When complete, the world-class, 55-kilometre, multi-day Snowies Alpine Walk is set to enhance tourism in the region. Image: Alek Cahill, NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
They battled through – those workers up in the high country – rain and unseasonal summer snow and finally the third stage of the Snowies Alpine Walk in Kosciuszko National Park has opened.
Or think of it this way: 1665 metres of elevated steel-mesh walkway, 6734 metres of rock paving, 1263 metres of gravel hardened track, 861 rock steps and 196 drains over the hills and dales, peaks and troughs of the land that lies between the snow villages of Charlotte Pass and Perisher.
Up until now, it was a drive of nine kilometres by road.
The new 13-kilometre section of track, which includes upgrades to the short Porcupine walk, allows visitors to experience the incredible views of Thredbo Valley, Bullocks Flat and the Main Range.
The Snowies Alpine Walk has, in recent years, been constructed in four stages with the overall goal of connecting the villages of Thredbo, Charlotte Pass, Guthega, Perisher and Bullocks Flat.
Stage one involved rerouting the Mount Lee section of the Main Range walk, stage two saw construction of the Guthega to Charlotte Pass Walk and now, of course, stage three will take visitors from Charlotte Pass to Perisher.
Stages one to three have been completed and are now open to the public.
Metal walkways protect sensitive habitats and cross steep sections of the track. Image: Alek Cahill, NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
Stage four – from Perisher to Bullocks Flat – is still under construction but, when complete, will be the final flourish on the world-class, 55-kilometre, multi-day walk set to enhance tourism in the region.
The construction of stage four includes:
- 11.4 kilometres of new walking tracks;
- upgrades to car parking facilities, amenities and signage.
Significant progress has been made on stage four in recent months despite unseasonal snowfall in the region in late 2022 and then February 2023.
About one kilometre of steel platform, including stairs, has been installed to protect sensitive habitats and cross steep sections of the track.
Work is continuing on construction of the subalpine section of track and along the Thredbo River, with a mix of rock paving and gravel tracks being installed.
Construction has commenced at the Perisher track head and planning is underway to upgrade the carpark, signage and other facilities for visitors.
Parking will be very limited during these works and there may be some diversions around the construction site.
The final section of the Snowies Alpine Walk is due for completion in summer 2023–24.
Visitors are reminded to always check NPWS alerts for the latest closure information before visiting Kosciuszko National Park.
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