New England National Park is a place of great beauty, sitting on the Great Dividing Range, west of Coffs Harbour. The park boasts spectacular views all the way to the coast and across the wilderness that stretches north and south. As part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia World Heritage Area, it offers a rare chance to see Australian rainforest in a pristine state.

The New England Tableland area is much colder than the coast. Lovers of cold climates will enjoy the many benefits of winter walking. But if chilly doesn’t thrill you, visit this area in spring to enjoy the blossoms and birdlife of the season without the chill factor.

GETTING THERE

It’s a scenic drive from Coffs Harbour, first through Bellingen, then up the windy road to Dorrigo and Ebor. The journey takes a bit over two hours. Allow another hour if starting from Port Macquarie. There are plenty of places to stop along the way, including the fabulous cafes and bakeries in Bellingen. A stop at Ebor Falls is also recommended, the beautiful waterfall just a short stroll from the car park and toilet facilities.

Overnight Camping

After enjoying our drive, we arrive late in the day at Thungutti campground, using the last of the sunlight to set up camp. Our winter visit provides the opportunity to enjoy a campfire and although the mid-winter day has been beautifully clear and warm, the cold sets in as soon as darkness descends. As it can drop well below freezing overnight the warmth of the fire is very welcome.

Thungutti campground is well set up with grassy unpowered camping spots, fireplaces and firewood stacked up and ready. Bookings are required and internet access in the park is very limited, so book in advance. There are multiple camping areas over the New England National Park – check out the choices online.

Walking

After a cold night we warm up over breakfast, enjoying the stunning views from Point Lookout towards the coast. On a clear winter morning you can see all the way from Coffs Harbour to Port Macquarie. In between, the wilderness seems to stretch in all directions. It’s also a great place to start walking as many of the trails begin at Point Lookout.

Walking initially to Eagle’s Nest lookout, we connect onto the Weeping Rock Trail, another wonderful winter experience. The rock face has a steady drip of water but in the depths of winter these are transformed into ice, decorating the trail with icy stalactites hanging from ledges, frozen foliage and icicles all around. With every gust of wind, small ice chunks fall noisily to the ground. Listen out for the creaking groan of the rare sphagnum frog that lives buried in the mossy crevices of the rock.

After Weeping Rock we use the Lyrebird Trail as a connection out to the spectacular Wright’s Lookout for lunch. The views here are even more impressive, unimpeded to the south, east and west, plus a view over the Bellinger River.

The return is via a lovely forest walk with plentiful birdlife, the highlight is a close up of a yellow-tailed black cockatoo foraging in a tree just above us. The day’s walk has been exhilarating, with clear air, amazing views and pristine bushland. Time to get back to camp and get the fire going before another cool, clear night.

What To Take

Make sure to pack for the cold if you are camping. Apart from warm clothing and a waterproof jacket, make sure to bring a winter-grade tent and sleeping bags that are rated to at least minus 5. Even in spring the area gets much colder than the coast, so be prepared. Any good camping store or a National Parks officer can advise you on the best gear to pack.

All the walks are well signposted and formed, at a Grade 3 level. But of course the obvious hazards of walking on wet bush trails apply. If in any doubt, check out the details with the National Parks. Check out Glenn’s other recommended walks in Coastbeat.

The post Walk Me Through It: New England National Park appeared first on Coastbeat.

One day it’s a blank wall, the next, two whales swim through a sunlit ocean. At the Kempsey Central carpark, Daniel Hend has given the community something beautiful to see.

“As I painted people were waving and honking, giving me the thumbs up,’ says Daniel. “Murals do that – people feel a real sense of engagement.”

From Kempsey, Daniel headed north to Coffs Central, in the heart of Coffs Harbour. Within hours he had transformed the pillars on the ground floor near Kathmandu into a landscape vista that stretched from rolling hills, to desert to mountains.

“I paint fast,” says Daniel. “It’s a technique my dad and I developed over the years. We call it our dab-dab method.”

Daniel’s father is well-known landscape artist Len Hend. Len taught Daniel to paint when Daniel was nine. After Year 10, Daniel left school to study visual arts and business at Ace Community College Mullumbimby, ready for a career as a visual artist. His career took off immediately. He completed his first major mural at age 18 and has never looked back.

