GETTING PREPARED FOR THE UNKOWN

The second year at college in 1963 was another year packed with fun, friendships, study, practice teaching, sport, parties and revues.There were only two classes in each year. More boys than girls. The boys could be posted to very remote villages in the highlands or on small islands on the coast of Papua/ New Guinea. The girls usually went to slightly bigger towns.

Class 2B ASOPA 1963.  First on left of front row.

In September it was time for our annual pilgrimage to the Snowy Mountains for a skiing holiday. We car pooled with students who were lucky enough to own cars. We drove from Sydney to Canberra and then on to Falls Creek in Victoria. As it was getting dark we pulled into a motel for the night. I can't remember where but it could have been Cooma.

The boys came to visit us for a cup of tea and some tom foolery. 

The next morning we drove into the mountains. It was foggy and slushy. 
We weren't used to these conditions so we took it slowly and carefully.

Finally we arrived in the car park and then we had to carry our bags up this track to the village.

Only one T-bar lift then. Now there are many more all over the mountains.

 The accommodation was pretty spartan. We had to take our own food and share a big communal kitchen. We slept in bunk beds and shared bathrooms. I remember ice on the floor in the showers. But we still had great fun roughing it. Some other lecturers came with us besides our Physical Education Lecturer.

It was a good year for snow. See how high up the club house the snow has reached. 
To sit outside in the sun they had to climb up a pile of snow with the chairs. 
These were the ones who wanted a rest from skiing or had twisted ankles

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Too soon it was time to pack up and ski down to the ski hire shop and the car park. 

We returned to college and had to think about end of year exams. We were also excited about our last practise teaching assessment which was to be done in native schools in Papua/New Guinea after we had completed our exams. It was so exciting and a bit daunting not knowing what it would be like.

But first there was the end of year ball. I went with, Joe, my Italian boyfriend. I felt sorry for him as I was going to leave him  to teach in P/NG. I kept telling him from the day I entered ASOPA but he kept trying to talk me out of going. When I returned on leave a few years later I was pleased to find out he was happily married with 2 kids.

Next I was to embark on one of the most exciting adventures of my life.