Khancoban

Khancoban is one of those well-kept secrets, which only people who have actually visited or holidayed in this small, charming township know about. The secret to its unassuming success is its isolation. If you want to drive the 567 kilometres from Sydney via Jindabyne, you have to drive past Thredbo Village (and all the delights of the Kosciusko National Park region) and wind through the mountains before reaching this town, which is located only 13 kilometres from the Victorian border. This is a fully sealed road and a great tourist drive, taking in many places worth stopping at, such as Tom Groggin Station (where the Man from Snowy River lived and worked), Geehi Rest Area, Leatherbarrel Creek and Scammels Ridge Lookout, with awesome views of the Snowy Mountains. The road, known as the Alpine Way from Jindabyne to Khancoban, was constructed in 1956 as a direct result of the needs of the Snowy Mountain Authority. Prior to that there had been a track, which had been built in the early 1930s and supposedly followed the route the Aborigines took when making their annual pilgrimage to the Bogong Moth country. Unfortunately, the track was so steep (it rose 1800 metres in every 10 kilometres) that even cattle had difficulty using it. Located 300 metres above sea level on the edge of the Snowy Mountains (it is a southerly equivalent of Talbingo), it is a true gem. By any conventional measure, the autumn colours in Khancoban are equal to those in Tumut, Canberra or Bright. The valley turns a myriad of dramatic colours in the autumn as willows, poplars and other deciduous trees lose their leaves. Other activities in Khancoban include exploring the Kosciusko National Park, water sports on Khancoban Pondage such as boating, kayaking and swimming, visiting the interactive Snowy Hydro Murray 1 Visitor Centre and not to forget trout fishing, which the town is renowned for. There is also a National Parks Visitor Centre in Khancoban, with a theatre available for watching videos on the area as well as tourist information for the region and Kosciusko National Park.