Painting Techniques

Daniel uses house paints, mostly Dulux, and an array of brushes from huge to tiny. He begins by laying down the base colour: for a landscape, sky blue, green for the hills and rough swirls of white above. These form the shapes and outlines. The next layer adds detail: light green to catch the sun on the hillside, blue and violet for the shadows on the hills and white where he imagines light glinting off water. The process happens quickly. Suddenly a whole world emerges.

Watching Daniel paint is like watching a dancer. He moves as if in a trance, but fluidly and in complete control of each brushstroke. He likens his process to meditation and derives great satisfaction from creating to meet a concept.

“I let my brain identify the shapes then I paint the tones as I am feeling,” says Daniel.

Making the Mundane Magical

Daniel has painted all over Australia, exhibited his fine art work and won numerous painting competitions. He also worked in film and television, creating scenery and props. In fact, there are very few things that Daniel’s brush cannot transform.

As well as murals, for public and private spaces, Daniel is sought after for what is called live painting and art battles. Sounds messy!

Art Battles

“Art battle is an event from the USA. Like a grand slam, with painters facing off in a live competition,” Daniel explains. “And live art is speed painting at a function or event. Often it is themed and sometimes my work is auctioned off afterwards to raise money for a charity or community program. They’re challenging events, but fun.”

Gowings, who own Coffs Central, plan to have Daniel decorate multiple areas in the centre, as well as adding another whale to the building in support of the Gowings Whale Trust. If you’re at Kempsey Central or Coffs Central, drop in and enjoy the art of Daniel Hend.

Visit Daniel’s website to view more amazing art.

The post Daniel Hend, Mural Master appeared first on Coastbeat.

Creative Director Laena Stephenson said, “The weather forecast for the 1st October long weekend looks perfect and I for one can’t wait to try the food that’s freshly cooked on site.”

“You’d be amazed by the range of food that can be prepared in cast iron camp ovens.”

“This annual event attracts skilled amateur cooks to the Clarence Valley from far afield. Camp oven cooking is hugely popular across Australia,” she said.

The annual festival features live music, bush poetry, roaming street theatre acts and hilarious family games. The workshop program includes daily healing meditation sessions, palm pots challenge, a climate café, veil dance session, face painting, ukelele lessons and guided nature walks. The event is dog and family friendly, and BYOB.

How to Get There

Event Manager Phil Nicholas said, “We’re running a special coach service from Coffs Harbour and Woolgoogla to and from the festival on Saturday 1^st October.”

“The coach costs just $5 return. Single day festival entry is $35 for adults and $15 for children.”

“I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t already booked in for the weekend to make a day trip on the Saturday, try the food, check out the bands, kids activities and workshops and stay for the fire show.”

Use Your NSW Vouchers

“Parents NSW vouchers can be used for live music and arts, so for anyone who enjoys the great Aussie outdoors, there’s no better opportunity to get involved,” he said.

To see the full festival program and for ticket booking information, head to the festival website or call the office on 02 6649 4155.

The post Countdown to Clarence Valley Camp Oven Festival appeared first on Coastbeat.

These two talented photographers will receive a whale watching tour as First Prizes, plus Whale Trust merchandise. Gowings Whale Trust received many wonderful whale photographs for their 2022 Whale Watching competition. Thank you to everyone who entered.

Coffs Harbour Winner

Ash McMurrich submitted a close-up photograph of a large, female humpback whale, captured while on a whale watching trip with Jetty Dive, in the Solitary Islands area. The image feels intimate, conveying the gentle nature and curiosity of the whale.

A Wild Whale Encounter

Ash told us, ‘We were so lucky that day. The whale ‘spy-hopped’ the Jetty Dive boat. Spy-hopping is when they poke one eye out of the water and check you out. She kept coming up to look at us, each time drawing a little closer. She came right up to the boat. It was amazing!’

Ash snapped off his winning shot and then gave his camera over to his three children, Ava (12), Lily (almost 10) and Austin (7). They took it in turns to photograph the beautiful whale as she ‘mugged’ the boat. Mugging is when the whale interacts closely with whale watchers, over an extended period. The McMurrich family enjoyed 40 minutes of mugging!

‘And she looked like she was enjoying interacting with us,’ said Ash. ‘We could hear her breathing, through her blowhole. The kids were so excited. After they took a few shots each we got them to put the camera down and watch, really be in the moment.’

