australia:nsw:snowy_mountains
Snowy Mountains, NSW
see also:
Wild brumby mob on Long Plain plateau
introduction
Note there are park entry fees for those accessing the NP on the Alpine Way (eg. $17/car per 24hrs excl winter) - snow chains required after snow and should be carried June-Oct, but snow can occur any time of year!
Mt Kosciuszko is the highest mountain in Australia but the Snowy Mountains are quite rounded and so the summit appears more of a underwhelming hill rather than the dramatic slopes of Victoria's
Mt Feathertop.
the parks are known for their wild brumbies (and also wild dogs)
most streams flow all year but water should be treated to make it potable
camping:
bush camping is not permitted within water catchment areas, within 30m of streams, or within 200m of public roads
collecting firewood or cutting trees is illegal
do not bury any rubbish - take it all with you even a small piece of tin foil can kill an animal, while orange peels take a long time to degrade
popular National Park summer sites include:
commercial camp grounds outside the park include:
gold was discovered at Kiandra in 1859
much of the park was logged for alpine ash from 1860's to early 1900's.
alpine wildflowers are at their best in Jan-Feb but there is always something in flower other than in winter
the 672km Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) runs from Walhalla in Victoria, across the Victorian Alps and then across the Snowy Mountains and finishing at Namadgi Visitor Centre
vegetation and animals
above the treeline of about 1800-1850m:
vegetation is mainly alpine herb fields and mosses although some mountain plum pines can be found. Very few birds or animals live in this zone permanently other than a few snakes (copperheads, eastern brown and white-lipped snakes - assume ALL are venomous and deadly), lizards, pigmy possums, alpine funnel web spiders, wolf spiders, some insects (such as alpine ants), and little ravens and the occasional wombat. Insects and birds become much more plentiful in spring including millions of Bogong moths which migrate from warmer climates in the north to seek cool, dark crevices above 1700m. In spring a mass migration of wasps, flies and moths which can last a week, leave the mountains an travel south over Dead Horse Gap.
above the snowline (~1450m) up to the treeline:
this is the subalpine zone where vegetation types are dependent upon microclimates and fires with alpine ash, snow gums, stunted shrubs and heaths.
Cold Air Drainage shrub and herbfield frost hollow landscapes occur in the Subalpine and uppermost Montane forest areas and have inverse tree lines. Long, Currango and Tantangara Plains in the northern part of Kosciuszko National Park are typical of these cold air drainage upper Montane landscapes and many of the pastoral huts are located around the edges of these or similar plains.
typically the huts have a northeast orientation to catch early morning sun and are located at the edges of forests near creek lines for protection from westerly winds, the nightly cold air drainage and to provide for easy water and firewood collection (now illegal)
below the snowline down to 900m:
montane forests begin dominated by tall wet sclerophyll forests of alpine ash, mountain gums, manna (ribbon) gums, candlebarks, black sallees, and wolly tea trees with some snow gums, while in moist gullies, a dense understorey of tree ferns, fungi, mosses and lichens grow. The endangered Southern Corroboree frog is only found above 1300m. Most animals and birds in the park live in this zone.
below 900m:
Tumut region
Tumut is 203km north of Wondonga taking just over 2hrs by car via the Hume Hway and is on the northern end of the Snowy Mountain Hwy
it is 65km or 53min drive north of Tumbarumba
Yarrangobilly Caves are 76km south and take just over 1hr drive
alternatively, one could drive to Canberra via the gravel Wee Jasper Rd from Tumut which is 70km to Wee Jasper (1.3hrs) and a total of 152km or 2.6hrs to Canberra (compared to 2hr 10min and 194km via the more circuitous highway north of the range via Gundagai and Yass)
gold mining heritage - gold rush towns include Batlow, Adelong and Kiandra (town no longer exists but ruins remain)
Warogong Sugarloaf walk
Thomas Boyd Track Head
Talbingo region walks
Tumbarumba region
Tumbarumba is an excellent base on the western side of the mountains
it is some 4.5hrs drive from Melbourne via the Hume
alternate back roads access from Bright in the Victorian snowfields via Yackandandah or Gundowring takes around 3hrs and is 227km, although it is quicker but longer via the Hume (248km and just under 3hrs)
109km or 1.3hrs south-east from city of Wagga Wagga
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Paddys River Falls
Sugar pine walk in Bago forest via Kopsons rd
Blowering Dam
Yarrangobilly caves, thermal springs and camp grounds
Cabramurra - Australia's highest town at 1488m and was established for the Snowy Mtns Hydroelectric Scheme in 1954 using prefabricated houses, the town was moved 500m in 1974 to a more sheltered location with new houses built from bessa blocks, and the original site is now a lookout. Only workers for the company running the Tumut 2 power station are permitted to live there. There is a short airstrip nearby. Annual rainfall 1700mm.
