Day 220 +221 Friday 31st December and 1st January 2022

NSW Days 78 & 79 (219 &22) Thursday 30th and Friday 31st December, 2021

4435.1 / 663.8 km

I did wake early but couldn't be bothered and rolled over and slept in. In the end it was an extra 40 minutes. I pack up then had to climb up to the pass again then continue the climb to the Kosciusko summit.

Back up to Mueller's pass

There are other people up but I'm the first on this side to move. I thought maybe someone would go up for sunrise.

Last sunrise 2021

It's not until I'm on the last climb that I meet 7 people coming down. So thus might have been the Sunrise brigade. It's not until the last turn I realise I'm the only one up there.

Another ice-field to cross

Looking to Mt Townsend

Paved road up

Makes it a bit hard to get a shot of me up top and I spend a while getting the phone balanced on a rock. Running backwards and forwards and remembering to smile for Mushgang.

My selfie

I then sit and boil the billy and have breakfast in solitude up the mountain. I got about 40 minutes. Enough time to dry out my tent fly when the first of six runners gets to the top. Only one lady but loud and one bloke who loved to Woohoo a lot. What is it with Woohooers. I've never been a fan. Especially at concerts and stage shows. Anyway time to pack up and move along before I'm asked to take a picture of woohooing overachievers. Just overachieve without the woohoo.

Looking down to Rawsons Pass and the road to Charlotte's Pass

The path to Thredbo

The walk down I come across about 4 people coming up. They are from the Charlotte's Pass side. I stop for a quick change into shorts at the highest toilet block in Australia. Just as grubby as everywhere else where there is a lot of through traffic. The last time I came up here they had a donga for a toilet block.

The toilet

I then start the walk down the boardwalk to Thredbo. I have this to myself until about 9.15 then I see a line of foot traffic coming over the hill. Of course it strikes me the chairlift starts about 8.30. As I get closer to the terminal its just one long string of foot traffic. I think I did it right.

Looking back to Kosciuszko

The hordes coming over the hill

I get to the chairlift terminal and get out my wallet and mask and make my way to the Eagles Nest Restaurant and order the pancakes. No luck. They don't open the kitchen till 11am. It's 10. I get a long black and get a ride down to Thredbo. The crowd is overwhelming. The mountain bikers have taken the mountain over.

They found the snow

The top chairlift terminal

Last time I was here the mountain bikers had to carry their bikes on their laps on the chairlift. Now they have a rack at the back of the seat. There are hundreds of people up top on bikes and another hundred on the slopes letting gravity make their day. And thousands down the village. As you walk into the hotels the rooms to store skis are racked for bicycles and there are racks all around town to store bikes. A lift pass for a walker is 35. For a biker it's 65 I think. Then $29 a day for your car to be here I got off cheap walking over the range.

Thredbo

Mountain bikers on the way up

The hotel stored my pack whilst I restocked my supplies for the next leg. The shop was denuded and the store manager was a little shocked but its New Years Eve and all the people staying are buying up party snacks.

There's a NYE party at the pub and the band is set-up right under my window. One thing in my favour is the room has a LG brand smart TV which allows me to blue tooth my earbuds to it. The party finishes at 1am. I get to sleep about 3am. Happy new year.

The room also has a bath. That allows me to soak. The guest laundry only cost $1 to wash, $1 to dry and $1 for powder so that was good.

So a relaxing zero new years day eating snacks and fruit. Cleaning up and repacking for the next section. Off again tomorrow.