Ash reports that their whale was joined by friends, who communicated with her from about 100m away by leaping and tail slapping. Each showed a different attitude with this non-verbal communication. Then the whales formed a pod and swam away.

Port Macquarie Winner

Peter Rogers’ spectacular photograph captures the power and magic of the whale in its ocean environment. All the elements of animal, light and water align in this one, awe-inspiring moment.

Peter says of his shot, ‘We had a great day out with Jody from Port Jet. She really knows what she is doing. I took a few shots and hoped I’d caught something special. I got home that evening and thought yep, got something there.’

Second Prize: Port Macquarie

Did we mention that the competition was fierce? Second prize for Port is awarded to Courtenay Davies for her lonely whale image. This extreme wide-angle shot expresses the wildness of the whale in the vast ocean. The whale’s form is perfectly surrounded by the sea spray as it leaps from the sea. This communicates the magic of the whale in its natural environment and the magic of this world that we share with them.

Second Prize: Coffs Harbour

Goes to… Kathy Brown! The GWT Photo Competition criteria asked for creativity and this shot shows great artistry. The sea looks soft and inviting, in gentle shades of blue, contrasting with the raw, bright energy of the whale breaching. The clarity of the white flipper sets a carefree, jubilant tone to the image, balanced by the sea bird in the sky. A gorgeous shot.

Kathy is an avid wildlife photographer, and passionate environmentalist. As are all our entrants. It is difficult to come so close to humpback whales without being moved.

Why Whales Are Important

The emotional impact of engaging with whales was what started the Gowings Whale Trust, when avid surfer and businessman, John Gowing, went diving with whales in Samoa. He was awestruck by their majesty, forming the Whale Trust to encourage others to learn about the importance of whales to the survival of us all.

Junior Winners

So too were our young winners of the Junior section: Ava, Lily and Austin McMurrich, from Coffs; and Shelby Coaker (aged 10). Ava’s entry is energy packed, while Austin’s shows the whale tail against the landscape.

The kids found their whale encounter thrilling. The photographs they took were used at their school to share and stimulate a discussion about the importance of protecting whales and their environment.

Take 3 For The Sea

Shelby Coaker lives in Victoria, but her family had taken time out to travel around Australia. A ‘half-lap’ her mum, Courtenay says, through central Australia then down the east coast. Courtenay describes Shelby as an avid environmentalist, who always takes a bucket and tongs to the beach to clean up.

‘She gets really angry at people who litter,’ says Courtenay. Good on you Shelby – we need young environmentalists like you to keep us caring. Learn more at Take 3 for the Sea.

Love Those Whales!

We loved receiving all the amazing photographs for this competition. Thank you to everyone who entered. Please keep sending us your whale images and stories and we’ll publish them on the Gowings Whale Trust website.

The post Whale Comp Winners Announced appeared first on Coastbeat.

Kaleidoscope Gallery Opening

It was standing room only at the opening of the Kaleidoscope Gallery on the ground floor of Coffs Central. The gallery featured work by many of the prize winning artists from the 2022 Coffs Coast Art Prize, including winner Kelly Finley. This is in addition the exhibition of the 2022 Coffs Coast Art Prize entrants, held upstairs.

Kaleidoscope manager, Katy Dee, said, “There was such a buzz in the air. So many people turned out to celebrate the vibrant arts community of the Coffs coast. We look forward to showcasing many beloved and emerging artists over the coming years.”

Art Studio Available

Of added interest to the Coffs Harbour art fraternity is the maker space at Kaleidoscope. Here artists and other makers can work in a comfortable studio setting that is open to the public. Art lovers get to see the work being created and chat to the artist. It is fascinating to watch artistic process and hear the stories behind each object.

Coastbeat visited while local artist Zepo was at work. Zepo works digitally and on canvas. He told the story of his grandmother, a European artist who traveled the world painting. She gave him a treasured box of pastels that he still uses.

Katy Dee is both store manager and curator of the collection. “The scope of artists and artisans at Kaleidoscope is really diverse. From jewellery to beauty to art. We are becoming known as a go-to place for unique gifts.”

Kaleidoscope welcomes art lovers, art makers and the curious into their boutique of wonders. Read the full story of Kaleidoscope here.

