In the final leg of his journey along 'The Road South', Tim leaves the Monaro Highway at Cooma and climbs up into the mountains via the Kosciuszko Road and Alpine Way to Thredbo. Here are his suggested stops along the way. Distances are from the Alpine Hotel, Cooma.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Country Comfort (0km)
Located at the intersection with the Snowy Mountains Highway, Monaro Highway and Kosciuszko Road, Cooma has long been a popular rest spot on "The Road South".
Boomerang Tours was one of the first companies to operate chauffeured car trips for tourists from Cooma to Mount Kosciuszko (when the road to there was open all the way to the peak). With the side of the car open to the elements, it would have been one hell of a drive. Give me the airconditioned comfort any day.
The town's original main street, Lambie Street, which is towards the southern end of town, is well worth a side trip to admire the old sandstone buildings, however arguably the best-loved landmark in the CBD is the Alpine Hotel.
The Alpine's licence was originally held in the gold mining town of Kiandra, 90km to the north-west and transferred to Cooma in 1938 when Kiandra was sadly razed. Venture indoors for a drink at its impressive solid Murray River red gum bar, from where you can watch the passing procession of snow bunnies heading into the mountains, and, more importantly, to warm up in front of one of several roaring open fires, including one in the main bar with a skeleton among the ashes – apparently a leftover prop from Halloween.
Billy Goat Bonanza (0.5km)
With no tourist sign enticing travellers from Cooma's main street, most travellers pass the unexpectedly lofty Nanny Goat Hill, completely unaware of it.
The lookout at the top (you can drive up to it) is part of the historic Lambie town walk and the Nanny Goat sculpture was created by local artist the late Chris Graham, who is also largely responsible for the creation of the Mosaic Time Walk in the town's Centennial Park.
Several years ago the goat featured in this column's photo quiz prompting David Jones, of Dickson, who lived near the hill for 14 years in the 1950s, to report that although he "saw plenty of rabbits and the occasional snake, he never saw a real goat", and Ian Blyton, of Nimmitabel, confessed that while he "has never seen a goat there", he did "take a young lady up there one night about 52 years ago... and is still married to her".
You can access the lookout via Vale and Massie streets. Oh, and best to heed Blyton's advice and keep your distance at night if you see a car parked with windows fogged up.
Monumental Memorial (0.5km)
This eye-catching memorial, just before the Cooma Back Creek Bridge on the main drag (Sharp Street) commemorates the captain, crew, and passengers who were lost in the Southern Cloud air crash of 1931 – Australia's first major aviation disaster.
The plane's whereabouts was one of Australia's biggest mysteries for almost three decades, until the wreckage was stumbled upon by Tom Sonter, a Snowy Hydro worker, while on a trek in the rugged realms of northern Kosciuszko National Park in 1958.
The memorial features the propeller from the Southern Cloud, which was apparently changed by an engineer just before its fatal flight.
Dieback disaster (from 30km)
Over the last decade a significant swath of the Monaro has been devastated by a widespread form of dieback which has resulted in many of the area's gum trees, especially manna gums (Eucalyptus viminalis) being defoliated and left standing like skeletons in a vast tree graveyard.
The affected area covers almost 2000 square kilometres (almost the size of the ACT) and extends from Cooma in the north to the outskirts of Jindabyne in the south and is clearly visible from Kosciuszko Road. The epicentre is near Berridale where in the paddocks and on the ridges extending to the horizon, it appears as if every tree is dead.
The jury is still out on the primary cause of death with endless opinions ranging from the past drought causing the trees to weaken, becoming more prone to eucalyptus weevil (native) attack which then ultimately kills them; lack of seasonal cool ground cover burning; soil fungus or the trees just naturally dying off at the edge of their range.
Cafe Culture (73km)
You don't need to be a schnapps connoisseur to appreciate Wildbrumby distillery, which since opening in 2006, has fast turned into a stand-alone destination.
The Austrian-inspired fare dished up in the kitchen cafe is to die for (regulars reckon it's the best apple strudel this side of Salzburg), and you can spend hours exploring the contemporary sculpture garden.
Call in after a cold snap, and check-out Richard Moffatt's large metallic orbs, which, when coated in snow resemble giant golf balls. Apparently these orbs form a constellation with 'Snowy Mountains Sphere', an even bigger metallic ball crafted by Moffatt which sits on the eastern side of Kosciuszko Road, just north of the Snowy Mountains Airport.
Surprising Stall (75km)
Just past Crackenback Farm on the eastern side of the Alpine Way is a modest road-side stall, so popular with regulars that queues here can sometimes be as long as those for chairlifts on the nearby resort slopes.
Stock up on free-range eggs, but also other locally produced goodies, including honey and jam. Yum!
Daring Birds (75-97km)
For several years, a family of emus have lived in bush on either side of the Alpine Way near Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa.
The flightless birds have an unfortunate habit of appearing unexpectedly on blind corners, so drive with caution, and only pull over to take photos if it's safe to do so.
If you prefer your emus to be less difficult to photograph, once in Thredbo, beat a path to the grass terrace below The Local Pub and Bistro where a life-size bronze emu and its chick, crafted by Silvio Apponyi, are tailor-made for the kids to play on. Enjoy.
SPOTTED
Rock Tower
While recently stepping out along the northern stretch of the Canberra Centenary Trail Janis Norman, of Spence, was surprised to discover a number of rock towers.
"We were walking from Forde to Hall along the trail and had not long left the Northern Border campsite when we came across these unusual structures near the Gungahlin eucalypt plantation," says Norman.
Norman wants to know what they are, impressed that, "someone has obviously gone to so much trouble to construct them".
Long-time readers may recall this column's investigation, several years ago, into the origin of similar rocks towers on other walking tracks around the region. Contrary to some outlandish theories this column concluded they weren't the work of out-of-place aliens as some had suggested, rather part of an expanding world-wide practice by bushwalkers to mark points of interest (especially lofty ones) with rock cairns.
In pursuing this line of inquiry for Norman's query, one of this column's regular bushwalking correspondents confessed that "it's become a tradition amongst some of those who regularly trek along the Centenary Trail to add a rock each time they walk past".
Are you one of the tower builders? Go on fess-up! It'll be interesting to see how tall they reach before they tumble down.
WHERE IN THE REGION?
Clue: Very close to one of our borders.
Degree of difficulty: Medium-hard
Last week: Congratulations to Jane Romeyn, of Fraser, who was first to correctly identify last week's photo, snapped by Barb Mitchell of Ngunnawal as Palmerville Heritage Park in Belconnen, bounded by Owen Dixon Drive, William Slim Drive and Barton Highway.
Palmerville was first "settled" by Europeans in 1826 preceding Hall and, of course, Canberra and remained a thriving settlement until the late 1800s until fires, demolition and land acquisition by the federal government saw the eventual decline of the property. It's now a dog off-leash area and the creek bed which sometimes ices over in winter is where Cooper, Mitchell's six-year old kelpie, "often ice skates on during early morning walks". I'd like to see that.
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am, Saturday June 25, 2016 with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.
CONTACT TIM: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns at: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/by/Tim-the-Yowie-Man-hvf8o
