Off to Australia...

Wednesday, 18 October 2006

Location: Cairns, QLD, Australia

LAST WEEK

Wow, down to my last few days in Australia! I honestly can't say if I'm ready to come home, but my visa expiring kinda leaves me no choice : )

What a last month it has been. I've been skiing, snowboarding, golfing, hiking, swimming, body surfing, boogie boarding, surfing, sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving! I also learned a bit about "footy" or rugby league. The east coast of Australia is definetly one of the most amazing and fun places I have ever been. I'm really going to miss the beach and all the fun that goes on here, not to mention a TON of great people that I've met along the way. In 4 and a half weeks I've travelled all the way from Melbourne to Cairns, I'm prety sure that's over 3,000 kms. I'm leaving Cairns for Sydney tonight to spend a couple days there and visit Damian who worked at COP last winter and also hopefully this coming one. I'll be home next monday which is crazy, but I am excited to see everyone there again and also to get back on the snow... it better be a good season!

Anyways, just a quick update and probably the last one from Australia for this site!

See most of you soon!

Scott

Friday, 29 September 2006

Location: Brisbane, QLD, Australia

PICTURES

I'm at Doug's house now and having a great time in Brisbane. I've finally uploaded some pictures from Hotham and the trip up the coast to here. Enjoy!

Sunday, 24 September 2006

Location: Byron Bay, NSW, Australia

LIFE ON THE BEACH!!!

Ski season in Australia is officially over! at least for me : ) I've been travelling from Melbourne up towards Brisbane in a camper van with 2 friends from Jackson, Wyoming all this week. We spent 2 days in Sydney (I'll spend a few more there on my way back to Melbourne just before I leave to do it justice, but we got all the good pictures of the bridge and opera house!) and are now in Byron Bay for a few days. I'm taking a surfing lesson tomorrow and generally spending the rest of my time at the bar or on the beach! I'm heading up to Brisbane to visit Doug and the family on the 27th and will spend a week or so there. After that, heading up the coast to the great barrier reef to do some diving and then hitting sydney and melbourne before flying home.

While the ski season was a lot of fun, I can truly say now that I am on vacation! The east coast of Australia is absolutely stunning and seems to be one gigantic beach. I'm really going to enjoy the next four weeks before returning home to more winter. I've heard that it's snowed at home a couple of times... I am starting to get excited for a good ski season!

It will probably be less and less posts from me until I get home, but I hope everyone is doing really well and I do miss you. Take Care, Scott

Friday, 15 September 2006

Location: Australia

SKI SCHOOL PARTY!

Well, I'm just about to get ready for the ski school party and finish things off here at hotham for '06 (that is get dressed, I've been "getting ready" for a couple hours now, if you know what I mean!). It's been a fun season... it never really snowed and we only ever skied about 20% of the mountain but the people I've met and the fun times were awesome.

I'm really excited to get travelling. I'm going to spend a few days in Melbourne and then head up the coast to Brisbane with 2 friends from here. We've rented a camper van, so it should be pretty fun. After that I'm visitng Doug and family, but then it's up in the air for the last 3 weeks!

I hear it's already snowed in Canmore... that's exciting. Anyways, off to get ready.

Take Care,
Scott

Friday, 25 August 2006

Location: Mount Hotham, Australia

POWDER DAY!

About 10cm of actual SNOW last night (the rain actually fell before the snow for a change instead of after) and it brings the base in the non-snowmaking areas to about 12cm! It was definetly fun for the first hour this morning though to get some powder turns in!

Just about 3 weeks of teaching left and then off travelling... where to, I haven't decided yet but will finalize some plans soon, definetly the beach will be included.

Hope all is well at home and good luck to those of you going back to school in the next week or so.

Until later,
Scott

Thursday, 10 August 2006

Location: Mount Hotham, Australia

BACK TO WORK!

Well, after a great week in Melbourne, I'm back on the mountain and working again. I spent most of my week with some new friends from Deakin University that I met up here on the mountain. They were great hosts and I really enjoyed my time in the city. Needless to say... I'll be visiting Melbourne again!

There is a little more snow here now and a new chair has opened. It's been really sunny all week and feels like spring skiing. It's been nice to wear my sunglasses, but let's keep hoping for more snow. The season is already halfway over - hard to believe, but I will definetly have to start making some travel plans soon.

Meaghan let me know that a few people have asked for an address, so here it is:

Scott Bailey
C/O Mount Hotham Ski School
Mount Hotham Skiing Company
PO Box 140
Bright, Vic 3741
Australia

I also got a new mobile phone 0439 753 543 I'll be converting it when I get home back to a (normal) Canadian number! My email if you need it is scottbailey@shaw.ca

Anyways, hope all is well at home!

Scott

Tuesday, 01 August 2006

Location: Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne for a week!