The post Art at Coffs Central appeared first on Coastbeat.

Festival Creative Director Laena Stephenson said, “We have overcome covid induced cancellations and flood provoked postponements to make this festival happen.”

“I want to thank all our workers, volunteers, performers and our loyal audience for their patience and tenacity. We can’t wait to bring the festival family back together for a celebration of the great Aussie outdoors.”

Despite the postponement, most of the musical and workshop program remains intact, with a handful of exceptions. Most notably, the dirtgirlworld crew are unavailable on that weekend. In their place, the super-talented Hoozatt Entertainment mob will host additional kid-friendly workshops and hilarious performances, alongside their brilliant street theatre antics.

Good Food, Good Music

The festival has also added Grafton locals, The Manifested to the bill, as well as the captivating and energetic Casino-based band, Blinders, who guarantee to ‘get any party rockin’.

“Aside from the music, the glorious natural setting and family-oriented workshops and outdoor games, the main attraction is the food,” said Phil Nicholas, festival Event Manager.

“There are many skilled amateur cooks out there who demonstrate their proficiency with a camp oven at the festival, including in the Sunday cooking competition. And there are still spaces left for anyone who wants to enter.”

Tickets

For tickets, the revised festival program and competition entry forms, head to the festival website. Read our last article on Coastbeat.

The post Clarence Valley Camp Oven Festival – BACK ON! appeared first on Coastbeat.

Whale Superhighways

These routes have become known as ‘whale superhighways’. Many marine scientists believe that the route is as important as the end destination. This is why it is important to lobby for whale protection while enroute.

Whale Endangered, Still

However, an article in The Conversation by marine scientists Ryan Reisinger, Ari Friedlaender and Daniel M. Palacios reports that even 26 years after the end of whaling in most countries (except Japan and Iceland), six out of the 13 largest whale species are still either endangered or vulnerable (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Whales face multiple human-created dangers as they cross the oceans: net entanglement, chemical and plastic pollution, climate change reducing krill numbers and impact from boats. And of course those shameful nations still hunting these beautiful creatures. Some believe that the noise we humans are making drilling for oil and gas is also impacting negatively on whale migration.

Marine Protection Areas

Many countries uphold marine protection areas, but these cover less than 8% of the ocean. Much of the migration is in the high seas, where only 1.2% of the ocean is under some form of protection.

The authors of The Conversation article call for countries to form a cohesive plan to protect whales, like the existing Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, countries have rights to fish and pursue other activities in 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zones (EEZ) extending from their coastlines. The WWF report showed that 367 humpback whales tracked by satellite in the southern hemisphere together traversed the EEZs of 28 countries during their migrations. Only countries designating marine protected areas within their EEZs can help conserve vital marine habitats.

The lack of a comprehensive and cohesive plan to protect whales in the high seas and across all EEZs makes whales vulnerable. The United Nations is endeavouring to find a solution. In 2017 member countries began negotiations to create a treaty for the protection of migrating whales. The fourth and final session of these negotiations took place in New York on March 7-18.

What Can We Do?

Lobbying the UN is mostly the work of governments and environmental organisations like Sea Shepherd and WWF. However, you can lobby your local member or email the current Australian Minister for the Environment, Tanya Plibersek.

In the meantime, we can all actively assist in protecting these magnificent marine mammals with some simple measures your great-grandma might have taught you:

• Recycle, reuse, repair Don’t ditch it, fix it! Keep your global footprint light.
• Donate to organisations like Sea Shepherd or
• Purchase Gowings Whale Trust merchandise, where 100% of the profits go to fund education about and protection of whales.

Love our images? Why not send us some of your own for a chance to win a whale watching tour and bags of Gowings Whale Trust merchandise. Thanks to The Conversation for their generosity in sharing their informative articles.

The post Whale Migration appeared first on Coastbeat.

Whales are renowned for the beauty of their song, yet there ability to hear underwater is all about the evolution of whale communication. As the humpback whales migrate north along our coastline they navigate and communicate with each other across kilometres. But how do they communicate so clearly underwater?

How Do Whales Hear Underwater?

Whales are mammals just like us, yet our underwater hearing is muffled and directionally confusing. Professor Tracey Rogers explains in this five-minute video that the whales’ ability to discern direction of sound underwater is thanks to the unique construction of whale ears, known as ‘auditory bulla’.

