Adaminaby

On the water

The town once lay 9kms further southwest, until it was drowned by Lake Eucumbene as part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. The town and most of its significant buildings were relocated to higher ground in 1956.Lake Eucumbene is the largest lake in the Snowy Scheme, holding nine times the volume of water of Sydney Harbour. A fishing paradise for anglers, with an abundance of rainbow trout, brown trout and Atlantic salmon, the pristine alpine lake is also home to the Snowy Mountains Trout Festival, a competition open to all anglers. In summer, it’s a popular spot for swimming, canoeing and water skiing.

Lake Eucumbene, Adaminaby

One trout you cannot catch is Adaminaby’s very own ‘Big Thing’, the Big Trout, a 10m high fibreglass sculpture created by local artist and fisherman Adam Lomnici in 1973. The iconic sculpture pays homage to the wonderful fishing in the wild and beautiful rivers of this region and takes its rightful place alongside Australia’s other ‘Big Things’.

Things to do

Explore the history and heritage of Australia’s greatest engineering feat at the Snowy Scheme Museum, where you’ll find fascinating design, construction and operation artefacts. Exhibits include memorabilia and photographic displays along with bulldozers, a tunnel train and other vehicles used on the scheme.

Yarragobilly Caves Thermal Pool - Snowy Valleys

Kosciuszko National Park is an adventure playground for skiing and snowboarding in winter, with ski fields located at Perisher, Thredbo, Charlotte Pass and Selwyn Snow Resort. In the summer, explore hiking and mountain bike trails through stunning alpine scenery. Discover limestone formations on an underground tour of Yarrangobilly Caves. Afterwards, soak in the thermal pool, fed by spring waters naturally heated to 27 degrees.

Reynella Rides, Adaminaby

Experience the magic of the high country on horseback with a Reynella Rides horse riding adventure. Keep an eye out for wild brumbies and enjoy a billy tea and fresh damper by the fire with Cochran Horse Treks. Choose from single day to multi-day treks through the alpine countryside immortalised in Banjo Paterson’s poem The Man from Snowy River.

The Pines Cottage, Adaminaby - Credit: Rob Mulally/DPIE

Getting there & where to stay

Adaminaby is a 4 hour 45-min drive from Sydney, 6 hour 40-min drive from Melbourne and less than two hours from Canberra. Cooma is just 40 mins away. Qantas has direct flights from Sydney and Brisbane to Cooma during the ski season, while Rex Airlines flies between Sydney and Cooma twice a week. Rent a car or arrange a transfer to Adaminaby. There’s a good selection of places to stay in Adaminaby, including farmstays, cottages, hotels, B&Bs and the historic Currango Homestead.