06 Mar From National Capital to Nations Peak
Gallagher Wines
A visit to Gallagher Wines, in the Canberra Wine District, is a regular occurrence for Maggie and me. The owner and head wine maker, Greg Gallagher, is one of Maggie’s younger brothers.
And …. Gallagher wines and cheeses are a tonic for the taste buds, the surrounding countryside is soothing for the soul.
On this visit we joined the Gallagher 2018 New Years Eve celebrations.
Wine Maker extraordinaire, Greg Gallagher
For several days we camped beside the winery in our home on wheels ….
…. and awoke to such peaceful scenery as this ….
…. and witnessed some dramatic evening skies.
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It’s a short drive from Gallagher Wines to the attractions of Australia’s Capital City, Canberra.
The Australian War Memorial
One of many dioramas, depicting battles in which Australian troops were involved
The company I worked for, during my last 18 years of employment (Technical Audio Group), designed and installed many of the sound systems associated with the War Memorial’s interactive displays.
Men (mannequins) attempting to repair the wing gun of the Kittyhawk
This American built Kittyhawk, “Polly” was used to fight the Japanese in 1942 – 1943.
Dome in The Hall of Memory
One of three stained glass windows in the Hall of Memory
Looking south towards both (old and New) Federal Parliament Houses, over the Pool of Reflection
The Roll of Honour lines both the eastern and western walls on this upper level
Theatres of war, in which Australians participated, are named under each upper-level arch and over the southern exit arches
National Art Gallery of Australia
We visited the art gallery to see the exhibition “Love and Desire”, featuring paintings by The Pre-Raphaelites. Unfortunately I am unable to bring any photos of this exhibition due to restrictions on publication of these art works. The works are spectacular, and worth seeing if you ever have an opportunity.
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From Canberra we travelled south to the Kosciuszko National Park and camped at Thredbo Diggings, 10 minutes drive from Thredbo Village. While staying there, we decided to walk to Mount Kosciuszko.
Mount Kosciuszko
One of several ways to reach Mount Kosciuszko: drive to Thredbo Village and catch the ski lift from Thredbo Village to Thredbo Tops. Walk 6.5 kilometres from there.
View from ski lift near Thredbo Tops
Start of the path from Thredbo Tops to Kosciuszko
The weather was warmer than expected when we started. However, it certainly changed as we approached our destination.
The rusted metal, grate path winding its way through the hills
One of the many interesting granite formations
Mount Kosciuszko’s Summit (ice pack in front) approximately 2 kilometres away
While the area has it own beauty, Mount Kosciuszko itself is far from a spectacular sight. In fact it is rather disappointing. But having made the effort to come this far we weren’t going back, until we reached its peak.
The cool breeze of earlier transformed into a cold headwind. Luckily we remembered to pack jackets.
Low level vegetation, split by a cold stream of melted ice and dotted by hundreds of rocks
Small lake at the base of Mount Kosciuszko
A tiny section of the ice pack, we had previously viewed from afar, can just be seen in the top right corner of the above photo.
The Kosciuszko Summit, 2,228 meters above sea level
While we rested the queue became longer and longer, as people waited for their chance to be photographed, standing at the very top of Australia
Maggie, with photographic proof she made it to the top
Kane, Belinda, Jamie and Tom celebrating their arrival at the summit.
We were very proud of Tom & Jamie, but there wasn’t much time to sit and celebrate. We had a 6.5 kilometre return walk to complete, before the Thredbo Ski Lift closed for the day.
In total the walk was 15 kilometres, by the time we arrived back at our car. That may not seem much, but given the types and variations of the track, its slopes and undulations, the mix of cold wind at times and heat at others, this walk is something we are proud of completing.
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Fee free to share your experience of Gallagher Wines, the attractions of Canberra, the Australian Alpine Region or make a comment below on some other aspect of this blog.
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