Happy Easter 2010!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic Easter 2010!

I'm currently down south at the Australian snowfields for Easter. Thredbo to be exact. The store is closed at the moment and I've left my last two bunnies to keep guard.

The Snowy River. Snowy Mountains, NSW, Australia

We love the Snowy Mountains all year round. Of course nothing can match the snow in winter but now many more Australians like us have discovered that there is much more to do here than ski.

My husband and the boys love riding their bikes all over the rocky terrain. Mountain bike riding is huge most of the year, as is fishing in the snowy river. The air and the scenery are amazing and I can fully understand why people fall in love with this area and never want to leave.

The temperature was "crisp" and a little on the chilly side but it is a welcome respite from the hot temperatures we've had in Sydney all summer.

For dinner last night we went to our favourite restaurant - "Crackenback Cottage". We've been going here for years as it is cosy with fantastic food. Think "comfort food" and warm open fire places.

Our boys love playing in the wooden maze outdoors. There was about 2 dozen children all trying to negotiate the maze last night with flashlights. It is fun to watch the frustration from the elevated viewing platform. I think it is a great way to entertain the children whilst waiting for dinner to arrive. As long as they don't get completely lost and start screaming! And sometimes it is the odd parent who is stuck in there yelling for the way out. Don't try doing it after a few wines!

We had a fantastic weekend away and although we ate way too much chocolate and food (and wine for the adults), we worked it off walking and cycling. So we don't feel too guilty!

Easter Traditions And Egg Rolling

Easter has nearly arrived and the holidays are about to start. My children are very excited as they have two weeks off school and they are about to receive their weight in chocolate. Well it feels that way once all the relatives and friends have exchanged their gifts. They love waking up on Easter Sunday to see what the Easter Bunny has left them. Our Easter Bunny has a taste for Lindt!

Over the next few days parents across Australia and elsewhere will be buying up the remaining chocolate eggs, dying boiled eggs, making easter treats and going to Easter Parades. Or if they're in Sydney, some will make the trip to the annual "Royal Easter Show". I call them the "Brave" people. Brave enough to endure the crowds and queues for rides.

I do love watching the animals and the parades. The judging is interesting and it really is the country coming to the city. When we were little we loved going into the sheds and getting up close to the farm animals. The owners were always friendly and ready to talk to the children. We'd also gawp at the food exhibitions and the various regions displaying their produce in a theme. If you were lucky they'd also hand out pieces of fruit from their region and talk to you about it. I was absolutely awestruck but the displays and how they came to life. Even still this is a huge hit with everyone who visits. My parents were happy we kids finally worked out where all our produce came from. Growing up in the city sheltered us quite a bit.

When we were little we'd go away camping at Easter with half a dozen families or more. The Blue Mountains National Park was always popular. We'd camp near the "Three Sisters" at Katoomba. We'd have an absolute ball and on Easter Sunday all the children would wake up and receive their chocolate eggs.

The the "Egg Rolling" would begin. My parents are from Scotland and many of the other families we went away with were from Scotland, England and Wales. In Scotland the tradition is to make hard boiled eggs and then let everyone decorate them. We'd use coloured texta's or food colourings. We would spend hours getting them ready.

At Katoomba there was one spot near the camping ground that had a steep hill so we'd take our eggs there and wait for the signal to start. The aim was to roll your egg down the hill and hope that your egg would be the last one unbroken. Half the time the adults would break theirs so they could eat them. It was always a huge laugh and everyone had a great time.

They believe this tradition started in Scotland and was to symbolise the stone being rolled away from the tomb at Easter. Many other countries have similar traditions with eggs as well.

I believe the Easter Egg Roll has even been adopted by the US White House every year. I had no idea that the American's followed the Easter Egg Rolling tradition too. They use a spoon though but essentially that is the only difference. For our family you always had to find a steep hill so the eggs would roll down themselves with only a little bit of effort. The only issue is that if some of the parents had enjoyed a "wee whisky" they might roll down the hill after it!