Smoky Snowy sojourn

In recent weeks most of the best bushwalking areas around Sydney - the places I've been joyfully exploring for the last few years - have been burnt out. Most of the rest are closed because of the continuing danger. And the Sydney air is often opaque and hazardous, due to the fires raging all around.

I'd already arranged to spend a couple of nights with a bushwalking group in a ski lodge at Smiggin Holes in the Snowy Mountains, and thought we'd be far enough from the fires to breathe nice clean air.

Turns out that wasn't to be. The fires are so extensive that there's probably nowhere in the eastern half of the state that's completely free of their effects. It was nevertheless a nice break on balance.

Smiggin Holes, like the other winter resorts, was almost totally deserted. Maybe bushwalkers generally haven't twigged yet to the opportunities available for doing summer time stuff in comfort there.

We did a nice little day walk incorporating the summit of Little Twynam and the shores of Blue Lake.



There's always a lot of snow around up here, though I guess that could change in the not-so-distant future.