Cooma to Merimbula

Bounded out of bed at the crack of lunch time (7.30am really) and prepared for an assault on Australia's highest peak. I put some fruit, nuts, water and warm clothes in a day pack ready for the ascent. It was a frosty start with the mercury already rising to the lofty heights of 2 degrees. Still it had got down to zero overnight so 2 degrees was positively balmy. I had breakfast at a really dodgy Cafe then went to the Visitor Information Centre who promptly ruined my day.

I had read that you could get a chairlift from Thredbo to about 3 kilometres from the top of Kosciuszko (with the subsequent walk rated at a moderate level of difficulty). It said to allow 4.5 to 6 hours for the round trip all of which I had factored in to my day. What I hadn't factored in was the chairlift having maintenance. It was either  take another chairlift and add an extra hour or two to the walk (time I really didn't have) or shelve my Kosciuszko trip. I tossed up what to do and reluctantly abandoned my plans. I'm told that there was good visibility and a little snow on the Mountain but as it is a 1.5 hour drive to Thredbo from Cooma I literally didn't have enough hours in the day. Looks like I was stuck doing other things.

Mt Kosciuskzo

So I headed for the NSW Correctional Centre Museum which had an engrossing display of the history of prisons in NSW. It included a great section on prisoner restraints through time, examples of confiscated contraband (drug paraphernalia plus some mean looking weapons including knives and even a home made cross bow). There was a diverting section on escapes including a trojan horse style box of wood (made to look like a stack of lumber that two guys escaped within). The entire museum was staffed by the current inmates under the supervision of a very disinterested corrective service officer. Of course it included the obligatory gift shop. Hard sell/cell takes on a whole new meaning here.

Cooma Courthouse

Next it was off to the Snowy Hydro Discovery Centre and all its displays on cloud seeding and renewable energy.....blah, blah, blah. What was most interesting was the history and pioneering spirit of the place. It was enlightening to see the different nationalities that worked on it, the amazing engineering feats and the inhospitable conditions they often worked in. I availed myself of the amenities on the way out and noticed there was only paper towel in the bathroom. No environmentally friendly hot air hand dryers here. I guess the electricity must be too expensive.

Next stop was the town of Jindabyne, which obviously lives for tourists in particular during the ski season. A lot of businesses are geared solely for skiing with tyre chain hire and ski equipment hire obviously big business. While the place is awash with natural beauty I didn't really get a good vibe from Jindabyne. It had that sense of smug entitlement you find in a number of well to do suburbs. Be it the guys messing about in their boats to the teenagers making out in the park they were all filled by their own sense of importance. Housing was from the "I'm a rich bastard and own of chalet in the snow" school of architecture (who am I kidding I am just jealous), which individually was often stunning but collectively had a sameness about it. Anyway I used the last of the toilet paper in their public amenities and, feeling a little smug and important myself, left. 

I headed out through Dalgety where I was going to stop for lunch. As I arrived I noticed there was a big equestrian event on and their entire town had decamped to the show ground, both of them. I pushed on through the town, the vista opened up and gave me this most amazing view as I drove on to Bombala.

What can I say about Bombala. There is a crater on Mars called the Bombala Crater. Having been here I don't think I will need to there if you get the idea. Bombala is located 520 kilometres from Sydney and 530 kilometres from Melbourne. It was seriously considered as the home of our nation's capital for this very reason. What can I say but Canberra it aint. Maybe Street is the town's main drag and even maybe is a little optimistic. It is one of those sad little country towns that is withering on the vine. Many of the shops in the main street were closed and the attempt to brighten them up with now faded plastic flower arrangements only made it look all the more forlorn. 

It was 1.30pm when I called into the Imperial Hotel to order a counter lunch but the kitchen had already closed. Still that was still better than Bombala Hotel across the road, the kitchen had shut their sometime in the 80's, along with the entire pub. I had a chicken caesar wrap at a local cafe and pushed on. Through Bemboka, Bega and finally stopping at Merimbula.

I got to the tourist information office 10 minutes before closing time. They were still more than happy to help me. In that ten minutes I had a room booked, dinner planned, discovered where I could get the car washed and even where the best cafe for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast could be found. Things were looking up. I checked in to the Pelican Motel which has the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in and flirted with the lady on reception. She changed my mind about where I was eating that night (she was far prettier than the guy at the tourist office). I had a fabulous steak at the local RSL and went to bed feeling satisfied. 

The plan is to head to Walhalla in Victoria's Gippsland region next, then a day on the Mornington Peninsula, then on to Tassie.