In fact, it is the auditory bulla that has led scientists to believe that whales evolved from a land mammal known as a pakicete. This hippo-like mammal was swimming in Earth’s waterways about 50 million years ago.

Hearing For Survival

When not underwater we rely on the audio reaching one ear first, thus communicating its direction. Through water, the sound reaches all of our body at the same time. We are about 65% water, after all. The sound goes straight through us, vibrating our skull. Not knowing where a sound is coming from is not a great survival asset as sound could indicate prey, or worse: a predator.

How Ears Work

Unlike cetaceans – dolphins and whales – our middle and inner ears are attached to our skull. They all vibrate together to register sound. As the techno-heads among us will know, that’s how the headphones known as Aeropex work. Cetaceans have evolved to have their middle and inner ears outside their skull, encased in the dense bone of the auditory bulla. By isolating the auditory bulla outside the skull, skull vibrations no longer affect hearing.

But how does the sound get to the bulla?

Dolphins have their auditory bulla attached to their lower jaw. The jaw is filled with fatty tissue that has the same density as water. So the sound travels through the water and along the fatty tissue to the bulla. As each bulla is isolated at the end of each jawbone sound will reach one side before the other, indicating direction.

What Are Pinna?

Ever put your ear to a seashell and heard the tiniest sounds amplified? For hearing folk this is a ritual of childhood. So it is no coincidence that auditory bulla are curved, like seashell. The shape assists in collecting the sound. For us, our protruding ears collect the sound – think the BFG or the Parkes Telescope. Ever heard someone call your ear your ‘shell-like’? The scientific name for this part of our hearing apparatus is the ‘pinna’.

But don’t get comfortable – hearing differs across marine mammals. Fur seals and sea lions have greatly reduced pinna. Seals have no pinna, just an ear opening used for life on land. When underwater the tissue around the seal’s ear canals swells to close off the opening.

How Do Humpbacks Hear?

Unlike dolphins, baleen whales don’t have the fatty tissue in their jaw. Their bulla are disconnected from their skull, but the ear canal leading to the auditory bulla are plugged with a waxy substance. However, the evolutionary selection for whales with auditory bulla was one of the earliest changes, from the pakicetes to what became whales as we know them today, indicating that hearing clearly underwater supported survival.

This evolutionary development has gifted us with the beautiful whale song. Isn’t nature amazing? Love those whales!

Visit Gowings Whale Trust for more great whale information. Enter your best whale shots into our Whale Watching competition and win a whale watching tour!

The post The Evolution of Whale Communication appeared first on Coastbeat.

Vanessa Pirotta, Macquarie University

This article repubished under Creative Commons, courtesy of The Conversation

Australians have watched in horror this week as two separate humpback whales were tangled up in Queensland shark nets on the same day. These put the number of whales caught in Queensland shark nets to four this season – that we know about.

Worryingly, most humpback whales migrating north from Antarctica haven’t even passed Sydney yet. With more whales travelling to the warm Queensland breeding waters, this probably won’t be the last shark net entanglement we’ll hear about this year.

I’ve seen the reality of whale entanglement in shark nets firsthand, when I studied a humpback whale calf who died in a shark net a few years back. The animal autopsy (necropsy) conducted later confirmed the animal drowned. It was terrible.

So what are shark nets exactly, and how do they harm animals?

Shark nets don’t just harm sharks

Whale entanglement in fishing gear is a global problem. In some cases nets – combined with other human-made threats such as ship collisions – limit the recovery of some whale populations since whale hunting ceased, including the North Atlantic right whale.

Fortunately, the number of Australian humpback whales has been growing post-whaling. In fact, Australia’s east coast humpback whale population has an estimated 40,000 individuals.

The bad news is, more whales means more potential interactions with humans and our fishing gear, such as shark nets.

Shark nets are dotted around Queensland to try to minimise shark interactions with swimmers. These nets are anchored by chain to the seafloor and are designed to capture sharks before they swim too close to the beach.

But the nets offer little protection. For one, they’re typically between 124 and 186 metres long, 6 metres deep and don’t cover the entire beach, which means sharks can easily swim around and under them.

Indeed, despite the use of shark nets and other shark control equipment (such as drumlines), new data released today shows the number of shark bites in Australia have actually increased since 1791. Scientists caution that we are yet to understand why.

