Fun Fact: Before Mt Kosciusko was discovered, what was the highest Mountain in Australia??
This was always on my bucket list but I was never sure if it would become a reality. Thredbo Village is as high as you can drive up towards Mt Kosciusko. During summer months the ski lift remains open ($45 plus $5 card fee) for a days pass. You can go up and down the ski lift as many times as you want. Yes I asked why too!
I was nervous getting on as heights and me don’t agree although I am much better than I used to be. I was surprised at how smooth it was. It was always the jolt as the pulley runs over the towers that gave me an uncomfortable feeling but this was quite smooth and hardly noticeable. It was whisper quiet. I was lined up and one of the first half dozen people on. Each chair had room for 4 people but I was on a chair of my own. It takes about 15 minutes to rise 560 vertical metres. That doesn’t sound much when you read it in a sentence but trust me it was a long way up.
With only a forecast top of 11degrees and a chill factor of around 1degree I had to rug up. Embarrassingly my only choice was my West Coast Eagles jacket and beanie. I had plenty of comments from my fellow hikers but I was warm and that was all that mattered.
Once you get to the top of the chairlift it is a 13km round trip hike to the top. There is a boardwalk most of the way and just a gravel/rock path the last 950 metres. The walk was not too strenuous but by the end of the day I knew I had done a good hike.
The air was fresh but crisp. The sky was oh so blue and I literally felt on top of the world or Australia at least. Because the really steep bit is taken care of by the chair lift the walking bit is not very steep at all. The view is stunning and the photos as usual don’t do the actual view justice.
It was an amazing day and an experience that I will always cherish. My Facebook page told me I did the climb up Mt Kosciusko, the highest peak in Australia, exactly one year to the day that I was in Byron Bay, the most easterly point in Australia. Well fancy that!
Answer: Mt Kosciusko of course. It has always been the highest mountain, even before it was named!
rayaroundoz 