Cooma, New South Wales: The Gateway To The Snowy Mountains

The Australian town of Cooma is located in the state of New South Wales, some 120 kilometres north of the capital, Canberra. Its increasing popularity as a tourist destination in the winter season earned it the nickname, "Gateway to the Snowy Mountains. Cooma is located on the Snowy Mountains Highway, which connects Bega with the agricultural region of Riverina.

Cooma is the main town of the Monaro region. It was declared a municipality in 1879, almost half a decade after it was discovered by Capt JM Currie. The town, with a population of around 8,600, is the headquarters of the Snowy Mountain Scheme, which is the largest engineering project ever completed in Australian history.

The town's tourism industry has flourished over the past years due to the increasing number of tourists and those looking for fine Cooma Accommodation, headed to the New South Wales snow fields. However, the local government is struggling with water problems since the Murrumbidgee River ceased supplying water to the town in December 2006. The phenomenon is due to a severe drought experienced throughout the country.

Must-See Places:

 The Aviation Pioneers' Memorial showcases artefacts from an Avro 618 Ten aircraft that crashed on March 1931 at the Australian Alps. The remains of the plane, Southern Cloud, were not found until October 1958.
 The Cooma Court House is one of many court houses in New South Wales that were designed by Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis in the 1800s. It was completed in 1889 and is designed with French windows and a front veranda.
 The Snowy Mountains Scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation facility, which has been in operation since 1974. It is one of the most complex integrated power system in the world and is regarded as an important milestone in national development. The Snowy Mountains Scheme took about 25 years to construct and now supplies energy to the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, and Victoria.

I am a constant traveller to Australia and been to the gateway of the snowy mountains of Cooma NSW Australia. I won't forget that great Cooma Accommodation encounter that I had.