Australian Camp

Australian Camp, also known as Thula Kharka is a popular hill top that offers stunning view of the Annapurna range. It lies northwest of Pokhara valley at an elevation of around 2060 meter above sea level. Australian Base Camp also known as ABC is one of the shortest and most popular hiking routes in Pokhara valley. The camp gives a stunning view of Annapurna South (7219 m), Mount Hinchuli (6441 m) and Mount Machhapuchhre, the fish tail mountain (6993 m) on the right. Hike to the camp site usually starts from Kande. Kande is around an hour from Pokhara. Australian Base Camp is around 1.5 to 2 hours hike. 

The Nepali name for Australian Camp, Thula Kharka means big pasture. It is said that the place used to be a seasonal herding place for domestic animals. It used to be a less known place for trekkers until the late 80s. It is said that during the late 80s, people from Austria found the place so beautiful that they would camp there for several days. They enjoyed the peaceful environment of the hillside and the mesmerizing view of the Himalayan range. Since then, people started to call it the Austrian Camp. It was difficult for the locals to pronounce the name and they started to call it the Australian Camp. This is how Thula Kharka got a new name, the Australian Camp.

There are several lodges established in the Australian camp with various facilities. Australian Camp hike is combined with various trekking routes like Mardi trek, Ghandruk trek and Ghorepani PoonHill trek. Dhampus village, a traditional gurung village is around an hour hike from Australian camp. It offers gorgeous views of golden rice terraces, majestic himalayan views and ethnic cultural experience.