Australian Alps

Way down in the southeast of Australia are the Australian Alps! They are like a giant, bumpy backbone for the land. These mountains are so tall that they are the highest in all of mainland Australia.

Think of them as Australia's own little piece of the Himalayas! They stretch across three places: Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. It's here that you can find the only spots in Australia that get snow every single year.

How cool is that for a country known for sunshine?

These mountains are famous for having the only peaks in Australia that are taller than 2,000 meters. That's super high, way taller than the tallest giraffe you can imagine! Because they are so high, they get lots of snow in the winter.

This makes them a fantastic place for skiing and snowboarding. It's like a winter wonderland right in Australia! The whole mountain area is really, really big, covering an area larger than many small countries combined.

The Australian Alps are actually part of a much, much bigger mountain family called the Great Dividing Range. This range is like a super-long road of mountains and hills that goes for thousands of kilometers all the way up Australia! It's so important because it helps decide where the rivers flow.

Some rivers run to the east, towards the big blue ocean, and others flow west into the middle of Australia. It's like a giant water divider!

The Australian Alps are split into two main parts. One part is called the Snowy Mountains, and it has places like the Brindabella Range. This is mostly in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.

The other part is the Victorian Alps, found in Victoria. People often call this part the 'High Country' because it's so high up and has a special, wild feeling. Both parts are amazing places to explore!