Mt Kosciuszko, NSW

Length: 14km, fairly flat, allow all day Recommended age: 8+ A bit of a rite of passage for true blue Aussies, this is an opportunity to get to the highest point on the Australian mainland, 2228m-high Mt Kosciuszko. Compared to many of the Snowy Mountains’ other summits, it is not particularly steep or difficult. The best time is early summer, when the wildflowers will be at their most prolific. Nearly all year round there will be some snow patches on the ground, and usually enough to build a snowman and have a snow fight. In winter the area is completely covered in snow and not suitable for a family walk. There are several ways to the top, but the easiest is to take a chairlift from Thredbo to the top of the range. It’s a fun way to start and finish the walk, and usually the café at the top of the chairlift is open. Then there’s a 7km easy-walking mesh and paved track across the granite and snowgrass to the summit, and even toilet facilities a few hundred metres from the top. Weather can change quickly, so everyone should have warm clothes and a raincoat.

Alternative walks in the area: Teenagers capable of a harder walk would enjoy tackling the best track to the summit, which is the tough 22km loop from Charlottes Pass via Blue Lake. The walk crosses the Snowy River and the views from Blue Lake Lookout are sublime.