14th to 15th Apr - Mt Kosciuszko National Park

The lookout over Bega, we had to stop there for a cheese tasting and we bought a very tasty vintage heritage block.   There is a plaque here in recognition of 4 men, James Green, Arthur Alcock, Joseph Hammond and John Trigell, who in 1857 where the first settlers to find and mark a route from the Monaro Tablelands to the foot of Brown Mountain, blazing the way for the future Snowy Mountains Highway.  We had just travelled a steep 13 kms from Bega up to this point, the trusty ute was getting a little hot.

The lookout is named Fred Piper Memorial Park.  Fred Piper was a long term bus driver on the Cooma to Bega route.  Fred made the return trip 6 days a week for 28 years up to 15th August 1947.  On this winter's day 55 yr old Fred collapsed and died of a heart attack after shovelling a path in the snow drift which covered the road close by to here. 

We reached Cooma, purple leaf trees, gotta love autumn.

 As part of the bicentennial celebrations in 1988, a mosaic time walk was erected in the town park, each panel depicting life and the development of the area since it's discovery in 1823.    There are over 30 international flags also bordering the park representing each nationality of the people who worked on the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric scheme.  Work commenced in 1949 and for 53 years the scheme was built, operated and maintained by the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority when it was then corporatised and responsibility taken over by the Snowy Hydro Limited.

We decided to head for Kosciuszko National Park this afternoon.   Heading out of Jindabyne it's not long before we realise we are in snow country.    Lots more signs and poles along the oranged lined roads here.    It costs $16 per 24 hours to enter the park, then camping fees - we set up camp at Kosciusko Mountain Retreat the weather is not too cold and we look forward to our little excursion tomorrow to the peak of Mt Kosciuszko.

On the way to Charlotte's Pass, the highest ski resort in Australia, we go past Sponars Chalet. 

This used to be the site of Hotel Kosciusko built in 1909 and destroyed by fire in 1951, obviously they didn't have fire alarms installed.  The staff quarters remained which is now Sponars Chalet as you see it.  The Hotel was the focus of skiing in the southern part of the mountains for many years until the building of Kosciusko Chalet at Charlotte Pass in 1931.  

We go past Smiggins Holes another ski resort. We are in serious skiing district now.  We can tell cause when we get to Perisher and drive out of town the mountains are covered with Ski chair lifts.   Perisher is the largest ski resort in the Southern Hemisphere with 1,245 hectares of skiable area serviced by 48 lifts.  This gives skiers and boarders a wide choice of terrain to suit all abilities.  We might come back and give it a go one day.......

Here we go Darl, I think it is going to be a long 18kms return trip, we set off at 9am.    The forecast for today is mostly sunny, the day starts off pretty good.   Geoff gave us some other great tips, be sure to pack a day pack each with a jumper and windbreaker.   We had plenty of water and some tucker for lunch.   Already I had to put on my driza-bone, it gets a bit breezy on the bikes, then the chill factor sets in. 

 It is absolutely breathtaking, in more ways than one.....the scenery, the chill and the effort.   Though it wasn't that bad as this is a gradual ascent via the meandering track.   We did bike some then walked some.   A ranger drove by when we were walking and stopped to see if we were okay, wasn't that sweet.   We were only a couple k's into the trek.

Just over half way we come to a bridge over the famous Snowy River, it is only 4kms upstream from here where the river begins its 500km journey to the sea.   The Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme captures and diverts the head waters of the Snowy River, 11 other rivers and many creeks - the majority of all stream flows in the park -  for power and irrigation.

Seamans Hut, 198 metres to go.   This hut was erected by Laurie Seamans parents in his memory.   Laurie and Evan Hayes perished in a blizzard in 1928.    There are many such like huts throughout the Kosciuszko National Park. Graziers, fishermen, skiers, walkers and the Snowy Hydro-electric scheme built many huts for shelter.    I didn't want to run out of puff getting to the top, so we left the pushies here out the back and did the last 3.4km on foot.

The only wild life we see crossing the path, a huntsman looking type of spider.

Snow!!! I'm excited, this is left overs from a snow fall on Easter Monday when the had about 4 inches fall.   This is the first snow I have seen in Australia.   I only got to be in a snow storm in Korea on a working trip a few years back prior to this.   My Darl has gone skiing in 1974 at Thredbo so has well experienced.   You have to admit we definitely live in one of the most diverse countries in the world, from desert to ocean cliffs to the snowfields of the highlands.

