Australasia

Name: 'Mount Kosciuszko'
Location: Snowy Mountains, Australia
Height: 2228 metres

"Australia is an outdoor country. People only go inside to use the toilet - and that's only a recent development."
- Barry Humphries

No wuckas, she'll be right, 'ave a go yer mug, strewth Bronwyn yer've gone troppo, Good 'onya Sonya: throw another snag on the barbie. True Blue. Yes, there's much to be admired about the Australian use of language and also the Aussie lifestyle. There are several thousand clichés about our Antipodean friends; the relaxed attitude to life, drive-in 'bottle-shops', flip-flop fashions, the compulsion to put the letter 'o' at the end of every fifth spoken word, 8-year old kids sporting mullets, young hoons burning out their dads' Holden Commodore's, the ritual sporting humiliation of the 'poms' in every known sport except for tiddlywinks and chess. The list is endless. However, there's one cliché that holds true above most others: The Aussies are an outdoor bunch, and will take every opportunity they get to venture out into the vast and immensely beautiful scenery found right on their doorstep.

Better known for it's miles and miles of glorious coastline, and forbidding, sprawling, rust-red interior - Australia is also blessed with some spectacular mountain scenery. At 2228 meters, Mount Kosciuszko is one of the smaller climbs of the 'Continental Cycle Climb Challenge'; it's the highest peak of the 'Snowy Mountains' range, and the highest road* in Australasia.

(*OK: let's try to sort something out before we offend the sensibities of an entire continent. I'm well aware that there are mountains in New Zealand way higher than those found in Australia. At 4509 metres high, Mount Wilhelm found in Papua New Guinea eclipses the modest height of Kosciuszko. The trouble is Scotty isn't that well suited for a near vertical scramble over boulders and shale. Unfortunately, I'm looking for the highest road. Please contact me if you know of a (paved or concreted) road higher than the one up to Kosciuszko.)

I aim to start the ride at sea-level, heading north-east out from the majestic city of Melbourne towards the high country of Victoria. The ride promises to be hot and hilly, with some beautiful scenery along the way. It's an area chock-full of world class vineyards; hopefully these won't provide too much distraction to the task in hand?

The climb proper commences shortly after leaving the shores of Lake Jindabyne, and heads due South-West up the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko; passing nearby to the winter ski-village of 'Perisher' - the largest ski-resort in the Southern Hemisphere - along the way.

(New interactive route map with ride elevation coming soon…)