Walks in the Charlotte Pass Area (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Thursday 12 December 2019 – 279 202

The Snow Gums Boardwalk at Charlotte Pass was our first walk today.  This gave stunning views over yesterday’s walk.  Despite the signage, there was no snow or ice on this path.  Snow gums are grand, picturesque and tough plants. https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/snow-gums-boardwalk

Views over yesterday's Main Range Walk

Second was a climb to the top of Mt Stilwell – this was a solid climb and once again we needed to trudge across a snowdrift.  There were no signs about snow or ice on this path though.  Again, the views were stunning.  We also had the opportunity to see several different types of wildflowers.  As we were returning to the car, we saw two gents heading up with their skis – not often you can ski in December in Australia. https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/mount-stilwell-walk

Third was Porcupine Rocks – we did a circuit, heading up via the cross-country ski track, and back via the walking track. The tracks wandered through a variety of terrain, again with plenty of wildflowers.  From the top we could see our campground (Thredbo Diggings).  We also got the opportunity to observe a Flame Robin watching the world from the top of one of the ski tracks poles. https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/porcupine-walk

Our last walk for the day was to Rainbow Lake – the walk to and from was through picturesque meadows of grass and wildflowers amidst scattered snow gums. https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/rainbow-lake-walking-track

Last stop before heading back to camp was the Jindabyne Surge Tank and to see up close one of the Snowy Hydro’s massive water pipes, which vibrate under your hands.

This evening we took the time for a longer swim and chatted to our fellow campers.

Mt Kosciuszko and Main Range Track (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Wednesday 11 December 2019 – 279 087

This morning we drove to Charlotte Pass.  Today’s goals were to see snow, climb to the highest point in Australia and hopefully find some snow to touch.  The Summit Track and Main Range Walk are recommended to be done in an anticlockwise direction; we walked it clockwise as I had previously done it anticlockwise. I would agree that anticlockwise is nicer and less tiring on the legs. 

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/main-range-walking-track/visitor-info

We took the Summit Track to the top of Australia – the summit of Mt Kosciuszko. We decided to do this long walk on our first day here in the hope that Drew and Hayden would get to see and touch snow before last week’s snowfall melts.  We could see plenty of snow on other ridges, but the first snow near the path was as we crossed the Snowy River.  Hayden was very excited!  He thoroughly enjoyed making, and throwing, snowballs – possibly at his parents!

Australia's Top Toilet

Rawson’s Pass has Australia’s “top toilet”.  On the way to the summit we had to walk through snow – cold, wet and slippery.  Learning to walk on snow was a new experience for all of us.  My conclusion was to take smaller, more vertical steps.  From the top of Mt Kosciuszko, you could see the layer of smoke settled in the surrounding valleys.

Seamans hut

Layer of Smoke

Anemone Buttercup 

To return to Charlotte Pass we took the Main Range Track.  We need not have worried about the snow melting away before we had the chance to see it – we had to cross around a dozen snowdrifts, up to several hundred metres across. Our snow-walking skills improved with practice. The most recent snowfall was still white, but the older snowfalls had all gone a pinky-brown shade from the ash in the air.  Not surprisingly on some parts of this walk it was extremely windy.

Lake Albina

Blue Lake

We detoured to Blue Lake and Headley Tarn – beautiful! We could hear an incredible number of frogs and found a large patch of tadpoles near the track.

Blue Lake

All up approximately 25km in 9 hours, with plenty of ups and downs; but all our goals for the day achieved.

On returning to our campsite we had a brisk and refreshing wash in the snowmelt that forms the Thredbo River before dinner and bed.

Cooma (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Tuesday 10 December 2019 – 278 822

 After packing down we continued south towards Cooma, skirting around Canberra.  In Cooma we visited Nanny Goat Hill Lookout and had a look at the outside of some beautiful old buildings. https://www.visitnsw.com/destinations/snowy-mountains/cooma-area/cooma/attractions/nanny-goat-hill-lookout

Love the contrast of old and new!

The NSW Cooma Gaol Museum is an interesting facility covering the history of NSW gaols from 1788 to the present.  The tour is conducted by a minimum-security prisoner from a nearby prison farm. The museum is next door to the current women’s prison – this is right in town, opposite Woolworths. https://visitcooma.com.au/attractions/nsw-correctional-services-gaol-museum/

https://www.correctiveservices.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/CorrectiveServices/related-links/museum/museum.aspx

We also visited the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre and watched a thirty-minute video on the construction of the Snowy Hydro Scheme with all the footage being actual historic footage. https://www.snowyhydro.com.au/our-scheme/visit-the-scheme/snowy-hydro-discovery-centre-cooma/

Next up was Jindabyne to purchase our NSW Parks pass – given we plan to spend 2-3 weeks in Kosciusko National Park we have purchased an annual pass. https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/kosciuszko-national-park

We have camped for the night at Thredbo Diggings, where we plan to stay for several days.

 https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/thredbo-diggings-campground After dinner we went for a short walk along the river – very beautiful and lots of wombat holes.  From our campsite we can see a small patch of snow high on the mountains – Hayden is very excited!

The Dish, Parkes (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Monday 9 December 2019 – 278 145

A good breeze through the night kept us lovely and cool.  We were packed up and on our way by 7am. The area between Coonabarabran and Gilgandra was amazingly dry – paddocks down to rocks with all the topsoil blown away – tragic.

We visited “The Dish” near Parkes – a CSIRO radio telescope that is still in use and celebrating fifty years since it was used to relay footage of the first moon landing. https://www.csiro.au/en/Locations/NSW/Parkes

Tonight’s stop is the Yass Showgrounds – only downside is the toilets are a fair way from the camping area. https://www.yassshow.org.au/camping

Sunshine Coast to Tookey Creek, Beerwah at Daybreak! (Snowy Mountains and Canberra Trip)

Saturday 7 December 2019 – 277 478

A quick trip down the highway to camp at Beerwah Sportsgrounds for the night. https://www.facebook.com/Beerwah-Sportsground-115630928929869/

The alarm is set for 4:30am tomorrow morning.

Sunday 8 December 2019 – 277 513

Beerwah at Daybreak by Run QLD 

https://www.runqld.com.au/beerwah-daybreak/ – Drew and I both completed the half marathon with Hayden doing the 10km and volunteering at the finish line.  Hayden and I both were in the “stack club”.

We then headed back to the van for much needed showers, then packing down.  We drove out to Kilcoy and on to Goondiwindi.  Surprisingly there are large mango orchards near Esk.  The area between Esk and Gatton was very dry.  At Toowoomba, we took the new second range crossing – on the last day that it was free – bonus.  We camped for the night at Tookey Creek Rest Area, about halfway between Moree and Narrabri. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tookey-Creek-Rest-Area/248463502164469