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photo collection
Australia Pages
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Where:
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Mt Kosciuszko
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Last Visited:
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Rob visited in 1995 and both Rob and Clare in 2003.
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Why Go:
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- Mt Kosciuszko is the highest mountain in Australia. It is covered
in snow during winter, but is still easily climbed. It is a relatively
easy hike up to the base of it, with a short steeper climb at
the end.
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Highlights:
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- Getting there: Rob first climbed it in 1995 as part of
a group celebrating a friend's 21st birthday. We took the route
from Threadbo Village, carrying all our party food with us (and
back down again of course). Once you take the chairlift up out
of the valley, it is a mostly flat hike until the last bit up
the mountain. At this time of year (August), there was still a
good covering of snow, and we had to step through knee deep snow
at some points. Still, it was not too hard, and anyone with a
moderate level of fitness would make it easily. The second climb,
by Rob and Clare, was done in Summer and many years later. We
hiked from Charlotte's Pass, which is an alternative to the more
common route from Threadbo. I think overall they are similar in
duration and degree of difficulty, and at some time you should
do both.
- The peak: On top of Australia is a really nice place
to be at either summer or winter time. At the peak there is nothing
more than a collection of boulders and a plaque telling you where
you are and what you can see. The views are great as you would
expect.
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Lowlights:
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- If you are not fit, it is pretty hard work. It can get pretty
cold during winter at this altitude.
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Eating & Drinking & Sleeping:
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- Accommodation: Mt Kosciuszko is in a National Park, and
camping is allowed off the beaten tracks. You must carry you own
gear in with you. There are some huts around, but I am not sure
if you can use these for staying overnight. They are more for
emergencies.
- Food and Drinks: you must carry all you food and drink
with you, and remember to carry out all your rubbish too.
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Other things you should know about:
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- Mt Kosciuszko was originally named Mt Kosciusko, in recognition
of Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1817), the Polish military hero who
fought in both the American and Polish wars of independence. The
first person to explore the area, Paul Strzelecki, named the peak
in 1840 because it resembled the tomb of Kosciuszko in Krakow,
Poland. In 1997 the NSW government decided to change the spelling
from Kosciusko to what is now believed to be the correct spelling
of Kosciuszko. To the locals, it is also known as "Kozzy".
- Mt Kosciuszko is the highest point in Australia. The height
of the mountain is 2228 meters, 7310 feet, latitude and longitude
are 36° 27' S and 148° 16' E.
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More information:
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