I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I’ll tell you what – I love winter in my home town.
Always have. Always will.
Some folks chase the sun, but not me. Give me a crisp morning, a fog rolling in low over the Murray and the crunch of frost on grass, and I’m a happy man. The winter’s magic is so quiet that you’ll miss it if you’re not paying enough attention. I know I’m getting all nostalgic here, so forgive everything I’m about to say.
Let me tell you a bit about my perfect winter’s day:
I’d start my winter mornings with a walk – maybe up Nail Can Hill if I had the energy or, along the Murray for days when the bones are a little more creaky. If I were lucky, I’d spot a mob of wallabies or a flock of rosellas busily chattering in the bush. Everything would be still, like the landscape was having a deep, restorative rest.
When coffee time arrived, I’d pop into Riverdeck Café, say hi to some friendly faces, grab a double ristretto, sip while watching the river, call a mate and say hi.
I know this is indulgent, but I’m dreaming here, so next up I’d go to Mr Benedict for a breakfast feed, followed by a cheeky hot chocolate from Piccolo Pod to warm the hands and the inner child.
My wife always accuses me of being a potterer, so I might then potter up to the latest exhibit at MAMA or loiter at Booktique and buy a novel to add to the decorative collection on my nightstand. (I swear, I’ll get to them if I can just stop falling asleep on page 3!) I know I should probably borrow my books from Hyphen in Wodonga or Albury LibraryMuseum, but there’s something about that fresh book smell that gets me every time.
If I were in the mood for a bigger thrill, I might take a scenic flight over Falls Creek and Mt Bogong with Helifly, check out the snow conditions from above. I did that once, and from up there, with the cloudless sky reflecting off the mirror of the Rocky Valley Lake and the mountains dusted in fresh powder, you realise just how good we’ve got it in these parts. Adventure in every direction. Yep, add that experience to your bucket list.
Winter’s the season for slow days and big feeds, and there’s no shortage of those around here. Beechworth Bakery for a simple, Aussie-style pie, the Bended Elbow for a hearty feed, Yardbird for fine food and a toasty fireplace. Add 18-hour slow-cooked lamb scotch and a good red. Now we’re talking. It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it.
Come nighttime, I’d take a spin through the Aurora light show in the Albury Botanic Gardens, especially if I had the grandkids with me. My ideal winter’s day would definitely include them. And if my adult kids were visiting from Canberra, I’d try to impress them with one of those igloos at the Albion. A winter dome with cosy blankets, fairy lights and cocktails on repeat. Get to feel like you’re in some snow village, right here in town.
My kids would love that. And I reckon they’d stop calling me a dag for at least a few hours.
Before calling it a night, we’d sneak in one last stop for a nightcap. Maybe a nip of something smoky at Dux or a smooth red at Level One Wine Bar while the fireplace kept our extremities warm. No rush. No fussing. Just good company, warm light and smile muscles that hurt from far too much of a good time.
So yeah, these are some of the reasons I love winter around here. It’s in the way the frost clings to the grass at first light, the way your breath condenses when you first walk out the door, the steam as it rises off your coffee as you watch the birds fluff their plumes and double in size. The laughter echoing from friends as they sit gathered around the crackle of firewood in an old pub.
Yeah, okay, I’m smitten. And you might fall for it too if you pause long enough to notice. Just don’t pause for too long unless you have warm gloves or better circulation than me.
– Les Graham, South Albury