Fast facts
- Old-style village nestled into a green valley in a mountain shire
- Famous for trout-filled, snow-fed streams that thread through alpine wilderness
- Six hours’ drive south-west of Sydney
Why go there
At the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, the area around Tumbarumba is a pristine wilderness where melting snow feeds crystal-clear streams and rivers – ideal for all styles of fishing.
Explorers Hume and Hovell trekked through here on their way to Port Philip in 1824, and you can retrace their steps on a 12-km walking track that follows Burra Creek, cutting through a tunnel built during the gold-mining days in the 1800s.
Not much has changed since then. Tumbarumba is a charming town with well conserved old buildings. It is surrounded by vineyards, trout streams and High Country sheep stations.
Things to do
- Go trout fishing in untamed mountain streams and dams.
- Join the Hume and Hovell Walking Track at Henry Angel Trackhead.
- Browse the antique shops in Tumbarumba.
- Explore Tumbarumba Creek, which winds through the heart of town.
- Savour cool-climate wines in the local vineyards.
- Try your hand at fossicking for gold and sapphires around Tumbarumba, Paddys River and Laurel Hill.
Don’t miss
- Tumbarumba Wool and Craft Centre, a small museum and shop selling local craftwork and wool products.
- Glenroy Pioneer Women’s Hut, with its outstanding collection of craftwork and household artefacts.
- The Boggy Creek Show, an entertaining re-creation of bush life and social customs.
- Maginnity’s Monument, where the bushranger Dan "Mad Dog" Morgan shot Sergeant Maginnity in 1884.
Events
- Tumbarumba Cup, in February.
- Tumbafest, a festival of country music, food and wine, in February.
- Snowy Mountains Trout Festival, in November.
- Heritage Week, in November.
- Tumbarumba Christmas Carnival, in December.
