Requiem

I've decided to include this as a separate post rather than bury it in the long update just posted. Whilst it may seem sad to mourn a rock formation, it was with great sadness that I read of the demise of the Island Arch on the Great Ocean Road - one of my favourite places to photograph. I think I would've photographed it on at least 10 different occasions.

Update

Firstly, good news is I am still alive. Whilst my predicted death from swine flu in my previous post has not eventuated, it does seem somewhat ironic that now Melbourne is in fact the epicentre of swine flu in Australia. (I even noticed that one of the schools I worked at last year was one of the ones that were closed for a week or so). Keep wearing those facemasks people (or you could just continue living your life like normal - a more sensible option).

Tramping has continued - two trips in the last month, one to Buckland Peaks (photos attached) and another on a school outdoor Ed trip down the Copland Valley (didn't both taking the camera). Not much to report on either - both were pleasant excursions.

Starting out - valley floor at the 100m contour
Halfway...






4 hours, 10km and we're up on the tops around the 1300m contour.

Buckland Peak Hut - Seen center of the frame in a basin below various ridgelines.

Descending into the hut. Somewhat icy in places

Hut

Climbing back out of the basin onto the ridgeline.

In Other News....

I've noticed that Lake Mountain and Stirling have just got a good snow dump... Starting to feel home sick again. Should get some skiing in here over the winter school holidays (a couple of weeks away). It will all be downhill though, not too many places you can do cross country here unless you know about avalanches and the like.

I am somewhat tempted to return home for a week over the winter holidays. Return of velourfog is one carrot. Another is that the education department over here says that if I travel to Australia I must take one forced week of sick leave on return. Bonus. Probably not going to happen though.

Any news from the home front out there? I wonder if my readership his diminished from 2 to 0.