Thongs and Queenslanders in the Aussie snow 2018 – DAY SIX and SEVEN
Below you will find a detailed description of the route as seen through the eyes of its creator to give you firsthand knowledge of the type of experiences available along this route
The Below map is for reference guide only with interactive info on locations along the route.
A fully interactive and directional guide map is available with the Road Trips printable detailed itinerary for $5 using the below button(coming soon)
Two Days in the snow
1. HOWLING HUSKIERS Sled dog ride
We went out hard on our first full day in the snow with a sled dog ride through the Dinner Plain back country. Loved every moment. A truly remarkable experience. The dogs are so full of life and the landscape is just beautiful. As a bonus wow, many are rescued dogs and the kids even got to drive the sled.
Then we explored this brilliant little village a bit.
2. CARMICHAEL FALLS TRAIL 2km return – Heading off from the Dinner Plain 4WD Track on the southern border of Dinner Plain village, this clearly marked trail(Even in snow cover), within the Alpine National Park, descends through Snow Gum forest to a viewing platform overlooking the picturesque Carmichael Falls.
left the others to their slope skiing attempts while I headed for the more exploratory activities, such as cross-country skiing… that I suck at. Still, it meant I could at least travel further into the snow trails for photo opportunities. I also did a bit of snowshoeing, walking into the scrub to the waterfall. It was a long way off from the lookout but still worth the trek, even as snow began to fall again.
3. CRB HUT is located on the northern side of the Great Alpine Road
The colourful snow gums up close make a great photo, but I also loved the mountain shots with the masses of twisted bare branches. Then there are the historic snow huts. The easiest one to access is just across the road from the Dinner Plane entrance; CRB Hut is located on the northern side of the Great Alpine Road. CRB Hut was built between 1923 -1925 and is known to have survived the Black Friday fires in 1939.
We found the JB Hut on one of our cross-country skiing attempts and is located on JB Plain, just 2km west of Dinner Plain on the Great Alpine Road. The hut is believed to have been built in the 1940s. The green hut was near the toboggan slopes but cant quite figure the exact location is
We thought the cross-country skiing would be doable for beginners, but we made sure to be choosy as some of the routes took you along cliff faces. There was a lot of falling over, but the gist of it is once you enter the snow ruts, stay in them and go for it once in. Usually, it’s a crash before you can get out. They also move pretty quickly in some spots, so definitely not a relaxing activity if you are a novice like me.
B became obsessed with tobogganing and had so much fun on the learner ski slopes in the early hours before the skiers turned up. The actual toboggan slopes were a little lacking. The other big winner for kids is the kids Snow Mobile
TIPS FOR SHOOTING IN THE SNOW:
- Keep spare batteries close to your body to keep them warm, in an attempt to prolong their life outside.
- Spare lens cloths for fogged lenses
- Plastic bag and rubber bands to put over the camera to keep dry
- Slender leather gloves so you can still use your fingers (at least on one hand)
- A UV or clear filter
- Lens hood – helps with the reflectiveness of the snow & defence from freshly falling snow.
- Avoid changing your lenses outdoors.
- Overexpose the shots to remove grey from snow
- Use the “flash” setting to warm the scene (remove blue)
- Utilize a fast shutter speed to stop the action, highlighting the snowfall over your scene
- Put the whole camera in a zip-top or dry bag before entering and heading indoors. This way, any condensation that forms upon entering a warm interior will form in the bag instead of inside your camera.
- Leave the camera in the bag until you go out again or allow time to slowly warm up inside the bag before opening it.