Alpine Flowers and Summer Snow : Mt Kosciuszko, Australia

Silver Snow Daisies – Celmisia Longifolia
High on the Ramshead Range in Australia’s Snowy Mountains, the flowers put on a unique summer spectacle from late-December through January.

Chairlift on the Ramshead
The Kosciuszko Express Chairlift is a ski lift in winter; in summer it is kitted out to take mountain bikes as well as pedestrians. It takes us from Thredbo Village (1365 metres) to Eagle’s Nest Restaurant (1937 metres) and the start of our walk.

Family on the Hill
I always feel like I’m on the roof of the world when I’m up here!

Walkway to Mt Kosciuszko
The walking track is an elevated metal grid, which allows snow-melt through, and protects the delicate plants against trampling. 

Flowers on the Ramshead Range
From about mid-December to mid-January, the alpine flowers bloom – with at least 21 species found nowhere else in the world. Here, the silver snow daisies and mountain celery stretch up to the granite boulders on the ridge.

Candle Heath (Richea Continentis)
Candle Heath is endemic to Australia, and loves the watercourses and bogs in the alpine and sub-alpine wet heathland of Australia’s Great Dividing Range. It is punishingly sharp – another reason to stick to the walkway!

Mountain Celery (Aciphylla Glacialis) and Sheep Sorrel (Acetosella Vulgaris)
Indigenous plants like mountain celery and silver snow daisies fight for space with non-native species like the widespread sheep sorrel.

Silver Snow Daisies (Celmisia Longifolia)
My favourites are the silver snow daisies, which are just starting to bloom . (iPhone6)

Don’t Panic!
We can’t actually see Mt Kosciuszko from here – it is hidden behind the range we are on, but don’t panic: …

Mt Kosciuszko 4.5
… that marker says “4.5”, not “45” as it first appears! The mountain was named by explorer Paweł Edmund Strzelecki in 1840 for the Polish freedom fighter, General Tadeusz Kościuszko.

Rock with a View
At the Mt Kosciuszko Lookout, you can see Australia’s highest point (unimpressive against the other ridges!) and the source of the Snowy River. Pockets of snow still tuck into the hollows.

Girl Conquers Rocks!
While some people use the granite boulders as a vantage point, others treat them as an adventure playground.

Purple Eye-Bright (Euphrasia Collina)
Early Snowy Mountain stockmen recognised eyebright’s eye-soothing properties. Today, many of the species are extinct or endangered.

Rocks on the Hillside
We are well above the tree line, but the uplifting, faulting, folding, and erosion of the granite boulders that make up these mountains provide plenty of visual features.

Path through the Saddle
Off the main track, an informal path …

Summer Snow
… leads us to a patch of summer snow.

“Do you want to build a Snowman?” 

Candleheath on the Hill
These alpine plants lie in wait under the snow all winter – bursting forth with colour as soon as the snow melts.

Summer Ski Slope
Not only are they covered in snow throughout winter, they are squashed under Thredbo’s popular ski runs.

The Chair Down
All too soon, it is time to take the chairlift back down through the snow gums and into the little village of Thredbo.