Fast facts
- Rugged mountains and deep river valleys
- Famous as the heart of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme
- About five hours’ drive south-west of Sydney
Why go there
Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountains and the home of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, the biggest civil engineering project ever undertaken in Australia.
The excellent education centre provides a hands-on experience of the scheme, which employed more than 100,000 people from about 30 countries from 1949 until the completion of the project in 1974.
The town’s historic streets and heritage railway station recall the mid-1800s. Two national parks form a stunning backdrop to the town.
Things to do
- Drive to the top of Mount Gladstone for sweeping views of the mountains and the Monaro Plains.
- Admire the Tuross Falls in the 5-km Tuross River Gorge, in Wadbilliga National Park.
- Go horse riding on the high plains.
- Go fly-fishing for trout in the streams and lakes around Cooma.
Don’t miss
- Snowy Mountains Authority Information & Education Centre, Cooma.
- International Avenue of Flags, next to the Mosaic Time Walk, Centennial Park.
- The "Man from Snowy River" sculpture in Centennial Park.
- Cooma Monaro Railway, a 1924 rail motor that departs from Cooma’s historic railway station each weekend.
- The Lambie Town Walk, which passes an 1870s prison, still in use today, and the gallery in the former Lord Raglan Hotel, built in 1854.
Events
- Cooma Rodeo, in February.
- Cooma Show, in March.
- Cooma Street Fair, in November.
- Snowy Mountains Trout Festival, in November.
- Sundowner Cup Race Meeting, in December.
