The highest part of the mainland is Australia. Mountains of australia. St. Mary's Peak

Highest mountain in Australia

What is the highest peak in Australia?

Australia is one of the most mysterious and interesting places on the planet. For several hundred years there was no specific information about the mainland island, and most of the information was semi-legendary. Whatever it is now Australia is one of the richest countries in the world, its flora, fauna and nature in general attract hundreds of thousands of tourists from dozens of countries around the world.

Australia is also called the Green Continent, but in reality, most of it is semi-desert and desert. There are mountain ranges in the southeast. Here are the Australian Alps - the highest mountain system in Australia (part of the Great Dividing Range). On the territory of the Australian Mountains is the highest point of the Green Continent - mount Kostsyushko (2228 meters).

It was opened in 1840 by the Polish traveler-geologist Count Strzelecki. Mount Kostsyushko is named after the Polish general, hero of Belarus, Poland and America Tadeusz Kostsyushko. An interesting fact is that the early name "Kostsyushko" belonged to the neighboring mountain, as it was considered the highest. But later it turned out that Townsend, which is how Mount Kostsyushko used to be called, is 20 meters more. Out of respect for the discoverer, the Australians changed the name of the tallest mountain in order for the highest peak in Australia to continue to bear the name of the Polish hero.

The indigenous people of the Green Continent, whose number does not exceed 1.5% of the total population of the continent, call this mountain Tar-Gan-Zhil and consider it sacred. It is included in the informal mountaineering program of seven peaks (the idea of \u200b\u200bconquering all the highest points on the continents).

Tourist and aesthetic value of Mount Kostsyushko

Kostsyushko is an incredibly beautiful mountain, which is visited by representatives of dozens of countries around the world. It has become a kind of visiting card for visiting tourists, who rise in hundreds every year to conquer it. There is snow for seven months of the year, which makes this mountain an arena for competitions in winter sports. For professional climbers of the peaks, climbing the mountain is not of particular interest in terms of complexity. But even they climb here as part of the program of conquering all the highest points of the seven continents, and just in order to admire the beautiful nature. Having seen the beauty of the local landscapes, you can never forget them.

The tallest mountain in Australia is named after the Polish freedom fighter Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Visually, the peak of this mountain does not seem to be higher than the others in the mountain range. Since Mount Kostsyushko is only 20 meters higher than the neighboring mountains.

Features of Mount Kostsyushko

The Australians call the Kostsyushko mountain range not at all what it sounds like to the Russian-speaking population or Poles. They call this mountain "Cozy-Osco" in their Australian manner.

The height of the tallest mountain in Australia is 2228 meters. The neighboring Townsend Mountain falls slightly short of this peak, its height is 2209 meters. Although at first it was she who was the highest in Australia.

The peak was discovered in 1840. The mountain was then explored by the Pole Pavel Edmund. When he discovered this peak, he decided to assign it such a famous Polish name.

Kosciuszko is located in the Australian Alps. The mountain rises above the state of New South Wales in the territories of the national park. Kostsyushko is also the natural border of Wales with the state of Victoria.

« Initially, Edmund discovered not the highest mountain in Australia, but its neighbor, which is 20 meters lower. When the highest peak was discovered, Townsend and Kostsyushko changed their names so that the highest mountain range was still called the name of a Polish politician».

Kostsyushko is a rather gentle hill. Climbing it is not considered too dangerous. Today there is a lift on this mountain, a good road has been laid for walking and car tours. After all, the views from Kostsyushko are mesmerizing, and the weather conditions allow you to visit this mountain almost all year round. The national park at the foot of this mountain range is called "Kostsyushko". It is pronounced in the same way as the name of the highest mountain. This peak is part of the Great Dividing Range, therefore it is an important natural landmark.

Seven peaks, fourteen thousanders and other climbing records have become the goal for several generations of climbers. The Australian mountains are not included in this list, as there are simply no high mountains in Australia.

The highest mountain in Australia is Mount Kosciuszko, 2228 meters high.The mountain was named by the Polish explorer Pavel Tsheletsky, in honor of his compatriot, the leader of the Polish independence movement, Tadeusz Kosciuszko.

Its slopes are very gentle and from the point of view of the complexity of the ascent are of no interest to professionals. There is such a joke among climbers: it is easier to get injured in a collision with a cyclist on the Kosciuszko peak than from a fall.

