A new hike has opened in the Snowy Mountains

By Liz Whitehead
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The Snowy Mountains is already a popular winter destination. But the new Snowies Alpine Walk is transforming the destination into a hiker’s paradise in time for summer.

Lace up your hiking boots, a new multi-day hiking trail has opened in Kosciuszko National Park. The Snowies Alpine Walk is a 55-kilometre spectacular that cleaves the alpine roof of Australia. 29 kilometres of the newly constructed track links Guthega, Charlotte Pass, Perisher and Bullocks Flat with existing trails to create an immersive path through breathtaking natural landscapes.

 

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The Snowies Alpine Walk meanders through pristine alpine ecosystems, traces ravines and threads between majestic snow gums before guiding walkers to the summit of Mount Kosciuszko.

Snowies Alpine Walk

Once completed, the Snowies Alpine Walk will take in 55-kilometre of breathtaking alpine beauty. (Image: Alek Cahill/DCCEEW)

Sections of the trail can be completed as day trips, with shuttle services available for transfers. Alternatively, the trail can be walked over four days, with a range of accommodation options peppered throughout the trail at Guthega Village, Charlotte’s Pass Village, Perisher and Lake Crackenback.

Snowies Alpine Walk Guthega to Charlotte Pass.

The Snowies Alpine Walk connects Guthega to Charlotte Pass. (Image: B Ferguson/DCCEEW)

Want to experience the walk guided and in comfort? Thredbo has just launched an inclusive guided Snowies Alpine Walk Experience. You’ll have a home base at Thredbo Alpine Hotel, and be transferred to and from sections of the trail, so you can enjoy those mountain views pack-free. Packed lunch is taken care of, too.

Snowies Alpine Walk

The walk connects existing trails with new tracks to form a multi-day spectacular hike. (Image: Alek Cahill/DCCEEW)

Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
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This NSW sculpture trail is at its most magical in the snow

    By Liz Whitehead
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    You’re probably familiar with Sculpture by the Sea, but this snow-dusted sculpture trail by the same team is well worth a look.

    Sculpture by the Sea is an annual art installation that pulls visitors to both coasts of Australia like a magnet. The most famous, Sculpture by the Sea Bondi, transforms the renowned coastal walk between Bondi and Coogee into an outdoor sculpture park come October. But it’s a little-known fact that the same arts organisation actually runs multiple events. The sister event, Sculpture by the Sea Cottesloe, also bedazzles a pocket of Perth’s coastline with sculptures from artists across Australia and the world.

    However, most aren’t familiar with Sculpture by the Sea’s third venture, which isn’t by the sea at all, but in a mountainous inland region about 400 kilometres from Sydney. Meet the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail from the very same team behind Sculpture by the Sea, a permanent sculpture exhibition in NSW’s Snowy Valleys. Although you can visit this one year-round, we reckon the best time to see it is in the winter when the sculptures are dusted in snow. Here’s everything you need to know about the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail.

    Václav Fiala, 'Universum', Sculpture Forest Snowy Valleys

    Universum by Václav Fiala looks extra special dusted in snow. (Image: Angela Lyons)

     

    What is the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail?

    The Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, in the region abutting Canberra and Kosciusko National Park in southern NSW, is a little bit more spread out than its coastal counterparts. It spans roughly 150 kilometres between Tumut and Tumbarumba, comprising 60 sculptures by artists from Australia and around the world. Completing the sculpture trail is like a treasure hunt, as it leads visitors through historic towns, a ‘sculpture forest’ and even local wineries, so you can enjoy a tipple as you cross sculpture sightings off your list. The Snowy Valleys is known for its natural beauty and outdoor activities, and the sculpture trail combines art with the outdoors for a fun and interactive way to explore the region.

    Unlike Sculpture by the Sea, this trail is a permanent exhibition that can be accessed year-round, but it’s especially striking in the winter months when the region receives snowfall. Photos that emerged via an ongoing photo competition spotlight the snow-dusted sculptures, the cool change bringing an otherworldly mood-shift to works such as Seated Man by Sean Henry, who sits stoically on a bench, draped with ice.

    Sean Henry, ‘Seated Man’, Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, Sculpture Forest

    Sean Henry’s Seated Man takes on a somber mood in the snow. (Image: Angela Lyons)

    Budding photographers, take note: a competition is on for the best snap of the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. The winner will be flown up to Sydney to be an official photographer for day one of Sculpture by the Sea in Bondi, with the award-winning photo published in About Regional and Region Riverina. Find more information on how to enter here.