Mt Kosciuszko is Australia’s tallest mountain at 2,228 metres (7,310 ft) above sea level. We went to visit over a long weekend. I was surprised by how different Thredbo, the little town at the bottom of the mountain, felt from the rest of Australia.
My husband and I LOVE walking. Our kids…not so much. Once we had taken the ski lift, it was still a 15 km round trip, and although it was only a mild incline most of the way to the top, it was still 15 km of walking.
As a family, we know it is important to do hard things. This is one of the ways we grow and find our inner resources. As parents of moaning children, we sometimes wonder what we are doing and if it is worth it.
Some things we learnt along the way:
- The freshwater running down the mountain was COLD and delicious – we all had some
- My 11-year-old found that if we play word games, it takes her mind off the walking, and she enjoys it more.
- She also found that if we make lots of small goals along the way, she feels like she is achieving something and doesn’t feel overwhelmed.
- Walking down was much easier than getting up.
- You can only go as fast as the slowest person.
- Long walks give us time to talk in pairs and not get distracted by life.
- Snacks are essential!!!
Although it was hard, a few days after the walk, one of the kids said, “I think one of my biggest achievements so far is climbing Mt Kosciuszko”.
What is one of the best walks you have done?