Townsend or Kosciuszko

Another funny story is connected with this mountain. Initially, this mountain was called Townsend, but later it turned out that it is 20 meters higher than the highest mountain Kosciuszko. In order to preserve the current state of affairs, the authorities decided to rename Townsend to Kosciuszko, and Kosciuszko to Townsend. Thus, Mount Kosciuszko still remained the highest point in Australia. Australia's tallest mountain is the 71st highest mountain in the world, four times lower than Mount Everest.

Australia is the flattest continent on the planet due to the large age of the mountain formations. Large, of course, on a geological scale. Therefore, the average height above sea level in Australia is only 330 meters, which is the lowest value among the continents.

In addition to the Kosciuszko and Townsend mountains, you can bring a dozen more Australian mountains, which come close to the highest mountain in Australia. Most of them are located on the border of the states of New South Wales and Victoria and are part of the Great Dividing Range.

List of ten tallest mountains in Australia

Great Dividing Range of Australia

The Great Dividing Range plays an extremely important role in the creation of the climate of Australia, the history of its colonization and the development of the fauna of the continent.

The Great Dividing Range was formed millions of years ago, at a time when the future Australia was part of the proto-continent of Gondwana. This period is called the Pleocene (between 5.5 million years and 10,000 years ago). It was at that time that dinosaurs disappeared on earth and the first ancestors of modern man appeared. The mountains of the Ridge gradually collapsed, becoming isolated territories, on which a unique flora and fauna was formed.

The highest point in Australia is a mountain called Kostsyushko, which is located in New South Wales. The highest point is Kostsyushko - 2228 meters. Hikers can climb here along a specially equipped track. For everyone else, lifts work. And fans of skiing are attracted by the comfortable slopes.

Where is the mountain

Those who wish to conquer the highest peak of the continent should go to the south of Australia. Here, adjacent to the state of Victoria is the Australian Alps. It was part of this mountain system that Mount Kostsyushko became.

If you look at the map, then this peak is located 36.45 ° south latitude, as well as 148.27 ° east longitude.

The summit is located on the territory of the National Park, which has the same name. Travelers and lovers of natural attractions are waiting for amazing landscapes and thermal lakes, the water temperature in which does not drop below +27 ° C. On the territory of the park you can find a huge number of rare species of animals and plants, which can be seen during the excursion.


Regular buses do not go directly to the foot of the mountain. Therefore, those who decide to visit Kostsyushko should take care of personal transport or use the services of travel agencies that offer such tours.

Summit history

For many centuries, the locals called this mountain Tar-Gan-Zhil. These places were considered sacred, so no one came here without special need. Today their attitude to the place has not changed, but there are very few real natives left here. Most of the people who come here are tourists.

The modern name of Mount Kostsyushko, it received thanks to the traveler from Poland Pavel Edmund Strzelski, who, while visiting the mainland in 1840, found 2 nearby peaks. He decided to name one of them after the Pole Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who fought for the freedom of the people in America.


However, at the beginning there was a small incident. The fact is that in those years there was still no special equipment that could measure the exact height of the mountains. Therefore, visually assessing them, Strzelski climbed the neighboring mountain, which was originally named Kostsyushko. It was later renamed Townsland.

This peak still has this name and is 18 meters below Kosciuszko. The decision to rename the peaks was taken by the entire leadership of the state, because their pioneer really wanted the highest of the mountains to bear the name of the famous Polish revolutionary.

There are a lot of interesting points connected with the Kostsyushko peak:

  1. Not only mountain climbing enthusiasts want to come here, but also fans of ski slopes, who will find slopes of different difficulty levels here.
  2. This is one of the few mountain peaks where pensioners like to come. And the thing is that there is a comfortable lift. And the ascent itself is carried out directly from the foot of the mountain and reaches almost to the very top.
  3. In Australia, this peak is called Kosiosco.
  4. Mount Kostsyushko is included in the climbers' program “Conquering 7 Peaks”, even though it can be called a dwarf in comparison with such giants as Everest. But, no matter how white, it is the highest mountain on the continent.
  5. The optimal time for hiking this mountain is from November to March. It is at this time in Australia that summer.

The world's greatest peaks are a target for generations of climbers. Australia's mountains are not that high. And the highest mountain on the continent is not particularly uncommon. Although this is so, yet it cannot be deprived of its uniqueness and charm.

In the article, we'll talk about which mountain in Australia is the highest and what makes it remarkable.

Australia

Australia is the most mysterious continent, covered with amazing legends. Only a couple of centuries ago they knew about it only from some legends, and no one then suspected of its magnificence and fabulous beauty. Especially interesting is the fact that in Australia the seasons are diametrically opposite to the European ones.

