The Snowy Mountains region in southern NSW is a unique part of Australia. At its heart is Kosciuszko National Park – over 6900 square kilometres of mountain country set aside in perpetuity for the conservation and preservation of its natural, scientific, scenic, cultural and recreational values. Within its boundaries lie a plethora of destinations for those with an outdoor bent and an inclination to explore.

A potted history

Aboriginal use of the area is thought to go back some 20,000 years – mostly limited to the warmer months when there were inter-tribal gatherings to feast on the seasonal bounty of bogong moths that clustered in rock crevices in the high country. Aboriginal people also used the mountains as a source of food, fibre and medicinal resources, for ceremonies and for trade. Though largely unknown except to local indigenous people, evidence of their occupation remains in stone artefacts and arrangements, scarred trees as well as burial and ceremonial grounds.

European exploration of the area began around 1835. Mount Kosciuszko was named by Edward Strzelecki in honour of a Polish patriot in 1840. From around 1830 sheep and cattle were grazed in the high country during the summer months. When the stock left for the winter, grasslands were burnt off to promote new growth for the following season – a land management practice borrowed from Aboriginal culture. Grazing ceased in 1969 though evidence of the era remains in old fence lines, huts and homesteads.

Herds of wild horses still roam some areas of the Park, a living connection to the grazing era, regarded by many as a cultural icon and immortalised by Banjo Patterson in his epic poem The Man from Snowy River. At the time of writing the horses are in the process of being granted heritage status, a political move that has delighted some and angered others.

In 1859 gold was discovered at Kiandra by the Pollock brothers, adding yet another layer to the history of the area. At its peak Kiandra had a population of more than 4000 miners with some 14 hotels to service their needs. The last resident left in 1974 and apart from the restored stone court house, a disturbed landscape and a heritage trail, little remains of the original township. Kiandra is also considered to be the birthplace of skiing in Australia.

From 1949-1974 the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme dominated the mountains as the largest engineering project undertaken in Australia. It transformed the mountains and changed the face of Australia for ever – providing infrastructure for storing, diverting and delivering water for the generation of hydro-electric power and the downstream irrigation of inland food growing regions.

Migrant workers comprised up to two-thirds of the Snowy workforce. Their Old-World ways brought new ideas and cultural changes to the mountain, their integration helping to alter the way Australians looked at the world beyond our previously isolated existence.

Kosciuszko National Park

The beginnings of KNP came when the National Chase Snowy Mountains was declared on December 5, 1906. In April 1944 it became Kosciuszko State Park, then Kosciuszko National Park in 1967.

In 2008 KNP was added to the Australian National Heritage list as one of the 11 areas that make up the Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves located in Victoria, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory.

The Park contains the highest peaks in Australia and perhaps not surprisingly, also the highest town – Cabramurra – that was built during the construction of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Three significant rivers and their tributaries rise within the Park – the Murrumbidgee, Murray and the Snowy.

The area has an alpine climate with the highest peaks subjected to regular snow for up to four months of the year and sporadic falls at other times. A history of a much colder period in time remains with physical evidence of glaciation present in places on the main range.

Habitats within the Park range from montane forests through to wood and heathlands, grasslands, bogs and fens. Individually and collectively those habitats support a diverse range of plant and animal species, some of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world. Endangered species such as the corroboree frog, the mountain pygmy possum and the dusky antechinus can only exist within specific habitats in the Park so the preservation of their preferred habitats is critical to their survival.

Access

Kosciusko National Park is accessible via a number of main roads. During the winter months these roads are affected by snow and while some will be cleared on a daily basis, others are closed.

The Park has an intricate network of internal roads and trails. Some are public roads that provide reliable access to popular destinations. Most are open to ordinary vehicles but not all are caravan accessible. Others are for management purposes only and are closed to public vehicular access all year round.

Maps and up-to-date information about public access roads and trails are available at visitor centres around the Park and online.

Accommodation

Communities around the Park provide accommodation options that include caravan parks, hotels, motels and upmarket lodges.