Sadly, shark nets usually kill the sharks that swim into them as they’re unable to move. And as we’ve seen this week, these nets do not discriminate. Other marine life – turtles, dolphins as well as whales – get caught up in this problem, too.

What happens when a whale is entangled?

We don’t exactly know why whales become entangled. Whales are extremely curious mammals and may investigate these dangers as they migrate, but get too close. Another reason may be that whales and other animals might simply not see the danger, and swim into it.

It’s not just shark nets, though. Whales in Australian waters get tangled up in a range of fishing gear – lobster and crab pots, longlines, gillnets and ghost nets (discarded or previously-used gear).

Whale entanglement can be an extremely stressful experience. Often, we see whales thrashing at the surface trying to free themselves. This can make the situation worse and limit their movement even further.

Depending on the entanglement and gear type, some whales may be unable to surface for air, and drown.

Alternatively, some whales might manage to get partially free, but suffer long-term consequences from dragging the nets and ropes, which can cut into their blubber.

Over time, these wounds can become infected, restrict the movement of the whale, or both. This leaves them vulnerable to predators such as killer whales and sharks, or unable to dive and dodge vessels.

Can we use technology to stop entanglements?

The reality is no one wants entanglements. Humans don’t want it to happen and I’m sure an entangled whale doesn’t enjoy the experience. It’s an unintended consequence of our attempts to protect swimmers.

So, what can we do about it? Stop swimming in the ocean? Remove the nets? Or is new technology our only answer?

Some suggest removing Queensland’s shark nets during winter when whales make their annual migration. This has yet to take place. What’s more, people often swim year-round in Queensland’s warm ocean waters.

In contrast, shark nets in New South Wales are removed during the winter to avoid the main part of whale migration. They’re deployed again later in the year, from September 1, which overlaps only with the southward migration back to Antarctica.

In the meantime, we can continue to trial other options. One is using SMART drumlines for a more targeted approach to capture and relocate sharks.

This is where a baited hook is placed on an anchor with two buoys and an attached satellite (GPS) technology unit. Once a shark takes the bait and is captured, authorities are alerted and can respond quickly to tag and relocate the animal offshore, away from the area of concern.

Scientists can then use shark movement data from the tag to learn more about shark habitat use.

While this isn’t a solution to whale entanglement, it does reduce the amount of netting in the water compared to shark nets. It’s also a much better option for sharks.

The Queensland government has invested in shark-control technology called “catch alert drumlines”, which are a type of SMART drumline. Trials of their use began in 2021.

Drone surveillance has also been a complimentary shark monitoring tool on Queensland beaches.

What should you do if you see an entangled whale?

Whale disentanglement should never be attempted by the general public.

Disentangling a whale requires trained personnel, specialised gear and trained vessel operators. Even experts with years of disentangling experience have been killed helping free whales from nets.

Whales are big. When they’re stressed and exhausted, they pose a serious threat to humans. Instead, if you see a whale caught in gear at the beach, tell the appropriate people about it immediately.

Authorities, such as the Queensland Government (The Department of Environment and Science) or The Sea World Foundation are key contacts in Queensland.

Other options include ORRCA (NSW based, with coverage in Queensland), which can relay important information to the people best placed to help. Social media can also be a powerful tool to alert authorities.

Queensland whale rescue crews also remain on standby during whale migration season and can deploy trained personnel to respond to entanglements swiftly, weather permitting.

As the whale migration continues north, lets hope these recent entanglements continue to prompt timely discussion about shark nets in Queensland waters.

Vanessa Pirotta, Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The post Whale Entanglement appeared first on Coastbeat.

Words and images by Glenn Mead

Kosciuszko National Park is a wonderful place to visit outside the ski season. It boasts spectacular views from well-organised tracks, leading you through this strikingly beautiful alpine wilderness.

Getting There

There are a couple of ways to walk the high country, the most popular being driving to Thredbo and catching a chairlift. The walk from Thredbo to the top of Mt Kosciuszko is 4-6 hours. Or you can drive to Charlotte Pass and do the 18.6-kilometre day walk from there, returning the same way.

