KHANCOBAN
Scroll beyond the links below for town information
On the western side of the Snowy Mountains and in some of the most spectacular scenery in the High Country, is the picturesque town of Khancoban. Only 13kms from the Victorian border, Khancoban is just under 300kms south-west from Canberra, via Thredbo Alpine Resort and about 450kms north-east of Melbourne.
Khancoban was established around the 1870’s, although Europeans had settled in the district up to 30 years earlier and over the years, avenues of deciduous trees and a large rose garden were planted. These plantings provide colour and enjoyment for visitors and locals to this day.
Khancoban has a variety of accommodation options, a country pub, small town centre and a 9 hole golf course, with grass greens, in a beautiful setting. There’s also a skate park, playground & fitness stations, all in one picturesque location.
The Snowy Hydro Scheme has been a large and important part of the town since the 1960’s, with 2 power stations operating via huge pipes that run down the nearby mountainsides. Just over 7kms along The Alpine Way, east of Khancoban, is a roadside lookout over the Murray 1 Power Station, with informative signage about the scheme.
From the Autumn colours and the stunning reflections of mountains over the Khancoban Pondage (part of the Snowy Hydro Scheme) to the dream trout fishing waters, like the Swampy Plains River beside the town and the Murray River only a 10 minute drive towards Corryong, Khancoban is well worth a visit. There’s also many other smaller streams to explore throughout the surrounding High Country.
The drive from Corryong (Victoria) to Khancoban is one of the most stunning in all of the High Country. Travelling in this direction, the Snowy Mountains loom larger and more dramatically, the closer you get to Khancoban, with Winter providing a breathtaking backdrop when the Main Range is covered in snow.
24 kms west of Khancoban, at Upper Towong is the beautiful Indi Bridge Reserve on the banks of the Murray River. The turnoff onto the Upper Murray Rd is about halfway between Corryong and Khancoban. The reserve is 9km down the Upper Murray Rd (from the Murray Valley Highway/Alpine Way) and is a free campground with toilet and is suitable for tents and caravans. While not having many shady areas, this is a lovely setting with a large row of poplars on the opposite riverbank and easy access for fishing and swimming.
Heading up into Kosciuszko National Park from Khancoban, via the Alpine Way, towards Thredbo Alpine Resort (75km drive) and Jindabyne (110km drive), takes you through a landscape that gives you a real feeling of wilderness. It’s a winding, forested, sealed mountain road, with a steep climb up to Thredbo from the Tom Groggin Campground where the road climbs around 1000 metres in altitude over about 18kms. About 20kms south of Khancoban along The Alpine Way is Scammells Lookout, affording spectacular views of the western side of the Snowy Mountains, including the 2nd highest peak in Australia, Mt Townsend, at 2209 metres altitude.
It’s a unique drive, often with native animals such as emus and kangaroos seen and as you approach the highest point of the Alpine Way, at Dead Horse Gap, at around 1600 metres altitude, brumbies can often be seen on and beside the road. The whole of the Alpine Way, like most forested, mountain roads, should be driven with care and unhurried. Allow at least a couple of hours for the trip and stop off to explore the campgrounds, rivers and creeks and soak in the wilderness feeling, that we don’t often get by arriving somewhere by car! It’s a sealed, narrow road with some very tight corners and is unsuitable for caravans. There have been caravans on the road when we’ve gone through and the longer the caravan, the more difficulty you can get yourself and others into.
The 2 main campgrounds along The Alpine Way are at Tom Groggin and Geehi Flats. Both of these riverside campgrounds are free, with huge areas of space, set among a mountainous backdrop. Tom Groggin is next to the historic Tom Groggin Station, which has been farming cattle since around 1860. This was the home of John (Jack) Riley, said to be Banjo Paterson’s ‘Man From Snowy River’, who was the Station Manager from the 1880’s. The campground is alongside the Murray River and more information can be found here
Geehi Flats Campground is alongside the Swampy Plains River and features a superb old mountain hut, Geehi Hut, made of river stones and in a delightful setting. This campground has views to the towering western side of the Main Range and these rugged crags look even more stunning in sunset light. More information can be found here
