Australian Alps

The highest peak of the continent - Mount Kosciusko lies in Snowy Mountains of Australian Alps. In Australian Alps national parks there is a huge number of scenic trekking routes, which are open both in summer and in the winter season.

The Australian Alps is the highest mountain range in Australia. They contain Australia's only peaks exceeding 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) in elevation above sea level. Five highest peaks of the mainland of Australia, the height of which exceeds 2100 m and five Australian continental glacial lakes - Blue, Albina, Kutapatamba, and Hedley Club are located here. In the winter months (June - August), and mountains covered with snow suitable for skiing - there are two ski resorts Perisher and Thredbo. In Kosciuszko National Park over 20 trekking and walking routes of varying length and difficulty , and about 5 mountain bike trails, including downhill. The most popular hiking route - climbing to the top of Mount Kosciuszko.

This range is situated in southeastern Australia, and it straddles eastern Victoria, southeastern New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. It is located 150 kilometers from the capital of Australia Canberra and 150 kilometers from the Tasman Sea.

The Australian Alps are the only bioregion on the Australian mainland in which deep snow falls annually.

 

Heroes of Jules Verne's novel "Children of Captain Grant" crossed Australia in search of Grant, moving along parallel 37 - passing through the Australian Alps and Snowy River National Park reserve.

 

Australian Alps were discovered in 1839 by Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzhelski. He gave the name of Kosciusko (in honor of the military and political leader Tadeusz Kosciuszko) to the highest, in his opinion, mountain. Later studies, it was found that the mountain, called Townsend, is actually higher. In addition, it had steeper slopes, and therefore it is more like a mountain peak. The government renamed Kosciuszko in Townsend and Townsend in Kosciusko.

 

The highest mountain of Australian Alip is named in honor of the Polish political leader Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Eventually peak lost its historical name - because the name disappeared one letter - z and it was written as Kosciusko. In the 2000s the Society of Geographical Names of New South Wales has insisted on the return of the letters, so the vertex again began to wear the name of Kosciuszko (read as «Kos-chooshko»), but Australians still call it "causey-osco".

 

  ... Read more

• General description of the mountain range. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Alps