Thredbo Village, New South Wales: Travel guide and things to do

Unlike the other locations in the Kosciuszko area, Thredbo Village is legitimately an all year resort. This delightful township, located below the snowline on the Alpine Way 97 km from Cooma, 498 km from Sydney and 1370 m above sea level, is as close as Australia will ever get to a genuine alpine settlement. The chalets, the narrow winding streets, the skiing and bracing 'mountain walks' ambience all contribute to a feeling that this is like no other town in Australia.

Thredbo came into existence as the Thredbo gold diggings in the 1860s and while the river bed wasn't lined with nuggets (as it was at Kiandra) the miners persisted until the 1930s. In the 1950s, as the Alpine Way was built, more and more skiers came to the area to ski the slopes of Crackenback. The village slowly developed so that now it is one of the most attractive locations in the mountains.

Things to see

Snow and summer activities
Thredbo has a reputation as a ski resort (and not always a brilliant one as the snow is prone to run out before the slope does - although the acquisition of snow making equipment should remove these problems) the local businesses have made a concerted effort to make the summer attractions as interesting as the winter ones. The village boasts a golf course, tennis courts, mountain bicycling facilities, horse riding, and for the really adventurous, paragliding from Crackenback Mountain.

Walking to the top of Mount Kosciuszko
For the less adventurous, or even the passer by, a summer trip on the ski lift is a must. It rises 595 metres from the valley floor over some dramatic scenery and at the top (where there's a restaurant) the views over the valleys and the ranges of the Snowy Mountains are spectacular. For those determined to reach the top of the continent the walk to the top of Mount Kosciuszko is a pleasant 12 km (6 km each way) and usually takes around 4-6 hours. This is not a difficult walk. On New Years Day 2000, when we bravely made the journey to the top of the continent,we were beaten by a one-legged man.

The walk from the ski lift is not difficult. In fact, in order to protect the alpine flora, the National Parks and Wildlife Service have built metal walkways which make the walk even easier than it already is. National Parks have published a 37 page booklet titled Beyond the Snow Gums: The Alpine Area - Kosciuszko National Park which provides detailed information on the walk.

Walking in the Area
The Information Centre, located near the ski lifts, also has locally produced brochure which outlines a number of walks in the area including some easy ones around the village as well as a number on the mountain tops.