Snowy Mountains – Travel guide at Wikivoyage

Snowy Mountains – Travel guide at Wikivoyage
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From Wikivoyage
Oceania
Australia
New South Wales
Southeastern New South Wales
Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
Contents
Understand
1.1
Flora and fauna
1.2
Tourist information
Cities
Other destinations
3.1
Ski resorts
Get in
Get around
See
Do
Buy
Eat
10
Drink
11
Sleep
12
Go next
For other "snowy mountains" see
Sierra Nevada (disambiguation)
, for example.
The
Snowy Mountains
, nicknamed the
Snowies
(or
Snowys
), is a region in
Southeastern
New South Wales
. The highest region of mainland Australia and one of the cooler areas of New South Wales, they are notable for their ski-fields and are the centre of snow sports in New South Wales.
Understand
edit
Talbingo Dam, one of the dams created as part of the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme
The Snowies are the tallest in Australia (if still no match for New Zealand or New Guinea) and the best it gets in terms of alpine weather on the continent. While the mountains here are nowhere near as tall as New Guinea's 4500-m mountain range, those don't receive as much snowfall as the Snowies. Interestingly, the Australian Alps receive more snowfall than the Swiss Alps, which sounds unusual to most.
Flora and fauna
edit
The usual alpine vegetation, as well as kangaroos, dingos, etc.
Emus
, a rare sight elsewhere in New South Wales, are frequently spotted around Mt Kosciusko National Park.
Tourist information
edit
Snowy Mountains Tourism information
Cities
edit
'"`UNIQ--maplink-00000002-QINU`"'
Map of Snowy Mountains
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Adaminaby
– at the eastern end of the Snowy Mountains Hwy section of Kosciuszko National Park.
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Berridale
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Bombala
– historically a significant regional centre, though its importance has since dwindled down.
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149.120498
Cooma
– the modern regional centre for the Snowies and a budget alternative for accommodation.
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148.615409
Jindabyne
– just below the snowline.
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148.145022
MISSING WIKILINK
Khancoban
– a Snowy Hydro town near the Victorian border.
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149.284444
Nimmitabel
– another town whose importance dwindled down since the closure of the Bombala Railway Line.
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148.3
Talbingo
– another small Snowy Hydro town with a big dam.
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148.016667
Tumbarumba
– a timber town and the regional centre of the southern Snowy Valleys, comes out alive for the annual Tumbafest.
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10
Tumut
– on the border with the Riverina region, this town is an entry to the Snowy Mountains.
Other destinations
edit
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148.26
Kosciuszko National Park
– home to the highest mountain on the Australian continent
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Alpine Way
– scenic road that runs from Jindy to Khancoban.
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Yarrangobilly Caves
– several caves + a hot spring.
Ski resorts
edit
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Charlotte Pass
– village and ski resort, snowbound in winter
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148.509444
Crackenback
– close to the Bullocks Flat Skitube to Perisher
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148.412
Perisher
– Australia's largest ski resort, based at Perisher Valley, but also including Guthega, and ski fields at Smiggins Holes and Mount Blue Cow
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148.305
Thredbo
– village and ski resort, the best Australia can offer for an alpine village
Get in
edit
The Snowy Mountains are on
Australia
's eastern seaboard and are equidistant from
Sydney
and
Melbourne
Most people travel to the region by car as this is the most flexible and rewarding way of exploring the mountains. However for visitors traveling from afar, there are regular bus services to
Cooma
and
Tumut
from
Sydney
and
Canberra
, and many plane connections into
Canberra
CBR
IATA
) with car hire available. Flights also serve Cooma Snowy Mountains Airport (
OOM
IATA
), however, delays are common due to morning fog.
The Snowies are well served by a network of sealed roads with diverse and spectacular scenery. The Alpine Way from Jindabyne to Khancoban, the Snowy Mountains Highway between Tumut and Cooma, the Monaro Highway running south from Canberra and the Elliot Way from Tumbarumba to Cabramurra all pass through stunning landscapes.
If you are just interested in the skiing,
Murrays
offer a day trip from
Canberra
to the ski resorts during the ski season, with lift packages, and one-way fares available. Often you can get this bus for little more than the cost of the lift passes and ski hire.
If you are coming from the south via Khancoban, make sure to fill up at the Independent there, since that will be the last stop for alpine diesel or even just normal fuel for the mountain drive up north which takes 78 km and 2 hours. There are numerous coffee shops nearby as well, so your cup of coffee or hot chocie won't be missed. This is also the only part where you might see snow on the road throughout winter, due to the high altitude of 1600 m, but the entire journey's elevation ranges from 250 m in Khancoban to about 1600 m in Siberia.
Get around
edit
Rental car restrictions:
Many rental car companies forbid you from taking your car past
Jindabyne
during winter (usually Barry Way, Alpine Way up to Khancoban, and Kosciuszko Rd). If you are renting a car, make sure your rental car company allows you to take your rental car (with or without chains) on those roads.
Uhm..., maybe leave your car at Bullocks Flat (if visiting Perisher) if you don't want to have to deal with this
During winter
snow chains must be carried by 2WD vehicles on the Alpine Way, Kosciuszko Rd and Guthega Road
. Some roads may close at short notice,
so check conditions on the official New South Wales traffic site
When in town, it's best to walk rather than take the car. Cars can be freezing in the mornings, and often it's not worth the effort to take it out and park it. When climbing up, gondolas are also available, however, passes are required.
The nearest fully run airport is in Cooma
OOM
IATA
, however, to get around, flights won't do the job, so you'll need to know how to drive, and not just urban driving, but also driving on narrow winding roads that vary in elevation. See
driving in New Zealand
for some useful advice. Since 2024, TfNSW has new
bus services
from Jinabyne to Thredbo and Perisher.