We are getting up in the clouds, cold and windy.

Not far to go now, the intersection at Rawson Pass 2100 metres above sea level.   The track at this point meets the track up from Thredbo where it looks like quite a lot of people have got the chairlift halfway to a shorter walk to the peak, we all continue up the path to the top.

We are there!!!   AWESOME!!!   2,228 metres above sea level - the seventh highest mountain in the world!!!                                                   Below is the text of the sign which was placed here in 1940 to celebrate the centenary of the first recorded ascent of Mt Kosciuszko.  From the valley of the Murray River the Polish explorer, Paul Edmund Strzelecki ascended these Australian Alps on 15th February, 1840.

A pinnacle, rocky and naked, predominant over several others, was chosen by Strzelecki as a point of trigonometrical survey.  The particular configuration of this eminence, he recorded, struck me so forcibly by the similarity it bears to a tumulus elevated in Krakow over the tomb of the patriot, Kosziusko, that although in a foreign country, on foreign ground, but amongst a free people that appreciate freedom and it's votaries, I could not refrain but to give it the name Mount Kosciusko.  And we can't get away without a head shot...  Up in the clouds!

View looking back down the valley towards Charlotte's Pass.   On the way back down I had to get the scarf out, the clouds were looking very black right around, I was so hoping it wasn't going to start snowing, there's a time and a place right?    In 1997 the Geographical Names Board of NSW agreed to a proposal that the spelling be changed to "Kosciuszko" the correct spelling of the famous Polish freedom fighter.

Are these people for real (4 adults and about 6 kids)?  In their shorts and t-shirts, the sun was intermittant all day, can't they see the black clouds rolling in...  The kids were folding, they were walking as the bikes were slipping too much on the gravel.   This stretch is from Seaman's Hut to Rawsons Pass.   We found out from a ranger up here that up until 1972 people drove their cars right up to the top of Kosciuszko.  Push bikes are allowed to Rawsons Peak and from there it's all on foot....the final 1.7km

Inside Seamans Hut, there is a timber log supply for the pot, a couple of chairs and table, visitor book and a string with a couple of pegs. The hut is used for day use and for emergency overnight shelter.   There is another plaque in the other room in memory of the 4 young snowboarders who all perished in a snow cave back in 1999 just south of this hut.  According to the ranger they had built a cave in shelter of a storm, however the entrance was high instead of low, which caused a build up of carbon monoxide, sending them all to sleep and their unfortunate untimely deaths.

Yeehah Darl!   Here I come.  On the way down the valley to Snowy River bridge crossing.

Unbeknown to each other, cause my Darl was as usual way ahead of me, we both nearly come off a couple times as the roadway was quite gravelly.  Darl reckoned his heart rate went up and had the bum pucker happening a couple times cause he thought we would end up going over the edge.    Here he is doing a skiddie, he is a big kid, takes me back to Portland when Leonie asked him how old he was, he answered ah about 8 or 9 - sometimes he does act it too!

We got back to the starting point and were disappointed, no welcoming committee or fanfare.   Darl packing bikes on ute, Charlotte Pass resort (highest resort in Australia) in back ground.   We got back at 1pm - not bad going and we wonder how the family of bike riders are going to go on the way down.

Perisher pub, The Man From Snowy River Hotel, we were hanging to have a drink after our trek, but wouldn't you know it, it is not open. 

. Some more snow signs, we don't see these every day.   Kosciuszko National Park is the largest national park in NSW and one of the largest conservation reserves in Australia.  The Park was declared in 1944 and is now a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Back at camp, neighbours gone, it's just us, sometimes we like it like that.....so we celebrate a little!   We feel we have earnt a celebratory drink today.

My bloody Darl!    He learnt some bad habits from Geoff's dogs, Tiger and Nigger.....  The grounds here are home to a number of Eastern Grey Roos - they are starting to get their winter coats and looky quite woolly and cuddly but we are not feeding them are we Darl??

I talked Darl into a fire, he doesn't really like sitting around a fire and smelling of smoke, I say build a bridge.  I only wanted to burn the couple of small timber blocks he had retrieved from a couple of fire places.    It wasn't long before he had raided all the fire places in the whole park AND found this part burnt log so bought that back too, this fire will probably burn all night now.   The park used to supply fire wood, until last Christmas when they went through 45 tonne of fire wood, people were burning ute loads in one night... They decided to start charging from a couple months ago.  Darl broke the axe on a stump, the handle ended up in the fire too!