Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in the New South Wales state in Australia. The mountain is 2,228 m (7,310 ft) high and is the highest mountain in Australia (excluding external territories).

It was named by the Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki in 1840, in honour of the Polish national hero General Tadeusz Kosciuszko, because of the mountain resemblance to the Kosciuszko's Mound in Krakow, Poland.

Mount Kosciuszko is not difficult to climb. There are two approach trails, one from the Charlotte Pass and the other from the picturesque mountain resort of Thredbo. Both trails meet at the Rawson's Pass where the highest public toilet in Australia is located. A few years ago it was possible to drive all the way from the Charlotte Pass to the Rawson's Pass, today the road is only available for hikers and cyclists. Although it is possible to ride a bike all the way to the summit, it is not permitted, and the bikes must be left behind at the Rawson's Pass.

At the end of 2007 the Jakobczyk Family gathers in Brisbane, Australia to attend the graduation of my daughter Jessica from the Queensland University Medical School. It is a perfect opportunity to extend our stay and to visit the east coast of Australia. Driving from Sydney to Melbourne we decide to stop in Thredbo and to climb Mount Kosciuszko. Our schedule is tight and we allow only one day to accomplish our goal. After all what's 2,228 m comparing with the Himalayas and Alps. Well......