Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

THE HIGH COUNTRY 581
nice swimming holes and sandy river beaches. The Barry Way leads through the
main township of Buchan, where you’ll find some of Australia’s best caves.
VISITOR INFORMATION The main place to get information on Snowy
River National Park and Alpine National Park is the Buchan Caves Information
Centre, in the Buchan Caves complex (Bucham Caves, VIC 3083). It’s
open daily from 9am to 4pm (closed Christmas). Or call Parks Victoria (& 13
19 63 in Victoria, or 03/5155 9264).
EXPLORING THE BUCHAN CAVES
The Buchan Caves (& 03/5155 9264) are set in a scenic valley that is particularly
beautiful in autumn, when all the European trees are losing their leaves.
Tourists can visit the Royal and Fairy caves (which are quite similar), with their
fabulous stalactites and stalagmites. There are several tours daily: April to September
at 11am, 1, and 3pm; October to March at 10 and 11:15am, 1, 2:15, and
3:30pm. Entry to one cave costs A$10 (US$6.50) for adults, A$5 (US$3.25) for
children ages 5 to 16, and A$25 (US$16) for families of five.
To reach the caves from the Princes Highway, turn off at Nowa Nowa (it’s
well-signposted), or if you’re coming south from Jindabyne in New South
Wales (see chapter 4) follow the Barry Way, which runs alongside the Snowy
River.
Want to feel like the Man from Snowy River? Snowy Mountain Rider Tours,
Karoonda Park, Gelantipy (& 03/5155 0220; fax 03/5155 0308), offers halfday
horseback rides in the Snowy River National Park for A$60 (US$39), and
full-day tours for A$120 (US$78) including lunch. Four-day trips including
camping and all meals costs A$520 (US$338). The company also arranges rafting
on Snowy River for A$120 (US$78) a day including lunch.
ALPINE NATIONAL PARK
333km (206 miles) NE of Melbourne, 670km (415 miles) SW of Sydney
Victoria’s largest national park at 646,000 hectares (1,595,620 acres), the Alpine
National Park connects the High Country areas of New South Wales and the
Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The park’s scenery is spectacular, encompassing
most of the state’s highest mountains, wild rivers, impressive escarpments,
forests, and high plains. Much of the park was devastated by horrific
bushfires in December 2002, but at the time of writing it was recovering quickly.
The flora is diverse; in all, some 1,100 plant species have been recorded within
the park’s boundaries, including 12 not found anywhere else. Walking here is
particularly good in spring and summer, when the Bogong High Plains are covered
in a carpet of wildflowers. Other impressive walking trails include the
5.7km (3.5-mile) route through Bryce Gorge to The Bluff, a 200m (356-ft.)
high rocky escarpment with panoramic views. Of the numerous other walking
tracks in the park, the most well known is the Alpine Walking Track, which
bisects the park for 400km (248 miles) from Walhalla to the township of Tom
Groggin, on the New South Wales border. There are plenty of access roads into
the park, though some close in winter.
If you are a keen walker, you could strap on your boots and see the area by foot.
Ecotrek (& 08/8383 7198; ecotrek@ozemail.com.au) offers an 8-day Bogong
Alpine Traverse trek, including 4 nights camping and 3 nights in ski lodges. You
carry your own pack, but the pain is worth it for the incredible panoramic views
of peaks, plains, and forested valleys. The trek costs A$1,150 (US$748), including
round-trip transport to Melbourne. The company also offers a 5-day trek that