An even more spectacular option is to take the Main Range Loop. This is what we decided to do. The walk provides views of the alpine lakes, crosses the Snowy River twice and passes over or close to all of the 10 highest peaks in Australia. It starts past the Perisher ski resort, at Charlotte Pass, about 41 kilometres from Jindabyne. The road is suitable for most vehicles, but chains are recommended during the winter snow. The National Park website is informative about road conditions.

The Main Range Loop walk is close to 23 kilometres, at a National Park Grade 4 level, which makes for an enjoyably challenging day walk. However, we chose to camp one night, allowing us to explore some of the lakes and peaks off the trail.

The Walk – Day 1

After leaving Jindabyne (the last chance for a morning coffee and supplies) we drive into the National Park. You can pay a one-off entry fee at the gate, or purchase an annual pass online beforehand. Then follow the signs to Charlotte Pass. We get an easy park about 100m from the trail start.

The sky is wide and blue as we head down the slope to the Snowy River, rock-hopping across the glistening stream. Immediately there is a long uphill, but every step unfolds a little more of the panoramic views of Australia’s highest peaks.

Near the top of this climb we take our first detour, across to Hedley Tarn, following around to the end of Blue Lake. Tarn is an old Norse word for a glacial mountain lake. Both Hedley Tern and Blue Lake are spectacular, carved out by the ice in ages past. Blue Lake sits in front of Mt Twynam, Australia’s third highest peak. The beautiful setting makes for a perfect lunchtime stop.

Continuing on, we reach a saddle with spectacular views of the drop-off to the west of the main range – close to 1800 metres down to the headwaters of the Murray River. From there it is up to Carruthers Peak, another of the 10 highest peaks. Carruthers Peak offers magnificent 360-degree views, including Kosciuszko, Club Lake (another alpine tarn), back across to Mt Twynam, Blue Lake and countless other peaks.

We are keen to set camp well before nightfall because the temperature drops significantly as soon as the sun starts to set. After a quick climb of Mt Lee, we choose a ridge overlooking Lake Albina, just out of the No Camping zone that protects these lakes. The sunset is magnificent over the range of Mt Townsend and Alice Rawson Peak.

The Walk – Day 2

It is a very cold camp. Overnight the temperature drops to minus 7. We wake to find a crusting of ice covering the tents. We had packed for an overnight temperature of zero, so our sleeping bags were insufficient for the unexpected cold. Best hint here is to take a sleeping bag rated lower than the forecast!

While waiting for the sun to melt the remnant ice, we wander down to Lake Albina to refill water bottles, bask in the morning sun and take in the beautiful scene. Today’s track is visible, winding high above us. The early risers are starting to pass along the trail so it’s time to be on our way.

Heading towards Kosciuszko, we down packs at a junction and head off to climb Australia’s second highest peak, Mount Townsend. This detour is less popular and more difficult because it involves some rock-hopping. While Kosciuszko is an easy stroll up a well-groomed track, Mount Townsend looks like someone has thrown a stack of granite boulders in our way. We clamber up under the midday sun.

Mt. Townsend

The views are worth every slip, slide and scramble. At this height the clouds are rising from below us, creating a dramatic backdrop for Kosciuszko and the surrounding peaks. We can still imagine Strezlecki standing here on what he thought was Australia’s highest peak before his surveying instruments showed him that Kosciuszko was just a few metres higher.

After climbing down from the Mount Townsend we follow in Strezlecki’s footsteps through the Mueller Gap. This leads back to the main path before the final winding ascent to the top of Australia. It is getting late in the day but there are still plenty of people enjoying the view from Mt Kosciuszko.

Home Safe

After photos and a snack, it’s a mostly gentle downhill path to Charlotte Pass. With our extra detours today, the sunlight is disappearing quickly. We arrive at Charlotte Pass in time to be dazzled by a last brilliant sunset glowing over the peaks of our two-day walk.

This fantastic walk was made all the more enjoyable by detours to the various peaks and lakes. The walking was easy enough, along well-signed tracks. We would recommend enjoying the Main Range Loop in Spring, or early Summer when the wildflowers are blooming. Most of the 350,000 hectare Kosciuszko National Park has been named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, because of its valuable wilderness. If you love rugged vistas and wide open spaces, this is the walk for you.

Next time Walk Me Through It visits the New England National Park. You can read about last month’s walk at Coffs Harbour here.

The post Walk Me Through It appeared first on Coastbeat.