The budgie smugglers are back!! Ok, I’m glad they were brought out of the closet ONLY on Australia day, thanks Chad!

Like all other Aussies up here at Big White (we practically own the mountain), I was dressed in my green and gold undies over thermals, fluro zinc, flag, beer can attached to hand and flannelette shirt. There were girls snowboarding and skiing in nothing but matching mini shorts and singlets, and guys dressed as surf lifesavers, Steve Irwin and even one nutcase sporting a giant blow-up thong. What the?! It was a pretty funny sight to see a large herd of half naked Aussies shredding down (and falling up) Kangaroo run, which by the way I just found out, happens to be one of the most mogul covered runs on the mountain! Even Boomer the Kangaroo was out and about, loving skiing as well as snowboarding Big White on such a bluebird day!

There were plenty activities throughout the day, including best dressed in the morning outside the Village Centre Mall (ergo Chad’s red budgie smugglers). A game of cricket, Australian trivia (which I embarrassingly failed at), various awards giving and live Australian music, belted out by John Boss down at Happy Valley. Prizes handed out all through the day included posters and small Boomer the Kangaroo toys. Sams had a very entertaining pie eating contest later that night and a packed out dancefloor!

However, the party had already started when the countdown to Australia day was heard throughout the mountain at the stroke of midnight on Monday. Sams and Globe had been pumping out Triple J’s Hottest 100 radio countdown live from 5pm Monday afternoon. Triple J is an Australian radio station and their Hottest 100 songs, by both local and international artists, are voted by Australians and streamed live all around the world on Australia day. A great playlist that got all those listening boogieing down and even up on tables!

While we all may be a long way from home, we Australians (as well as all Canadians and other nationalities up at Big White) did have a great couple of days rejoicing (aka partying), “for we are young and free.”