Snowy Mountains Part 2

From the Bullock Hill Campground I headed for Jindabyne, in the southern part of the Snowy Mountains, the ones with snow on them.  The excellent Information Centre at Jindabyne was my first stop, then off to the Kosciuszko Mountain Retreat - which claims to be Australia's highest holiday park - for two nights.  This is on Kosciuszko Road, which goes thru Perisher Ski Village and terminates at Charlotte Pass Village.  Guthega Road turns north off this and goes to Guthega Dam & Power Station (completed in 1955) on the Snowy River.   I  traveled to the ends of these roads, with short walks at the Charlotte Pass end and off Kosciuszko Road to Rainbow Lake, created in 1902 to provide water for a nearby resort, since burned down.   The walks were easy as the van had done most of the work trundling up the hills, often in third gear, and the views were terrific!  And there was snow!  Much of it had melted but large patches still remain, however, the ski season was well and truly ended. 

Touching back to the Snowy Hydro Scheme, some photos of other Stations were also taken as I passed and will post the photos of them in a contiguous segment of the web album.  I never could quite take in the magnitude of the scheme.   Between 1949 and 1974 some 100,000 men and women worked on the development, living year round in villages near construction sites.  It certainly must rank among one of the most ambitious schemes undertaken at the time, if not in modern history.

Then off to walk up Mt. Kosciuszko, however, that particular day was foul weather, so I sat out the winds and rains at Ngarigo campsite.  The next morning was a stunner - clear blue skies with very light winds, so after a breakfast of pancakes, shared with a German tourist also on his way to Mt. Kosciuszko, off we went!  The chairlift was about to open so timing was excellent and off to the top, a difference in 460m vertical.  The walkway to Mt. Kosciuszko is excellent, a gradual climb up another 291m vertical over a distance of 6.5Km.  It is an interesting meander over the top of the Range, with creeks, lakes, valleys and snow drifts providing a unique vista of Australian scenery.  Then at the top - at 2,228M the highest point in Australia!  The compulsory photos, a good look at the panorama, and then back along the same track.  Australia's highest restaurant is located at the top of the chairlift, so lunch and a coffee at 1937M was in order!  And from here on it is all downhill (metaphorically speaking - in reality it is up and down through the mountains):  The Alpine Way is a narrow windy road and is a favourite of motorcyclists which were plentiful.  That nite was spent at Geehi Campground, situated along a mountain stream and I slept well!

Geehi is a lush valley in the National Park and thus the happy home to quite a few 'roo.  Up until the 1960's it was used as a base for cattle, which were driven up from lower down to graze in the valley itself and also in the surrounding mountains.  There is a lovely stone cottage used as the summer camp in the lovely setting of the valley and stream.  Being such a lovely setting you would think that as I had one more day on my Parks Pass I'd have spent it there, but having to see what's around the next hill/bend I traveled up to Bradney's Gap Campsite, just north of Khancoban, which was very ordinary.  During the night, I heard a small critter scrabbling along my roof and the fabric sides of the poptop:  This has happened on other infrequent occasions also.  Now, since my unwelcome rodent companion, I awaken instantly to sounds such as this, and happily, they were outside but I've wondered what they could be - gliding possums, bats, birds?  Well at Bradney's Gap I happened to see the shadow of a small bird alighting on the roof, though in the moonlight I couldn't tell anything more than it was about starling sized.  Curiouser and curiouser. 

The following day - 3,485Km since leaving Brisbane - I crossed the NSW/VIC border; as I passed through Corryong, I stopped into the Information Centre and the kind gentleman talked me into altering my plans from going through the Victorian Alps to along the Murray River.  It actually looks as if I may have time to do both - we shall see.