The First Summit of Kosciuszko, and the unlikely link with the outback 

I think it’s a safe assumption that most Australians look up to the early explorers and all that they achieved. In what can easily be called a sedentary lifestyle that majority of the population now live where we binge watch Netflix and consider an afternoon walk an enormous feat, it’s crazy to think back to a time where people were traversing desert lands and climbing mountains. I suppose that’s why history is so intriguing; it reminds us of a time where it was the norm for humans to strive endlessly for greatness and conquer struggle. Two characteristics that the early European explorers that took on the challenge of exploring Australia all possessed.   The First Summit of Kosciusko is one of those triumphs remembered fondly by history buffs and everyday Joe’s alike. What one person looked at and said “that’s too steep” another decided to ascend. That of course was Paul Strzelecki.   If the name Strzelecki strikes you as familiar, you’re either remembering the Shane Warne, netball enthusiast from Kath and Kim or you’ve visited the stunning Strzelecki Desert in South Australia where the sunsets over our sunburnt nation are second to none. Unsurprisingly, the desert was not named after Sharon Strezelecki, but instead after Polish explorer Paul Edmund Strzelecki named by Charles Sturt. Paul’s expeditions were crucial in advancing European…