ADELONG, BATLOW, TUMUT
Scroll beyond the links below for town information
Scroll beyond the links below for town information
Adelong, Batlow and Tumut are around a 2 – 2.5 hour drive west of Canberra, 4 – 4.5 hours from Sydney and about 5 hours from Melbourne. These towns are only separated by about a 15-20 minute drive and are situated on the north-western end of the High Country of New South Wales, close to Kosciuszko National Park.
Adelong and Tumut are on the Snowy Mountains Highway, a stunning touring route that takes you through the remarkable Kosciuszko National Park to unforgettable scenery and historic High Country towns. Batlow lies at around twice the altitude of Adelong and Tumut and is renowned as a fruit growing region.
Adelong, with a population of just over 900, was first established in the late 1830’s and gold was discovered around Adelong in 1852. A gold rush followed and the town grew as gold seekers arrived from afar to search for gold along Adelong Creek and throughout the nearby creeks and hills. The township is in a picturesque valley with historic buildings having been preserved and can be enjoyed today on an informative, self-guided heritage town walk. The Adelong Alive Museum, in the main street, is open most weekends from 11am – 1pm (gold coin donation) and showcases the town’s history. Adelong features accommodation options, cafes, 2 country pubs and a range of retail and services.
The Adelong Falls Gold Mill Ruins dates back to 1872 and is a ‘must see’ historic site only 1.5kms from the main street. Entry is free and here you’ll find a viewing platform that overlooks the gorge and ruins below, interpretive signage and a walkway down to the preserved relics providing a fascinating insight into the workings of a gold processing mill. There’s a picnic area, toilets, disabled access and ample parking.
On the Snowy Mountains Highway just over a kilometre out of Adelong, heading towards Tumut, is a delightful old stone cottage that is well worth stopping by the roadside to view. It’s on private property but can be enjoyed from the roadside. According to the owner of the land, it was built by a Mr Richard Rodda in 1874 of a pink granite only found locally. Mr Rodda was born in Cornwall, England in 1824 and lived in the cottage with his wife, Margaret and 3 children. He had success in gold mining over the years and the head of the Stringybark Gully Mine was named after him, being called ‘Rodda’s Tunnel’. Mr Rodda died in 1899 at 74 years of age and Mrs Rodda lived in the home until the age of 92 when she moved out to live with their son. The cottage originally had a stringybark shingle roof and having not been lived in since the 1970’s, is gradually being restored and preserved.
Batlow, established in the mid 1850’s, about 25kms south of Adelong, lies at over 700 metres altitude and is best known for its cool climate fruit production, especially apples, with farm gate stalls offering an abundance of produce available seasonally. It almost seems like around every bend there’s another farm gate tempting us to stop and choose fresh produce, grown alongside these roadside stalls. Popular festivals include Ciderfest in May and the Apple Blossom Festival in October.
Batlow is a small town and offers a supermarket, a range of accommodation, cafes, restaurant, a country pub, a museum, 9 hole sand green golf course and services. About 350 metres south of the supermarket is Cherry Lane which takes you up a short, steep road to a lookout affording wide views over the town and to the Snowy Mountains beyond.
Tumut lies only a 15 minute drive from the northern end of the Kosciuszko National Park, on the Snowy Mountains Highway and was established on the banks of the Tumut River around 1850. It has a population of over 6000 and is a large town sitting in a beautiful valley location with spectacular Autumn colour and many historic buildings. A museum is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1 – 4pm and the town’s streetscape is well worth exploring on foot.
Tumut is a wonderful town for outdoor activities with fishing, a superb golf course, mountain bike park, riverside bike and walking tracks that provide seemingly endless opportunities to explore, including the Tumut Wetlands and lovely parks with great facilities. Popular annual events in Tumut include the Falling Leaf Festival in Autumn and Lanterns on the Lagoon in Spring.
Taking a leisurely drive throughout the area rewards you with avenues of Autumn colour, rolling landscapes and only a few kilometres along the Tumut Plains Rd you’ll find Junction Bridge, over the Tumut River. This bridge is Heritage Listed and was opened in 1893 and has an adjacent shady park with picnic areas in a quiet rural setting.
Blowering Dam, on the Tumut River, is under a half hour drive from Tumut offering fishing, camping and boating. The drive up into Kosciuszko National Park is a real highlight of touring this part of the High Country with stunning scenery unfolding every kilometre as you ascend into the alps. Emus, echidnas, kangaroos, wombats and many other native animals abound, so take care and enjoy the journey.
Further south, high up in the alps the Snowy Mountains Highway takes you to Talbingo and the ‘must see’ ghost town of Kiandra high up on the open plains at around 1400 metres altitude. This touring route from Tumut across the alpine landscape all the way through Adaminaby, near Lake Eucumbene and on to Cooma, is unforgettable, with brumbies often seen and preserved mountain huts, open for day visitors to experience. If you’re not venturing across to Cooma and beyond, Kiandra and the alpine landscape can easily be experienced within a 1.5 hour drive from Tumut.