Australian Alps
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The Australian Alps is a general term for the highest mountain ranges in south-eastern Australia.
The term Great Dividing Range is used to describe the series of mountains and plateaus which run about 3000 kilometres from northern Queensland to central Victoria. These highlands divide the rivers and streams which flow eastwards into the Pacific Ocean, from those rivers and streams which flow inland to the Murray River system or internal catchments.
The highlands reach their greatest height in the region of far southern New South Wales and eastern Victoria. It is only in this region that peaks exceeding 2000 metres occur and it is only in this region that snow occurs regularly. The Snowy Mountains in southern New South Wales are a part of the Australian Alps.
These highlands are important for conservation, recreation and as a water catchment, with much of the eastern slopes' runoff diverted into the Murray River and its tributary the Murrumbidgee River through the Snowy Mountains Scheme. They contain large national parks and Australia's only ski resorts, which represent virtually the only permanent settlements in the area. Several medium-sized towns are present in the valleys immediately below including Jindabyne, Corryong, and Mount Beauty.
The "Alps" are mostly considerably less steep in character than their European counterparts, and most peaks can be reached without specialised mountaineering equipment (though there are some cliffs suitable for abseiling and rock climbing).
Significant areas in the Australian Alps include
Skiing areas include