So I leave Mount Hotham for one week only to have it finally start snowing there! They're opening the "good" chairlift tomorrow. Let's just hope that the snow is still there when I get back on Sunday : )

I arrived in Melbourne last night and am staying at a hostel downtown (pretty nice place, nothing too special but in a good part of town) until Thursday morning. On Thursday I head to a really nice hotel downtown for the IEP Job Fair and to meet Lienke from COP. I'm working at the job fair on Friday and Saturday and leaving for Hotham again Sunday morning. Today I met up with some friends I made at the hill last week and I'm going to a glowstick party with them at Deakin University tomorrow night - should be crazy!!! Did some shopping and sight-seeing today and finally bought my own set of darts for when I get back to the mountain (it's the main apres ski activity... along with drinking of course). I'm hoping to meet up with Verity, Vanessa, Matt and Adam from COP last winter tomorrow or Thursday.

It's nice to be away from the mountain for a few days and Melbourne, so far, is a great city - lots to see, really clean and fairly centralized. Well, I'm off for now - hope everyone at home is doing well!

Scott

Wednesday, 26 July 2006

Location: Mount Hotham, Australia

One Month Already...

It's hard to believe that the first month here is already gone! It's been a lot of work, teaching and partying for sure. The snow is still really bad and still nothing new open since I've been here. It rained again yesterday and while there's moisture in the forecast, the snow line is about 1000 meters above the top of the mountain (that means more rain!). I now own a pair of rubber gloves which are by far the most important accessory here. Some days it can be really disappointing, but most days I have good groups and we make the most of it.

I'm off to Melbourne for a week on Monday. I meet Lienke on Thursday to do one of the COP Job Fairs and it should be a fun time. I'm glad I've added a few days to my trip off the mountain so that I can see the city and enjoy a change of scenery. I'm starting to look at my travel plans for after the hill closes too (which could be earlier than I had anticipated) and I'm looking forward to all the places I should be able to see. I can't help but think about sitting on the beach when I'm teaching a discover lesson to 10 adults in the pouring rain : )

I hope everyone at home (including those travelling right now) are safe and happy. Thanks for all the emails and messages too, it's always nice to hear from home!

Until next time...

Sunday, 16 July 2006

Location: Mount Hotham, Victoria, Australia

BACK TO RAIN! : (

Well, after a couple of days of snow which looked pretty promising and then a couple of great days in the sun, it's now rained for 2 straight days and the snow is melting away fast... Unfortunately, the beginner area is on the top of the mountain and there isn't any snowmaking installed there, so it's pretty bare right now - not that it stops the lift from running or peole from skiing! We're still on the same 4 runs that have been open since I got here. It's not too bad though, and I think I am one of the only people here used to skiing on less terrain at home, so I'm still smiling!

My "Grommets" (5 and 6 year olds) weekend ski racing program started yesterday and I have a really good group - only 3 skiers, which will be 2 or even 1 most of the time. The kids can ski really well and I should be able to take them all over the mountain... when it opens... I've finished a couple of school race camps for the race squad as well and they have been really good - I've also managed to score quite a few request privates too. It's amazing how quickly you learn to "market yourself" for request lessons.

Caught up with Alex who worked at COP last season as he is now working up on the mountain here too at a hotel. I made him feel pretty lame for wearing his COP beanie out on the hill : )

All in all, things are going well - please wish for more snow for us! I hope that the Stampede ended up well - good luck to all the Outriders recovering from what I'm sure is near alcohol poisoning (especially Ryan and Dean). Until next time...

Saturday, 08 July 2006

Location: Mount Hotham, Australia

Hello again... just a quick update now that the first week has come and gone. I've been working lots (don't have my first real day off until Monday) and loving it. I coached a school holiday race camp from last Monday until today and also had a request private at the end of the day all week - lots of hours for sure! The kids all competed in a little race today too and one of my kids made the podium in her age group, I also had a fourth place and 2 fifths in my group. We are still waiting for more snow and still just on 4 runs open. They've made some snow so the coverage is getting better, but in some places it's definetly the thinnest (non-existent?) coverage I've ever skied on (don't tell the guys from Fischer... they'll want their skis back!). The main chairlift feels like riding up through a tropical rainforest - it is often really foggy and there are gum trees and really green brush (no snow yet!) all over the forest floor.

Well, for a quick update it sure has been a long one! Again, hope everyone is doing well. Have a great Stampede - drink a beer (or two) for me!

Saturday, 01 July 2006

Location: Mount Hotham, Australia

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Well, day 5 for me here. I hope everyone at home is having a great 1st of July. I made it to the mountain on the 28th and have worked the last 3 days. There's not a lot of snow and it has rained/sleeted the last 2 days. Only about 4 runs open right now, but it's still awesome to be skiing in July. It's a lot like the wiwaxy 500 actually! We are supposed to be getting more snow this weekend and they should be able to open up a lot more terrain.

Everyone down here has been really friendly and helpful. I've had some great lessons already and have requests all next week - it's fun to be back on the instructor side of the ski school. I get to start a coaching camp for the race team here next week too, which will be awesome.

Anyways, hope you are all doing well. I'll post again soon.

Scott

Thursday, 08 June 2006

2 weeks to go! I'm setting up this page so that I can try to keep in touch while I'm away for the summer. Let's hope it works. So much to do before I go but it will be here before I know it!