Camping and multi-day hike

[Hannahjay]

Hi there,

Interstater here. Coming from SA and meeting my QLD friend in Canberra with the hopes of hiring a car and spending a few days in Kosciuszko National Park.

Keen to hike Mt Kosciuszko from Charlotte Pass. Have had a little look at Whites River Hut Loop with huts along the way but not sure how up to date my research is. Does anyone have any recommendations for 4/5 days in the national park. Happy to camp/carry packs or stay in huts. Would that be a similar set up to bothys in Scotland - first come first served kind of style?

Excuse the ignorance!

Thanks a million. Hannah

[Lophophaps]

Welcome to the forum

Around 100,000 people climb Kosciuszko each year. mainly tourists. It’s not my favourite walk. If doing the summit loop go anti-clockwise, getting the Snowy River crossing over at the start with an easy run on the road past Seamans Hut to finish. There's not much in the way of sheltered campsites and some water is suss, especially the Wilkinson Valley. I've had heavy snow in October, less likely this year perhaps. be ready for snow and cold.

All KNP huts are first come first served, with room for wet cold people.
https://khuts.org

The Whites River corridor is very popular with four huts: Horse Camp, Whites River, Schlink Hilton and Valentines. Mawsons Hut is about 2 hours from Valentines, or go over The Kerries from Schlink Pass or the Hilton. Gungartan is lovely.

An alternative is to park at Round Mountain and bag Jagungal, much nicer than Kosciuszko,.
https://graphhopper.com/maps/?point=-36 ... +Satellite
1 Round Mountain car park, Tumut River, Farm Ridge, O’Keefes Hut, 16 km, 500 metres of climbing, 6 hours, track, river crossings.
2 Day trip to Jagungal, around 8 km return, 5 hours, track and scrub.
3 SMC Hut, easy day, track.
4 Car park, 15 km, mainly flat, gentle climbs, track.

Do the walk clockwise to get the Tumut over at the start. It’s also easier this way. As far as I’m aware, parking is free at Round Mountain. Charlotte Pass and Guthega Power Station cost.

[jonnosan]

I endorse lophophaps suggestion about Jagungal area.

Re parking costs - AFAIK parking itself is free, but there is a cost per car per day of being inside the national park, and round mountain is inside that park - check the bottom of https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/th ... king-track

[Hannahjay]

Thanks so much!! Much appreciated!
Jagungal it is!

[north-north-west]

I endorse lophophaps suggestion about Jagungal area.

Re parking costs - AFAIK parking itself is free, but there is a cost per car per day of being inside the national park, and round mountain is inside that park - check the bottom of https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/th ... king-track

Have they started enforcing that there? When I was on the mainland you could go into Round Mtn year round without charge. No park entry, no parking, nothing. It was only the Khancoban-Thredbo-Jindabyne and Perisher roads where the entry fees were charged.

[johnw]

I endorse lophophaps suggestion about Jagungal area.

Re parking costs - AFAIK parking itself is free, but there is a cost per car per day of being inside the national park, and round mountain is inside that park - check the bottom of https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/th ... king-track

Have they started enforcing that there? When I was on the mainland you could go into Round Mtn year round without charge. No park entry, no parking, nothing. It was only the Khancoban-Thredbo-Jindabyne and Perisher roads where the entry fees were charged.

That's always been the case in my experience too NNW. Last down there early last year, albeit I had already a pass and was visiting fee charging locations - Charlotte Pass, Thredbo etc to start walks.
Also took trips to Adaminaby and Olsens Lookout. I can't recall any road signage on the Alpine Way or Snowy Mtns Hwy (outside of the usual areas) indicating fees are payable. How long has this been in force? If it's a new rule it certainly hasn't been well publicised.

[Xplora]

Park entry fees do not apply to Round Mountain as far as I can tell. There are many places within KNP where there is no entry fee but if you stop at Thredbo, Perisher, Charlotte, Tom Groggin you have to pay. Long Plain, Three Mile Dam, the Pinch are all free to stop at. You will notice the difference in this link https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/th ... isher-walk which prescribes entry fees but the Round Mtn link does not. It is somewhat confusing and a little ambiguous. NPWS could explain it better.

[jonnosan]

thanks all for correcting my misunderstanding on KNP park fees sorry if I ended up distracting from the original question!

[Lophophaps]

Confusing is a good word! I too thought that the link said that fees applied to Round Mountain. I cannot recall any parking fee signs at Kiandra.

[crollsurf]

Technically every car needs a pass to park in the national park (except the High Plains, see below). If you park at the resorts, especially in winter, you WILL get fined. Elsewhere, you take your chances and it's less likely you'll get caught.

