I woke up early and packed my stuff away. I knew that I would have to get another park pass so I'd have to wait until the office opened up at 0900. It's technically free to get into the park at the gate entrance, as long as you're driving through. But the moment you park you can be ticketed. And the parking lot rangers were out looking for violators.
My entry permit was valid for 24 hours. I was up and out of my room by 0800 and the parking lot rangers were currently sitting directly in front of my car in the spot I'd backed into, making my permit completely visible. Fortunately I still had 30 minutes left and was able to move. Once the office opened up I got my permit and stuck it to my windshield and made my way to the mountain.
The hike to the summit technically begins at the village of Thredbo which lies at the base of the mountain. However, the initial climb is very steep and easily adds another 3-4 hours onto the hike. Since I was pressed somewhat for time I opted to buy a pass to take the ski lift up the worst part of the ascent.
Australia is keenly aware of the impact of humans on the climate and environment. The states of New South Wales and Victoria have both outlawed single use plastics such as shopping bags. They've also taken a great deal of care to ensure that the plants on the hike to Kosciuzko's summit are spared by placing an elevated walking path for tourists. The result is a roughly 6 km hike, of which about 85-90 percent is a metal grate surface to hike on as seen in the photos here.
With Mount Kosciuzko completed, my next destination was the Great Ocean Road.
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