Sunlight sparkles on the headwaters of the Murray River, flowing down from the melting snows of Australia´s highest peak, Mt. Kosciuszko. Faced by extremes of weather and isolation, the pioneers who unlocked the Snowy Mountains grappled with daily hardships that we who live in the relative softness of the modern era can barely imagine. Staying in touch with what our forefathers went through helps keep our own troubles in perspective.