As above, and so below
Exploring the snow and ski of Australia – a side of Oz most travellers aren’t aware of
Australia is renowned for its beaches and vast arid deserts. However, tucked away in the Southern Corner of New South Wales is the Kosciuszko National Park. This 6900 square kilometre park is home to some stunning alpine landscapes, Mount Kosciuszko (Australia’s tallest mountain, standing at 2228m) as well as a number of ski resorts. Yes, there is skiing in Australia; the area is covered in snow from late June, all the way through to late October.
The challenge from a photographic perspective is being able to access remote terrain in what can be rather trying weather conditions
– the main range is exposed and can be very windy. But to capture sunrise and sunset means camping out! So in
Yes, there is skiing in Australia; the area is covered in snow from late June to late October
mid-september, along with three others, I hiked to and set up camp on the summit of North Ramshead (2177m), Australia’s sixth-highest mountain.
With skis, camping equipment, food and clothing to deal with sub-zero weather, I had to keep my camera equipment to a bare minimum. I took my trusty Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/4l IS USM lens – my ideal combination for landscapes.
For hikes such as these I use the super lightweight Sirui T-024X carbon fibre tripod – this is a sub-kilogram tripod and head, and the best combination of weight and stability I have found for those heavy-duty hikes. I was blessed with some clear but very cold weather.
Being on the summit of North Ramshead gave me 360-degree views across the Main Range and some great photographic ops. With the photography trip finished by 7am, I also had the chance to enjoy a couple of days of backcountry skiing before returning in the afternoon to capture the sunset. An amazing experience!
I have used Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for my post-processing – mainly shadows and highlights, cropping, and masks to deal with dynamic range.