Bendora Hut

Bendora Hut definitely isn’t the prettiest of the Kosciuszko Huts around, but as one of the closest huts to the centre of Canberra, it’s a fun one to tick off the list.

Sitting high in the Brindabella Ranges, right along the ACT/NSW border, there’s a fair chance that the hut will be snowbound during winter, and it was after a recent heavy snowfall that I packed my bike and headed up into the hills. There’s a few ways to reach the hut by bike, you can head up the ever popular Warks Road, or you can cycle up the main Brindabella Road (although this isn’t particularly pleasant on weekends when sharing the roads with many 4wds.

The hut was built in the 1940s to support workers from the Timber Bureau while establishing the Bendora Arboretum. While you can visit the hut, there’s no camping inside or out as it’s in the water catchment area. If you fancy catching another hut while you’re in the area, you can continue along Mt Franklin Road to Pryors Hut – although if you’re travelling by car or by bike you’ll need to park up at a locked gate around 5km from the hut and walk the rest of the way – it’s a no bike zone!

Here’s a few photos from a recent snowy trip:

Author: Mattie Gould

Mattie is an adventure writer and photographer that specialises in hiking, bikepacking and camping. He writes for Australian Geographic Adventure, We Are Explorers, Walkers Journal, Bike Gear Database and more.