Kosciusko

Mount Kosciuszko (nicknamed "Kozzy" by the notoriously casual Australians) is the highest peak on the world's flattest and smallest continent. Kosciuszko receives a lot of flak, especially from those who believe Puncak Jaya on New Guinea is the proper contribution of the Australia/Oceania continent to the "Seven Summits."

Actually, Australia has some remarkable mountainous topography, such as the Blue Mountains' escarpment sections, Tasmania's crags, and even Mount Townshend, a craggier peak around 1 km north of Kosciuszko and the continent's second highest peak. People might not object to the low elevation of the continent's high point if any of these places possessed Australia's pinnacle. Unfortunately, Australia is left with Mt. Kosciuszko, a ridiculously simple dome with an auto-passable road all the way to the top.

However, cars are not permitted on the road beyond Charlotte's Pass, thus reaching the summit requires a short climb of approximately an hour or so, depending on your fitness level. The wide-open countryside is gorgeous, and the elevation rise is minor. Another somewhat straightforward trek to the peak is from the Thredbo ski area to the south. In the winter, the area might be covered in deep snow. The summit was named after Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1817), a Polish military hero who participated in both the American and Polish wars of independence, by Polish-Australian explorer Paul Strzelecki in 1840. The peak reminded Strzelecki of Kosciuszko's grave in Krakow, Poland. Some believe he climbed Mount Townshend and believed it to be the highest peak in the world.

Height: 2,228m

Location: New South Wales, Australia