARY, 2019
After an earlier breakfast, bags packed and stowed we departed the Jindabyne Hotel at 8.00 a.m. for the journey home.
The wind of yesterday had departed along with the wild water on the lake. The sky was blue and the lake was serene.
Prior to departure we sang happy birthday to Wolfgang, who celebrated his 80th Birthday recently and also to Ursula whose birthday is today.
John Little our Vice President gave a small speech thanking Geoff our Coach Driver for a wonderful trip and presented him with a token of our appreciation for making our holiday truly memorable.
Our first stop today for morning tea was on the banks of Lake George and lunch was in a beautiful park in Berrima.
We arrived back in Rockdale just after 2.30 p.m. and after retrieving our luggage and saying farewell to one and all we all made our way to our homes.
Report compiled by Caroline West
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