Geehi

We have had the pleasure of sharing the end of the Bloomfields’ major adventure with them for 8 days in the Snowy Mountains for the Christmas/New Year’s holiday at the Geehi rest area. We were also joined by George and Graham Garner, once George was able to distinguish between Tom Groggin's and Geehi rest areas.

It has been a trip of sun, cycling and surf - well rapids on the river, OK a bit of a swift current, but the kids loved it anyway. The Bloomfield wagon rolled into camp on Christmas Day and we arrived on Boxing Day in the late afternoon after successfully cooking our brakes on the ridiculously steep hill down from Dead Horse Gap – more of that later.   We pitched camp using the second Bloomfield holiday home, having borrowed their tent, and also unloaded Phil's long-missed Giant road bike - which, since they left in June has still done more kms than the travelling mountain bike.

It didn't take long to get the Giant out on the road as Phil and Allison started the training camp rides with an easy(ish) jaunt to Tom Groggin's.  A fairly undulating road with a reasonably good hill in the middle was a good first runout for Phil. It was also useful that Phil got to know this stretch of road well because, as noted above, we had to drive back down there in the evening to rescue the Garners from the wrong camp ground.  George, as ever, was totally relaxed when Phil and I rolled into Tom Groggin’s camp.  When Phil asked Graham if he wanted to de-camp and join us down at Geehi his swift positive response indicated that he was relieved not to have to spend the whole holiday alone with Dad!

The second ride saw Thea make her road comeback on the nearly-as-ridiculous as-the hill-from-Dead Horse hill to Khancoban. A stunning effort up past Scammells Ridge lookout (approx 700m of climbing) and then down into Khancoban. The one-way to Khancoban was a sensible distance for a comeback, especially as Thea was on her mountain bike and so I accompanied Allison on the return journey, on Thea's bike. Luckily the red dust treatment, which the mountain bike’s gears endured on the front of the caravan over 6 months, at least had it stuck in the lowest set of gears.  It was a hot day’s riding with tough hills which certainly set the tone for the coming days.

So the riding continued the next day as Phil really tested his road return with a 50km jaunt to Thredbo with George and me.  This meant climbing the RSH (ridiculously steep hill) back up to Dead Horse Gap.  Note to all B2Bers, if you want to feel super strong, riding alongside Phil in ‘relative’ comfort up a RSH, then plan it for a time that he has not ridden seriously in 6 months!  It’ll still hurt but you’ll feel a lot better.  Anyway, the climb was glorious, in an achievement-scenery sort of way and the day got even better with double coffees in Thredbo, lunch with the families who’d driven up, a few runs on the Thredbo toboggan and then a run DOWN the RSH.  The toughest 100km ride I’ve ever done so a big hand to Phil for getting through it, and to George for riding down to our pace.

Paul and Arran on the Thredbo toboggan

Phil and Kai

The final ride of the week (yes, sorry this does seem to be more of a B2B-style blog) saw Allison have her turn on the RSH, taking me back for a second go.  We had been dropped at the foot of the hill by Phil but we then pushed on to Jindabyne where we were met by Phil and Thea and the kids – we did then take the easy car journey home.

So, yes, a lot of riding but the holiday – which was certainly how the Bloomfields intended to treat the week – was much more about relaxing in great company in a great location.  Phil and Thea had certainly camped in a great spot, literally on one of the tracks leading down to the best swimming hole.  This did mean we occasionally had other campers strolling through our living room but we at least got to see what was going on – and the size of the brown trout caught in the river.  We did try our luck with Maddi’s hand line but despite the best efforts of Gary the Grasshopper and Freds I & II the march flies we were unsuccessful and had to resort to just having a great deal of fun – ask Phil how you can lose a hand line reel and still keep the line.

Had we caught any fish they would have been cooked over our trusty fire – small in the early days with wood brought in by the Bloomfields but roaring on later nights after we found a huge stash of logs just outside the National Park on power station land.  As expected many marshmallows were toasted with just the odd one or two going up in flames or dropping to the ground – it depended on the child as to whether this resulted in tears or just the eating of a dirty marshmallow.  A couple of dampers were cooked on the fire and the odd potato – the dampers ranged from long drawn out cooking to quick cook, depending on how well the boys had set up the embers – both were yummy nonetheless.  The campfire was also the venue for last night sparklers as our oldest, Arran, celebrated his 7th birthday.

There was some rain during our stay – quite a bit as the Bloomfields arrived apparently.  Over the next 7 days we had about 50 or 60 raindrops falling on the tarp!  An enormous storm that must have totally soaked the high mountains literally skirted by our camp.  So otherwise it was a whole week of almost unbroken sunshine – so good that we hardly had to drive anywhere to charge fridge batteries as the caravan’s solar system provided just enough to see us through. 

Someone who just dropped in for lunch at Geehi

So a beautiful site with beautiful weather, great enjoyment and fabulous company.  In between the riding, odd drives and swimming in the river the kids played a lot of games - swingball was a last minute addition to the trailer and a very popular choice and one day I must learn how to play ‘fly’.  We even managed a couple of games of petanque – risking the super heavy metal balls in a game with the kids – close management was required but we all came through it unscathed.  In fact given that Cameron (our youngest) and Kai were both in attendance there was a surprising lack of serious wounds incurred – the worst seemed to be a few mosquitoes and the ever-present march flies.  These are at least slow enough to allow you to stun them and feed to the fish.  As the kids played we adults also managed a good deal of just hanging out, catching up after not seeing each other for a long time.

Kai, Ella, Cameron, Arran and Maddi sharing lollies

Scammell Ridge Lookout

As I say we were really pleased that Phil and Thea asked if we’d like to spend the week with them and we’ll certainly be heading back to Geehi like a shot, hopefully with the same company.

You can of course look it up on a map and I could give you all detailed instructions on how to find the precise spot that we had .....but then you might go and take it from us next time!  Alright, just go down the RSH past Thredbo and stop at the first rest area you find – if in doubt ask George.

Signing off and wishing all fellow blog-readers and the Bloomfield blog-writers a very Happy New Year and successful 2012.

Paul