Overview
The Swiss Alps has an impressive one. Canada's famed Whistler Bowl does as well. And now New South Wales' Kosciuszko National Park has just scored a spectacular suspension bridge, too. Head to this just-opened spot in the Snowy Mountains and you'll be walking across a record-breaking structure, in fact — because it takes the crown as Australia's highest suspension bridge.
How high? Located between Guthega and Charlotte Pass in the Snowies, the new bridge sits a whopping 1627 metres above sea level. It's included in a new nine-kilometre track in the national park, and will eventually be part of the 55-kilometre Snowies Alpine Walk — which is opening in stages, with this marking the second leg.
"The Snowies Alpine Walk is putting New South Wales on the map for multi-day hikes, and it'll be a must-do walk for anyone who loves Tasmania's Cradle Mountain Overland Track" said NSW Minister for Environment James Griffin, announcing the bridge's opening.
"In fact, I reckon it'll be a strong competitor with the Overland," the Minister continued.
Make the trek and you'll not only be moseying across the highest suspension bridge in the country — you'll be taking in the stunning scenery, including the alpine and sub-alpine landscapes that are unique to the Snowy Mountains region.
Showcasing that terrain and its natural features, and helping cement the Snowies as a must-visit tourist destination, is understandably a key aim of the $17 million in funding that's been put towards the Snowies Alpine Walk by the NSW Government Regional Growth – Environment and Tourism Fund program.
At the federal level, an extra $10 million has come from the Australian Government's Regional Recovery Partnerships program, which is targeted at the fourth stage of the trail. Just when the third and fourth legs will open hasn't been revealed, but the third will span from Charlotte Pass through to Perisher, and the last from Perisher to Bullocks Flat.
For more information about the Snowies Alpine Walk, and the new bridge between Guthega and Charlotte Pass, head to the National Parks and Wildlife Services website.
Images: Boen Ferguson / Department of Planning and Environment.