Australian Alps
Southeastern and highest area of the Eastern Highlands of Australia, extending for about 433 km/269 mi through Victoria and New South Wales in a northeasterly direction, and forming a continuation of the Great Dividing Range. They include the Snowy Mountains and Mount Kosciusko, Australia's highest mountain, 2,229 m/7,316 ft. The Alps are popular for winter sports.
Other high peaks are Mount Townsend (2,212 m/7257 ft) and Mount Bogong (1984 m/6509 ft).
| The mountains are mostly well-wooded and seldom reach the snowline, but in winter have heavy falls of snow. The area is the location of the Snowy Mountains Scheme, a large hydroelectric project which was constructed between 1949 and 1974. It comprises a network of dams, powerstations, and pumping stations that supply water and electricity to much of New South Wales and parts of Victoria; the main dam is at Lake Eucumbene, which has a total capacity of eight times the volume of Sydney Harbour. |