Huts aren't first in, first serve, they're emergency shelters. You're not supposed to stay in them unless it's an emergency. Lots of people do stay in them anyway (guilty as charged), but no one has the right to stop others because they got there first. I've never seen/heard of there being a problem, but I'm sure it has happened.

Illawong, near Guthega, is a private club hut, so you can't stay there unless you know someone. All huts, except Cootapatamba, have resident native rats (Antechinus) and spiders. Some, depending on the season, are mozzie infested. Just saying, best to bring a tent anyway.

If you're thinking of going soon (September + normally October as well):
There is still alot of snow around the Kosi area, so you'll need crampons or microspikes to stay safe. Snow shoes would be a good option.
Round Mtn/Jagungal way there's probably still a few drifts but I'm guessing, nothing to worry about. According to NPWS, Cabramurra to Khancoban Road (KNP5) is closed. No idea where Khancoban Road is, but wouldn't be suprised if that means the Tooma Road (Round Mtn). I'd ring the Khancoban visitors centre to find out
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/visitor-centres/khancoban-visitor-centre/local-alerts
Come the October Long weekend, all the winter road closures should reopen.

Last edited by crollsurf on Sat 02 Sep, 2023 12:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[johnw]

Technically every car needs a pass to park in the national park. If you park at the resorts, especially in winter, you WILL get fined. Elsewhere, you take your chances and it's less likely you'll get caught.

Interesting. That's different to what I've always believed, which is generally the resort areas and a couple of other spots requiring a pass.
Seems there has always been confusion around it:
Park fees NSW Kosciuszko NP

There is apparently an exemption for the High Plains area though, so Blue Waterholes etc doesn't require a pass:
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/high-plains-area/visitor-info
No park entry fees apply in the High Plains area. See vehicle entry fees for other areas in Kosciuszko National Park.

[crollsurf]

There is apparently an exemption for the High Plains area though, so Blue Waterholes etc doesn't require a pass:
https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/high-plains-area/visitor-info
No park entry fees apply in the High Plains area. See vehicle entry fees for other areas in Kosciuszko National Park.

Wow, I never knew that. No wonder the confusion. They say "If you’re planning to drive into Kosciuszko National Park you must have a valid NSW National Parks pass for your vehicle.", which I knew was a lie, because you can travel through the park without one. Wonder where else you don't need a pass.

[Lophophaps]

There may be a subtle distinction between the NP away from the main road and a main road managed by another authority. It may come down land tenure. This https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/vi ... nd-parking says
Park entry fees apply on Alpine Way and Kosciuszko Road

Winter (June to October long weekends): $29 per vehicle per day (24hrs from purchase); motorcycles $12; bus passengers $11.45 per adult, $3.60 per child per day. Find out more about the winter entry surcharge.

Rest of Year: $17 per vehicle per day (24hrs); motorcycles $7; bus passengers $6.60 per adult, $2.20 per child per day.

Crollsurf's advice applies - through traffic is exempt.

[peregrinator]

Yair, but what about the hundreds of thousands of horse lovers up there? I don't see a fee listed for that mode of travel.

Maybe it's free if you go in to get a feral horse and ride it out.

[johnw]

Yair, but what about the hundreds of thousands of horse lovers up there? I don't see a fee listed for that mode of travel.

Maybe it's free if you go in to get a feral horse and ride it out.

Ironically the High Plains area, which is exempt from entry fees, is a designated horse riding area. Plenty of feral horses around there as well. Some becoming aggressive based on my last visit to that location a few years ago.

[north-north-west]

Park entry fees apply on Alpine Way and Kosciuszko Road.

Yes, that's how it always was in my day although, when I did Hannels, Geehi Flats was still safe to park for a number of days without a permit; that changed a year or two later. Round Mtn, Kiandra, Pockets, etc there was never an issue.
It is ridiculously inconsistent, however. I could walk from Round Mtn to Cascade Hut and back without paying, but to do the exact same walk starting and ending at Dead Horse Gap would have required $$$.

[Xplora]

I just wonder if it is deliberately confusing. There are not entry or parking fees at Pinch River either and no entry fees apply to the lower Snowy entry (see here) https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ca ... campground

If an entry or parking fee is required it will be listed on the specific page for the area. Entry fees do not apply to the entire KNP.

[glenpandrews]

Hannahjay, how was the walkability of the Farm Ridge Fire Trail?
Cheers

[Hannahjay]

Ah sorry, we ended up doing Hotham instead! Was wonderful. Gearing up to to do this trek later this year though!

[glenpandrews]

Have fun! I’m thinking of doing the Farm Ridge FT tomorrow.