Skydiving in Austria

Upon arrival, we were greeted with clear blue skies contrasting against lush green meadows, the fresh smell of the forests and the warm smiles of the friendly locals who waved to us as we passed by them on our way through the town.

That night, we headed to Bunny’s Pub, which opened in 1986, and has been operating under an Australian theme since 1996. It was a great taste of home with its paintings, sports memorabilia and, most of all, my cherished Australian beer, Victoria Bitter.

The next morning I woke to the sound of tractors on their way into town, as St. Johann’s locals celebrated the Tirol Oldtimer Traktortreffen (Oldtimer Tractor Gathering).

The annual event, the finale of the weeklong Tirolean Mountain Spring Festival, which welcomes the shift from spring into summer, begins at 8 a.m. with the owners of more than 100 vintage tractors meeting in the center of town before parading through
the streets.

The men and women were traditionally dressed in trachten, which consists of a skirt, bodice, shawl and blouse for women, and leather shorts, suspenders, breastplate and hat for men.

They smiled and waved to the crowds as they paraded down the street in their flower-bedecked tractors, before heading to the Pointenhof Inn, where they listened to music, drank beer and enjoyed the sunshine.

Continued on next page