Finally, Winter Break!
After 20 months since November 2009, we’re back where we began our adventure in Australia. =)
For the last one week, my family spent our winter holiday in Mansfield Country Resort in the high country hills of Victoria. It was much colder compared to Melbourne, so we blasted the heater in our chalet and enjoyed ourselves watching movies every night. Haha. But thank God, we did manage to get outdoors and for the first time, we did real horse riding in the countryside!
Our horse riding experience was one of the best things I’ve done before. It was no boring, walk-round-the-field horse ride. We each had our own horse and we rode for 3 hours on countryside terrain up and down the hills, which were at times pretty scary cause’ no one could help us if we slipped. The best thing was the breath-taking scenery as we journeyed up along the forest to the hilltop and seeing the awesome panoramic view of the other hilltops around us and the rolling green plains below.
One of my highlights was seeing a large eagle soar over us and dive along the hillside! Like my mum said, I felt such a freedom riding my own horse and steering the horse on my own. The coolest part was horse-trotting, which is kinda’ like a slower-paced gallop. I love getting the rhythm of it, and once I get it, I’m no longer bumping along, but truly riding with the horse. So yeah, horse riding was the highlight of this trip, and we did three full-on hours of it!
The next thing we wanted to do was drive up to Mount Buller and see real snow for the first time. We were hoping we’d get to see fresh snow falling when we were up there – and thank God, we did! Fresh, soft snow falling on us! It was the coolest thing ever. The temperature went down to -4 degrees, which I think is the coldest I’ve experienced. In fact, it was snowing the whole time we were there. Mostly soft snow and cold wind, which I called a “blizzard”, although one of the regulars said it was considered light snowfall and pretty good weather… Hahaha. I can’t imagine how people in cold countries live like this! I’d be happy to live life without snow and cold.
I finally managed to warm up going tobogganing down a hill with my sisters and my mom, whom to all of our surprise, enjoyed the snow and the freezing cold weather the most!
For the first time in quite a few months, I was taking photos again. Here are some nice photos of the trip.
