Bombala


Bombala is a picturesque town in the far south east corner of New South Wales, known for its fine wool, beef cattle, timber and lavender production. Spotting resident paltypus in local streams is also a highlight.

Where is it?: Bombala is located 485 km south of Sydney; 80 km south of Cooma; 92 km east of Eden; 85 km north of Cann River, Vic.

Lookout: a lookout at Endeavour Reserve provides excellent views over the town.

Things To See and Do


Bombala Platypus Reserve, located 4.2 kilometres from the town centre, is an ideal spot to see platypus. The best times to see platypus are either early morning or late afternoon. A raised platform makes viewing easy for all age groups. The on-site information board provides you with comprehensive details about the platypus.

Heritage features: Olympia Cinema; National Australia Bank (1871); Literary Institute (1865)


The Olympia cinema in Bombala, famous for its nickelodeon style facade, first screened 'talkies' in 1931. The cinema closed in 1984, a period when many rural cinemas were closing their doors. A enthusiastic community group fixed it up in 1999 and ran a few screenings for a few years until it closed again. Now it's become part of the story of a resurgence in Bombala with its restoration as a gym.

Surrounding Area


South East Forest National Park (20 km) is the closest National Park to Bombala. Its scenic drives provide access to picnic areas at Six Mile Creek, White Rock River, Big Jack and Myanba Creek. Car-based camping is also allowed at various locations and lookouts and viewing platforms in the park fascilitate viewing of old-growth forests, swamps, fern-filled gullies and waterfalls. There are several great walks - the Swamp Walk around Nunnock Swamp and the Heritage Walk among them.




Eden (92 km east): the closest coastal town to Bombala, Eden is a former whaling centre, now a fishing port and increasingly popular holiday resort town. Eden occupies a position on the narrowest section of the coastal plain, surrounded by rugged hills that lead into the Great Dividing Range.


Cooma (80 km north): the main town of the Monaro region and regional centre of the Snowy Mountains. With a current population of over 9,500. It is situated on the Snowy Mountains Highway, connecting Bega with the Riverina, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains.


Cann River (85 km south): a tiny township in the state of Victoria, on the junction of the Cann River and Princes Highway 450 km east of Melbourne. Its importance and interest lie in its proximity to Croajingolong National Park and the access it provides to Point Hicks, the first land to be sighted by Europeans on the east coast of Australia in 1770.

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