My Otis Retreat
Hubby and I arrived back from Thredbo on Sunday - after 9 days away - including 5 days in Creekside, the Otis Foundation retreat in Thredbo. We stayed in Sydney for the first night with my brother & SIL, then down the coast to Batemans Bay with another friend ....who has just taken delivery of a gorgeous miniature schnauzer! Talk about drop dead gorgeous! Creekside is wonderful! A massive 4 bedroom home with 3 bathrooms, large lounge & dining rooms & gorgeous outlook to the mountains ..... it wasn't as cold as I thought it might be (that may be changing this weekend tho, with the big cold snap passing thru!) I scored the master bedroom on my own (as hubby snores & I figured I may as well sleep 'well'!) One of the guest bathrooms - There was even a Sauna! (We didn't use it tho!) The river (and golf course) was just a short walk away & I flicked some fluff, to no effect! (I am a better salt water fisho than fresh!) One day was a tad wet, so the boys went for a swim instead I found this game in the Sallies - and it was the HIT of the trip! Everyone wanted to play it!! The 6 piece lengths bend at specific spots & can be positioned in any way they bend, on the board! You try & match the pics below. Some were VERY easy - but when up in the Senior & Wizard puzzles - VERY tricky! This was where the Thredbo disaster was - when the hill gave way & 2 or more Lodges cascaded down the hill, killing 16. :( A very sobering moment. Nothing will be built here, ever. Stuart Diver still lives in Thredbo with his daughter. He lost his 1st wife in the avalanche - and his 2nd wife to Breast Cancer. He is a spokesperson for Breast Cancer. A solitary fly fisho!! The trout were just behind those rocks in the front! LOL We saw some thumpers in this run - my brother & SIL spotting them!! We saw a heap of animals - deer, goats, gorgeous mountain birds ... it was just lovely getting out & communing with nature We had a glorious time down there - and plan on going back to investigate it further, probably using Jindabyne as the base - as it is more reliable with the weather (and has the lake so I can put my kayak in for a fish instead of being shore based only!) I did lots of walking too, which surprised me! Tho the weather didn't allow us to go up & do the Kosciusko walk (thank GOD!) as the mountain tops were closed in every day. We saw a family of 6 coming down in the chairlift in the pouring rain one day - it didn't look like fun to me!! It is just wonderful that families like the Humphries make their 'holiday homes' available to us - and reading some of the comments from previous recipients - it was all very moving. If you haven't looked into an Otis Retreat - I would urge you to. It can be for you alone, or you & your family and/or friends .... they have retreats available in most states (except Tassie and NT.) I understand there are not many in WA :( The only cost to you is 'getting there' and providing your own food and drinks. Everything else is catered for. Take care xx
