RV TRAVEL
Cooma is often regarded as being at the centre of the world famous Snowy Hydro Scheme and the gateway to some of the best snowfields that Australia has to offer. But it is also packed with history, with much to see and do, and great touring trails as well.
A good four-hour drive’ s south of Sydney, Cooma is now a major regional centre and a great base from which to explore the surrounding area.‘ Cooma’ means‘ Big Lake’ and was named by the local Aboriginal people – and there’ s definitely plenty of lakes around.
Explored by settlers in the early 1800s, it was soon realised that this region was full of open areas that made it excellent for grazing. The area has rich basalt soil and is regarded as the coldest region in Australia.
By 1850, plenty of substantial buildings had been erected, and the town grew as miners, prospectors and families moved in when gold was found nearby. The town emerged so quickly that by 1847 a local court was set-up, and by 1870 the Cooma jail was opened.
The old Royal Hotel in Cooma.
Inside the Cooma gaol.
BEHIND BARS
Like many regional towns, the best place for a heads-up is the local tourist information centre.
Around town, there’ s a 5km heritage walk past significant and historical buildings, several stunning park areas, memorials and lookouts. One of the main draw cards is the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre located on the outskirts of town. You could spend hours here learning about this amazing feat, construction for which began in 1949, with Cooma becoming the‘ hub’ for the scheme.
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