If you happen to be travelling from Canberra to Cooma and you have some time to spare, then why not take a more scenic route? Rather than just going straight down the Monaro Highway, we recommend going via Bungendore and Braidwood.
BUNGENDORE
Bungendore was once just a small village. Now it is rapidly expanding due to its close proximity to Canberra. It is a great spot to stop with lots of coffee shops, craft shops and old world buildings. Although we didn’t stay there, there are plenty of accommodation options. There are lots of B&B’s, pubs or camping is available at the local Showground.
BRAIDWOOD
From Bungendore it is just a short half hour drive to Braidwood. Braidwood itself is a very old town. The area was first discovered in 1821 and settled shortly after. It grew rapidly during the gold rush in the 1850’s. The entire town has been classified by the National Trust and there are many historic buildings still standing and still in use.
Right in the middle of Braidwood is a lovely park which is a great spot to stop for lunch or a walk around the town.
WYANBENE CAVES
Just over 55 kilometres out of Braidwood is the Deua National Park where you will find Wyanbene Caves. There is an actual cave there that you can go into. I wouldn’t recommend doing this unless you have the right equipment and perhaps some prior caving experience. Ben was game enough to climb down the ladder into the cave a little way. You could immediately feel the difference in temperature given that it was a very hot day.
The camp area is very basic but would be suitable for an overnight stay. There are a couple of picnic tables and BBQ’s and a drop toilet.
We were lucky that there was a nice river on the road into Wyanbene where we were able to stop for a cool down and a leg stretch.
Back on the main road, we climbed higher and higher until we seemed to be travelling along the ridgeline of part of the Great Dividing Range. The road in most parts was all gravel but was in good condition and our 4WD had no trouble towing the camper across. All the way along the views were spectacular.
COOMA
Pulling into Cooma in the late afternoon we checked into the Snowy Mountain Tourist Park. Located on the outskirts of town on the Cooma – Berridale Road it was a good pick. As it wasn’t busy we were able to choose our own site so we set up right next to the camp kitchen.
The campsites are cut into the hillside and all are levelled out. Some didn’t have good access to them so may only be suitable for tents. There were also plenty of
I might also suggest that no matter what time of year you visit Cooma that you take extra blankets. We didn’t and found the night very cold for January.
We loved taking this back road from Canberra to Cooma. It meant we got to see a couple more out of the way places that we might otherwise have missed.
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