SKI SCHOOL -1959

In 1959, my last year at school, I had to study hard to keep up with the work load. I wasn't very clever, but I desperately wanted to pass the Leaving Certificate so that I could go to Teacher's College. However, nothing could stop me going on the school ski trip. The year before, I had been thrilled that my parents could afford to let me go on my first trip and once again they allowed me to go. I had my trusty Brownie Box camera with me.

The bus

The funny looking bus arrived at the school to take us on the long journey to Kiandra in the Snowy Mountains. Everything was packed in it, and on it, and we set off. Little did we know the bus would let us down.

Our Chalet

We arrived late in the evening at our destination. It had been spruced up a little since last year. It used to be an old hotel servicing the early gold diggers but later it  became popular with skiers. It is hard to believe that the Chalet and the town of Kiandra don't exist any more. The skiing tourist resorts have been developed elsewhere now.

Our hut

The accommodation was still spartan, but being young and not knowing better we still had fun. I am helping my friend Sasha out of the cabin as she had sprained her ankle skiing. We all had falls and aches and pains. While skiing, I hit an ice patch and my skis went in two different directions. I fell on my knees. One of them has given me twinges ever since.

The ski slopes were a bit short on snow.

This snow season wasn't as good as the year before. Each day, we got the bus to take us up higher to find enough snow for skiing.

I loved skiing

My mum made me this jacket from vinyl. It was lined with wool and had a woollen collar, cuffs and waistband. It sure kept the wind out. However, it was often sunny and warm especially after carrying skis to the top of the hills. No chairlifts in those days.

The teachers cook us lunch on the slopes.

Our teachers looked after us well. To save us getting the bus back to the Chalet for lunch, the teachers would cook for us. I think it was hotdogs this day.

While we waited for lunch we made a snowman. (front left)

It looks like I got a bit of a snow tan. My mum used to nag me to have my hair permed in those days, but I never liked it very much. In fact I never liked my hair period. It was always too straight and too thin.

Lunch on the side of the road.

After a week of fun, we all piled in the bus for the long trip home to Sydney. However we hadn't gone far when the engine made an awful noise and ground to a halt. After the adults discussed the situation, we were told that the bus couldn't be fixed out here in the country. We all scrambled out of the bus and sat on the side of the road. Luckily the weather was fine. One of the teachers got a lift to the nearest town and bought a load of sandwiches for us for lunch since we had been there all morning wondering how we would get home, but we were all confident our teachers would solve the problem.

Somehow, (without mobile phones in those days) the teachers organised a local bus to take us to the nearest train station, I think it was Cooma. They also got tickets for all of us to get back to Sydney. They had  contacted our parents to let them know we would be late and arriving at Central Station not Sutherland. After hours of clackity clack we arrived at Central StationI. I rang my parents and made my own way to Sutherland on the train, where they picked me up. That was a long day and I fell into bed exhausted and happy. The next day I realised it was back to the books.