Thredbo is a ski village tucked into the upper valley of the Thredbo River in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, and in summer it has the slightly stunned air of a place waiting for snow. The chalets are built steeply on the hillside, the lifts stand idle, and the main street is quiet until the mountain bikers arrive. It sits inside Kosciuszko National Park, and Mount Kosciuszko itself, at 2,228 metres the highest mountain in Australia, is only a few kilometres away on foot.
The ride in from Jindabyne along the Alpine Way is one of the best in the country. The road follows the Thredbo River upstream through snow gum forest, with bends that tighten as the valley narrows, and the surface is generally well kept, though the park's wildlife is a hazard. Wombats, kangaroos and wallabies come out at dusk and dawn, and an unlucky collision with one of them can end a day. Watch your speed, and look well ahead through the corners, where animals can stand just beyond the apex.
Thredbo has a history that is part sad, part inspiring. It was established by Czech and Slovak engineer Tony Sponar and others after the Second World War, and its alpine style, with timber lodges and hearty cooking, reflects those European roots. In 1997 a landslide destroyed two ski lodges, and eighteen people died, with one man pulled alive from the wreckage after more than three days. The village remembers it quietly, and the community is proud of how it recovered.
Practical matters need a little thought. Entry to the national park is charged by vehicle, so expect to pay a fee at the gate, and in winter snow chains may be required on the road. Cold fronts can arrive quickly, even in summer, and rain at this altitude is cold. Thredbo has cafes, restaurants and a general store, and the village can feed you well, but fuel is a different matter: Jindabyne, thirty kilometres away, is the town with proper services, and it is wise to arrive here with a full tank.
If you have time, take the chairlift to the top station in summer for a walk toward the summit of Kosciuszko, and breathe in air that smells of eucalyptus and cold stone.