See
edit
Tracks near
Perisher
Resort
Australia's high country is home to spectacular peaks, clear mountain streams and a plethora of accessible natural attractions for lovers of the outdoors. Walking and horseriding are two great ways to explore the alpine landscape and take in some of the country's most impressive scenery in the warmer months.
The Snowy Mountains is a significant and untamable high country where many Australian myths and traditions of Australian identity were born. Whether from nature's pure beauty or legends of early settlers, there's a story to be told and history to be learnt - from icons like the heights of Mount Kosciuszko to the famous high country huts, to Snowy Hydro feats of ingenuity, beautiful mountain brumbies and to rivers that flow with legends.
The Snowy Mountains Scheme is one of Australia's largest engineering and construction operations. The idea behind the scheme is to divert the winter snowmelt waters westward into the Murrumbidgee rivers, irrigating large parts of inland Australia and at the same time generating Hydro-Electricity. There are several large lakes, tunnels, and Hydro power stations that form part of the scheme that you can visit. Tours take visitors a kilometre into the mountainside and offer a vivid insight into the sheer scope of this iconic part of the nation's post-war development.
You can see the headwaters of the Murray River at Tom Groggin, along the Alpine Way between
Thredbo
and
Khancoban
Do
edit
Snowboarders and skiers at Mount Blue Cow, part of the
Perisher
Resort
The mountains are beautiful year round and the region annually attracts some three million visitors seeking nature-based and adventure holidays.
If you've come this far, you can't go home without doing some form of snow-related activity. Skiing is by far the most common activity, but snowboarding is still very popular. If it's your first time visiting the Snowy Mountains, most beginner skiers choose to ski at one of the state's two main ski resorts: Perisher and Thredbo. For skiers up for a challenge, Charlotte Pass or Cabramurra are two off-the-beaten-track ski resorts designed for skiers with previous skiing experience.
The Snowy Mountains offer a variety of attractions, outdoor activities, tours and events, whether you're after a rugged back-to-nature experience, want to be cosseted in alpine splendor or feel like going somewhere beautiful, diverse and interesting with the whole family.
Abseiling, rock climbing and caving
Bushwalking, the top of Australia is only a few hours hiking from
Charlotte Pass
or
Thredbo
during summer via the many
Mount Kosciuszko summit trails
Cycling/mountain biking and motorcycling
Fishing
Horse riding
White water rafting, kayaking and canoeing
In winter, alpine skiing and snowboarding.
Thredbo
Perisher
, Mount Selwyn, or
Charlotte Pass
all have a large variety of terrain for beginners to advanced. You can ski with gum trees. Snow shoeing and cross country skiing: see also
Winter sports in Australia
Mt Tate Backcountry Skiing
A wide variety of Backcountry/off-piste skiing/spit boarding options are available and easily accessible from Guthega and Dead Horse Gap.
Snowy Mountains Backcountry
+61 400 349 319
Guided backcountry skiing/snowboarding/snowshoeing tours, equipment hire and sales.
updated Sep 2020
Buy
edit
For supplies, large towns like Cooma or Tumut should have a Woolies (Woolworths) or a Coles. If in a small town, then there are smaller local shops for you to get your supplies from.
To get ski equipment, renting equipment is often cheaper at cities or large towns and in some cases, the equipment may be of better quality. Snow chains are also cheaper to rent here, and some shops are open 24 hours a day. However, if you can't have access to one of these towns, then equipment is available at the ski. However, these can be a little expensive and have a lower quality.
Eat
edit
There are many places to eat and drink in the Snowy Mountains. Cafes are scattered all around the towns, including the mountain resorts at
Thredbo
or
Perisher
Finding good food in big towns like Jindabyne or Cooma is usually not a problem. These towns have a diverse range of good restaurants, cafes and eating establishments in general. Food prices are also reasonable, mainly because these towns are more accessible and well below the snow line.
Although you can find good food in the towns, it is very limited in Thredbo and Perisher Valley, and even more so in more remote ski resorts like Charlotte Pass or Blue Cow. They tend to be sparse, expensive, and in winter, very crowded (although this is true at all ski resorts). High quality food is available, but expect to find a fair amount of low-quality expensive food. In particular the cheap foods, like pizza, can be on the expensive side in the mountains with less competition.
In other non-tourist towns like Bombala or Talbingo, variety tends to be limited but often inexpensive. Usually you will find a few cafes and one or two restaurants.
Drink
edit
Most towns usually have at least one pub. Expect all drinking holes to get packed to the rafters during ski season. The closest thing to an
après ski
scene in Australia is at
Thredbo
, but even this is more live music at pubs than spraying champagne bottles at each other at a nightclub.
Sleep
edit
There's a wide range of accommodation in the Snowies, but the bulk of it is in utilitarian apartment blocks or motels. Budget accommodation is generally in short supply, although there's a solitary hostel in
Thredbo
and camping can be a good option in summer or, if you're hardcore enough, in winter.
During ski season, particularly the mid-July winter school holidays, minimum stay restrictions apply (usually F-Su or Su-F), prices go through the roof (a mediocre apartment can easily cost $1000/night) and many places still sell out.
Go next
edit
The Snowy Mountains area is in
New South Wales
, which holds tons of great activities, and is also near the Australian capital,
Canberra
. If you want to experience more snow on the other side of the border,
High Country
is just on the other side of the Murray.
This
region
travel guide to
Snowy Mountains
is a
usable
article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but please
feel free to improve
it
by editing the page
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