Mount Kosciuszko

With a height of 2,228 meters Mount Kosciuszko is the highest peak in Australia – and therefore there is a saying that “every Australian should climb the mountain at least once in a lifetime”. The mountain was named by Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840 after General Tadeusz Kosciuszko, a Polish national hero. The Aboriginal name is Tar-Gan-Gil. The peak is located south-west of Canberra in Kosciuszko National Park. The park itself forms part of the Snowy Mountains and is 6,744 square kilometers big, making it the largest national park in New South Wales. One can make its way to the top via Charlotte Pass and walk to the summit, which is the ‘long version’. The 22 km walk is a serious but manageable day walk. Alternatively, there is the option to take a chairlift ride from Thredbo Village and walk the remainder. This short version is a comfortable and enjoyable half day walk. Approximately 30,000 people climb to the summit each year. During the winter months, both local and international skiers come to spend their holidays here; in summertime it is a very popular spot for bushwalking, trout fishing, river canoeing and mountain biking.