Field note
Kosciuszko: Australia's Rooftop at Sunrise
A road trip through the Snowy Mountains.
Sunrise above the snow gums on Australia's highest peak — shooting through alpine fog and ice-covered ground at the summit plateau.
“On top of Australia.”
After a day at Yarrangobilly Caves and the thermal pool, I drove on to Kosciuszko. I stayed two nights at Alpine Gables. The next morning I woke at 6am and drove up to Charlotte Pass.
From Charlotte Pass, I walked the old summit road to the top. The hike there and back took eight hours. Some snow still hadn’t melted. Along the way are snow gums. These white, twisted trees look ancient and survive harsh winters that kill most other plants.
“Morning light over a sea of fog.”
When I reached the top, fog sat at about 2,100m, just below me. The morning light hit the fog and turned it gold and orange. I’ve only seen light like that a few times. I shot for forty minutes before the cloud rose and covered everything.
After the hike, I drove back to Jindabyne for the night. The next morning was Christmas Day. I spent it by Lake Jindabyne, my favourite place, enjoying the warm sun before driving back to Canberra.
“A quiet Christmas morning by the lake.”
Photos from this trip