accommodation:
alpine circuit road from Tumbarumba
Long Plain
closed in winter
Long Plain Hut, Cooinbil Hut, Coolamine Homestead, Blue Waterholes camping area with an amazing karst landscape of small caves and gorges such as Clarke Gorge or Nicole Gorge
70,000 hectares at 1200m altitude of treeless frost grass plains stretching 20km from Peppercorn Hill to Rules Point in the south where cold air flowing from the higher slopes becomes trapped (nighttime temperatures have even fell to -25degC here) and causes an “inverted tree line”
>1hr, 20km gravel corrugated road (not suitable for caravans past the 17km point) to Cooleman /mountain camping area then further 3km to Cooleman Homestead (restored) and a further 2.5km to Magpie Flat camping area which is near the start of the Jennings walks of this limestone karst region formed 440mya under sea which were uplifted 40mya:
31km gravel drive up Port Phillip Trail to:
Clarkes Gorge
Cooliman Homestead in morning fog
Yarrangobilly Caves
6km unsealed road and entry fees apply
accommodation in lodge or nearby camp grounds
Yarrangobilly caves - self-guided tours (South Glory cave only) open 9.30am, guided tours of other caves - see times
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Landers Falls Lookout - 10km 2.5-3hr return walk from 2WD carpark or 1.6km return from 4WD carpark with steep section
Glory Hole Farm and River Walk - 3.3km, 1.5hr easy, 100m descent then ascent
thermal pool, homestead, cemetery, river
Bluff Lookout circuit - 2.3km, 1hr easy
Castle Cave - 2.6km, 1hr easy
Yarrangobilly
just under 3hrs drive from Canberra via either Hume Hwy to north, or slightly quicker and shorter route via Monaro Hwy and Cooma to the south
Jounama Homestead Ruins walk - 15.7km return, 5hr easy grade
Talbingo Reservoir Viewpoint walk
Kiandra
gold discovered in 1859
Kiandra Heritage Trail - 1.2km return, 30min easy
Kiandra Plain - 7km return, 2.5hrs mod
Gooandra Homestead - 10km return, 3hrs, easy
Blue Creek Coppermine - 21.5km return, 8hrs, mod ~700m descent and ascent
Selwyn snowfields
Mount Selwyn Ski Resort
Elaine Mine walk - 16.2km return, 5hrs mod. total ~200m ascent, descent
Cabramurra Plateau walk - 6.3km, 2hrs, easy.
Goldseekers Track - 3km 1hr easy
Jagungal Wilderness
Black Jack and Manjar - 19.8km, 6hr return, mod. ~350m descent and ascents
Jagungal Wilderness - 66.8km return, 4 days, hard, ~150m descent and ascent
Southern Cloud crash site - 15.2km return, 5hrs, mod.~200m descent and ascent
Snakey Plain and Wheelers Hut - 16.4km return, 5hrs, mod. ~600m ascents and descents
Khancoban region
76km south of Tumbarumba (1hr drive)
149km east of Wodonga via Lake Hume, Tallangatta, Burrowa-Pine Mountain NP and Corryong taking just under 2hrs
466km and 5hrs drive from Melbourne
situated on the Alpine Way which further south takes one to:
Jindabyne region
Thredbo village walks
Crackenback chairlift runs even in summer and will save you a 595m ascent!
Mount Kosciuszko summit walk
Rams Head, Rawson Pass circuit
Dead Horse Gap, Thredbo River
Merrits Nature Track
Southern Main Range Circuit incl. Mount Kosciuszko summit
The Chimneys
Riverside golf course 1hr stroll
Meadows Nature Track - 3.2km circuit
Thredbo Village Walk - steep, winding streets of eclectic architecture
Perisher Valley and Charlotte Pass
Snow Gums boardwalk from Charlotte Pass Lookout - 0.5km return, paved walk to another lookout
Porcupine Rocks - 5.4km return, 2hrs, easy, 200m ascent, descent, spectacular granite boulders
Blue Lake - 10km return, 3hrs, mod. total 400m ascent, descent, but very popular
Blue Lake, Club Lake circuit - 13.1km, 4.5hrs, mod. total 400m ascent, descent, more adventurous than just Blue Lake
Mount Stilwell - 3.6km return, 1.5hrs, easy 200m ascent and descent
Charlotte Pass, Main Range, Rolling Ground, Munyang
29.7km, 2 days, hard, ~600-700m total ascent, descent
from Guthega Power Station / Munyang:
Whites River Hut, Rolling Ground, Dicky Cooper Bogong
26.3km, 2 days, hard, ~800m total ascent, descent
Brassy Mountains, Mawsons Hut, Kerries Ridge circuit
40.6km, 3 days, hard, ~700m total ascent, descent
Guthega, Mount Tate, Tate East Ridge circuit
australia/nsw/snowy_mountains.txt · Last modified: 2019/01/10 22:13 by gary1