The landscapes of Australia, rich in amazing vegetation, are also distinguished by their exoticism. The diversity of the fauna is also striking.

Relief

Before talking in more detail about which mountain in Australia is the highest (photos are presented in the article), you should describe the unique relief of the continent. Australia is largely a continent of plains, highlands and lowlands.

Despite the predominance of flat terrain, Australia also has mountain landscapes. Rocky massifs are located in the eastern territories of the continent. These are the East Australian mountains and the so-called Great Dividing Range. The second, 3500 km long, starts in Cape York (northern part) and ends in Tasmania. It goes around Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales. In terms of its size, the ridge ranks 4th in the world.

The East Australian mountains are on average only about 700 meters high, and the largest peak is Mount Kosciushko. The height of the mountains progresses from the northern part, and in the south they are even higher and wider. The average height is about 1 kilometer. The highest peaks of this part are Liverpool, Blue Mountains (World Heritage Site), etc.

High ridges are also located in the east, on the shores they have sharp cliffs in the direction of the Pacific Ocean. Their tops have pointed forms. In the western part of the continent, the ridges are lower and their tops are flat. The Blue Mountains are divided into western and eastern parts by hollows.

The peaks, one might say, go around the entire continent and turn it into a green bowl.

List of vertices

Which mountain is the tallest in Australia? For millions of years, the process of formation of mountains on Earth has been taking place. The destructive movements of tectonic plates, which have huge areas, lead to their formation. This is how the mountains of Australia were formed, including the highest point - Kostsyushko Peak.

Before presenting a list of the highest peaks of the exotic continent, we note the equally remarkable mountain located in the center of the country - Uluru.

It is interesting in that, having a height of only 348 meters, it leaves, bending in an arc, into the depths of the earth for 6000 meters. And at a distance of 25,000 meters from the Uluru peak, it comes to the surface again and rises to a height of 546 meters. But this peak already has a different name - Olga. Now let's find out which mountain is the highest in Australia.

Highest peaks in Australia:

  • Peaks Abbotts and Carruthers (2145 meters each);
  • Byattskamp (altitude 2159 m);
  • Alice Ravson (2160 m);
  • Ramshead and South Ramshead (heights of 2177 m);
  • The peak of the Etridge ridge without a name (2180 m);
  • Twineoma (height 2196 m);
  • Townsend (height 2209 m).

The height of Mount Kostsyushko is 2228 meters. If we consider the entire Australian plate, the highest point is Punchak-Jaya (4884 meters), located on about. New Guinea.

From the list above, it becomes clear which mountain in Australia is the highest.

Description of Mount Kostsyushko

The continent's highest mountain is located in the Australian Alps. The height of the peaks in it averages 700 meters.

Since the adjacent peaks are slightly smaller in size, there is almost no significant difference. And yet it is this mountain that looks more picturesque and harmonious.

There is snow on the tops of the mountain for six months, and the temperature at these heights reaches -10 ° C.

A bit of history

The peak became famous in 1840. Its discoverer is Count Strzelecki (Polish researcher). And it got a symbolic name - in honor of the hero of Poland Tadeusz Kostsyushko (leader of the movement for the country's independence).

It should be noted that the gentle slopes of the summit have never been of particular interest for professional mountaineers, since the ascent is not difficult. There is an anecdote on this topic among climbers, which says that on Kostsyushko it is easier to get an injury not from falling from it, but from a collision with a cyclist.

But the highest mountain in Australia attracts many tourists. What an excursion can be without visiting this charming peak, surrounded by wonderful landscapes stretching at the very foot and for many kilometers around.

  1. Which mountain is the tallest in Australia is a question that has previously been answered differently. Initially, the peak neighboring with Kostsyushko was considered as such. And this lasted until it was found out that she was 20 meters lower. Then the names of the peaks were simply changed among themselves.
  2. The Australians call this peak Kosiosco.
  3. The local population (old-timers), of whom there are very few left on the continent (1.5%), rank this mountain as a sacred place, and its name is Tar-Gan-Zhil.
  4. Kostsyushko is included in the climbing program "Conquering 7 Summits", although in comparison with giants (for example, Everest), she seems to be a dwarf.
  5. This is one of the few peaks chosen by pensioners, because there is a comfortable lift that transports people from the very bottom to the top.
  6. The best time for hiking up the mountain is from November to March. This time in Australia is summer.