Resort areas within the Park also offer year-round accommodation, as does the Kosciuszko Tourist Park on the Kosciuszko Road at Sawpit Creek.

Within the Park limited pre-booked accommodation is available at the Currango Homestead at the back of Tantangara Dam, Kiandra and the Yarrangobilly Caves.

Activities

What visitors can do in KNP is really only limited by their inclinations and the turn of the seasons.

Winter

Winter means snow and while that opens up a whole new world for some, it can be a limiting factor for others, depending on where their interests lie. Everyone owes it to themselves to visit the Park during the winter period at least once in their lives, if only for the sake of having been there.

Some are content to drive through, admire the snow and perhaps throw a few snowballs at each other on the edge of the road. Others aren’t happy unless they are immersed in the stuff – downhill or cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, snow camping, tobogganing or simply rolling around in it.

Everyone takes away their own experiences but no matter what they come for it’s important to remember that as enjoyable and exhilarating as it may be on the day, the snow doesn’t take any prisoners. Warm, dry clothing is essential before, during and after the event. The cold can kill you if you aren’t prepared.

The rest of the year

Away from the snow season the range of activities increases almost exponentially. Some are more physically demanding than others, all are enhanced by the unparalleled magic of the mountains.

Bushwalking

Bushwalking in the summer is what snow is to the winter. It may even be the biggest visitor drawcard the Park has. Opportunities begin with short walks on formal tracks around key visitation areas and end with epic cross-county treks.

Books have been written about bushwalking in KNP where there really is something for everyone, regardless of their age or physical capacity.

The Hume and Hovell Walking Track traverses the northern end of the KNP. The 650km long Australian Alps Walking Track begins at Baw Baw National Park and traverses the Alpine NP in Victoria then goes through Kosciuszko NP and finishes in Namadgi NP in the ACT. Good preparation is essential for longer walks. The weather can change quickly and even a pleasant summer stroll can become an exercise in survival if the wrong conditions blow in.

Car touring

Car-based visitors have plenty of options with destinations that provide an insight into the natural and cultural history of the area. Yarrangobilly Caves, Long Plain, the Blue Waterholes, Kiandra, Currango and Cooleman Homesteads, the Eucumbene and Murrumbidgee Rivers, the installations and power stations of the Snowy Mountains Scheme are a few that come readily to mind in the northern part of the Park but the list is by no means complete… and then there’s the southern end of the region.

Camping

Basic camping areas with minimal facilities are provided in some areas. Wood is always a problem at such places and visitors are encouraged to self-cater for their cooking needs. During the summer months fire restrictions apply. A take-it-away policy applies to garbage.

Fishing

The Snowy Mountains are famous for angling with the streams and rivers in and around KNP providing some of the best trout fishing in Australia. Different streams can only be fished in certain ways so some groundwork needs to be done before a line is cast.

Dams and impoundments associated with the Snowy Mountains Scheme also provide excellent fishing opportunities. Basic information about regulations and an all-important fishing licence is available at service stations and sports stores in all towns around the Park.

Other activities

Other attractions for visitors to KNP include the mountains themselves with their moody and sometimes dramatic landscapes. Horse riding is popular, as is mountain bike riding on fire trails outside designated wilderness areas. There is canoeing and rafting, bird and wildlife watching, the always controversial brumbies that are found in some areas, the natural and cultural histories of the area, photography, painting, simply relaxing… and the list goes on.

Outside the Park

For many visitors the towns and communities around the Park are an important part of the Kosciuszko experience. All have historic links to the area. They act as bases for exploration and provide a range of services essential to visitors’ needs. Many have enterprises that are drawcards in their own right – the fruit growing, cider and wine making industries in the Batlow and Tumbarumba areas standing out as prime examples.

For those with the appropriate licences and permits, Public Land deer hunting is available in some State Forests on the western side of the Park – a fairly recent development that has provided a new level of visitation that few could have predicted. Like the brumbies in the Park, it’s a reality that has been quite controversial at times but seems set to continue into the foreseeable future.

More information

Anyone requiring more information about the Snowy Mountains region and Kosciuszko National Park can go online or contact the various visitors centres around the area.