Kosciuszko National Park is the biggest national park in New South Wales. Home to Australia’s highest mountain, Kosciuszko National Park is a stunning place. It offers opportunities for embracing the best that nature has to offer. Mountains, rivers, caves, ski resorts, scenic lookouts – there is something for everyone, during winter and summer alike. Four rivers rise in the mountains – including the Snowy River. With a few areas within the park, you would need weeks to explore it all. We only explored two sections of it – Tumut and Thredbo-Perisher.
Attractions in Kosciuszko National Park
Most attractions in the park are around the mountains and valleys. In winter it is skiing, whilst in summer it is hiking. Just visiting the beautiful valleys and mountain tops is an attraction in itself.
Yarrangobilly caves thermal pool
Yarrangobilly caves is a popular attraction in the northern part of Kosciuszko National Park. It is located between between Tumut and Cooma along Snowy Mountains Hwy. We did not visit the cave itself. Instead we cooled ourselves in the thermal pool at the same location. To get to the thermal pool, we had to go down a steep hill for 700 meters. It was harder going up. But the water was quite refreshing. The pool is fed by spring water and the temperature there stays at a constant 27⁰ Celsius. Just what you need on a warm day when you can’t take a normal bath or shower. And it only cost us $4 (charge per vehicle). There are picnic tables, toilets and change rooms. You can have a nice picnic there after your swim.
Mount Kosciuszko
At 2228 meters, Mount Kosciuszko is Australia’s highest mountain. While the climb to the summit is considered a relatively easy trail, you need to be prepared for the mountain. It was about 11 degrees with piercing cold wind as we climbed. It made us feel like it was much colder and the layers of clothes we had were not enough.
As if to confirm that unwillingness to go further, my knees were hurting. The timing was wrong too. We should have started much earlier during the day. The prospect of a long hike back, in case we miss the chair lift was not appealing. So, we decided that climbing up to the lookout was good enough. It was still impressive 2000 meters plus above sea level. We did climb the mountain, after all, just not all the way 😊. Maybe, next time, when we are more prepared for such an experience, we’ll reach the summit. In my experience, we still did it 😊.
The chairlift from Thredbo to the base of the mountain was fun. It felt like peaceful paragliding, according to our younger son.
Campgrounds in Kosciuszko National Park
There are many campgrounds within the national park. They are very similar, in terms of facilities and usually have non-flushing toilets, picnic tables and bbqs. Some have rubbish bins. Sites are usually not marked and you can choose your own site on arrival. They are free but need to be booked in advance. Booking fee of $6 is payable per booking. We stayed at two campgrounds and were pretty impressed with the scenery at both places.
Humes Crossing near Tumut
Humes Crossing is a very spacious campground on the shores of Blowering Dam in the north of Kosciuszko National Park. The campground is easily accessible via Snowy Mountains Highway. It is 24km south of Tumut Region Visitor Centre.
We spent a couple of nights at Humes Crossing, including the Christmas Day – doing nothing but chilling out. It is a very picturesque place to go for walks. The dam is also a great place for fishing, as well as recreational water activities.
Kangaroos and emus visit Humes Crossing regularly.
Island Bend campground near Thredbo
Island Bend is set among the eucalyptus trees, 1250 meters above sea level, on the banks of Snowy River. It is a true paradise. It was very busy when we camped just before New Year’s Eve. In fact, it was full and we were lucky to book a spot at the last minute. The river zig zags around the campground and you can access it from a few places. Some people go fishing, others kayaking. It is too cold for swimming (for us, at least), with the temperature in the mountains being lower.
The walks in the mountain forest along the river are amazing.
Beautiful eucalyptus trees with colourful bark grow in Kosciuszko National Park.
Eucalyptus rubida candlebark and Eucalyptus stellulata black sally (above)
There is lots of birdlife, as well as wallabies to spot.
Crimson Rosella (above left), Flame Robin female (above middle), Flame Robin male (above right).
To camp in Island Bend, you also need to pay national park entry fee of $17 per vehicle per night. The sites are not clearly marked, and you choose your spot. The campground is easily accessible and hence very popular.
Island Bend campground is in Wilsons Valley, off Guthega Road. It is roughly 1 hour drive from the campground to famous Thredbo – ski resort and base of Mt Kosciuszko. The nearest town Jindabyne is roughly half way to Thredbo.
Visiting the park
Most of the roads in the national park are sealed and in very good condition. Snowy Mountains Highway connects towns on the eastern side. Alpine Way is on the western side. We visited Kosciuszko National Park in summer and driving was easy. It would be a different story all together in winter.
Snowy Mountains Hwy
Snowy Mountains Hwy is quite pretty. The scenery changes as you drive through the alpine country. From mountain forest, tranquil snow gum woodlands, to grassy high plains. As you drive along, you will see many historic places, magnificent mountain tops and pretty lookouts.
It is fascinating to keep climbing up and noting the elevation marks along the way.
Even the unusual signs, like those referred to chain fitting or snow plough, were fascinating for us. Of course, it would be like a dreamland in winter but even in summer it looked spectacular to us.
Alpine Way
Alpine Way drive is a scenic section of the Snowy Mountains Hwy. It offers gorgeous mountain views within the Kosciuszko National Park. It connects Jindabyne in the south to Khancoban near the Victorian border. But the drive is not for the faint-hearted or if you are prone to car sickness. The road is narrow, steep and winding (not recommended for towing caravans). The trees are often too close to the road for our comfort. Not once, my heart raced anxiously.
The scenery changes as you drive along 108 km route. You come across mountain forests, rock cliffs and grassy plains. It is not the drive to rush through. In fact, you wouldn’t want to drive fast at those steep and narrow turns. Luckily, there are many rest stops, free campgrounds and beautiful lookouts with magnificent views.
Entry to Kosciuszko National Park
There are several entry points to the park. Depending on the area of the park, as well as the season, the entry fee differs. It was free to enter Tumut region but cost us $17 per vehicle per night in Thredbo-Perisher in summer. It goes up to $29 per vehicle per night during winter season.
