Fishing, riding, biking and bushwalking from the doorstep — or a chair by the river and nowhere to be. Here's what's on offer, on the property and around the region.
Some guests come to fish, ride and explore trails from sunrise to sunset. Others are happy with the sound of the river, a book, and a barbeque on the balcony. Both are the right way to do it.
Six rivers and countless streams sit on Elm Cottage's doorstep, including the Murray, the Murrumbidgee and the Goobarragandra running right past the cottages. Fly fish or spin for trout from the October long weekend through to the King's Birthday weekend, or head to Blowering, Talbingo or Jounama dams — together holding more than ten times the volume of Sydney Harbour — for something bigger. Good spots to start include the Tumut River between Riverglade Caravan Park and Mill Angle, the footbridge near the Snowy Mountains Trout Farm, and the Thomas Boyd Trackhead on the Goobarragandra. Bag limits are five fish a day in the rivers and ten in the dams, with a 25cm minimum size for trout. A current NSW fishing licence is required — pick one up, along with local advice, from David at Tumut's Fishing, Camping and Outdoor store on Wynyard Street (6947 1100).
Have a full day fly fishing via drift boat — visit haulflyfishing.com or call Angus Reynolds on 0422 499 839. For half or full-day guided instruction with Dave Hawthorne, rates run from $280 for one person (half day) up to $635 for three (full day).
The Goobarragandra runs right past your cottage — perfect for a lazy drift downstream on a large inner tube, fun for the whole family. For something faster, Blowering and Talbingo dams open up around 70km of open water with numerous launching spots, drawing waterskiers and wakeboarders, while the Tumut River offers kayaking for the more experienced — it can run fast, so check water levels and flow rates first, as it isn't recommended for inexperienced or nervous paddlers.
Tumut sits at the start of some of Australia's best bushwalking, accessible year-round. The easy Tumut River Walk (2.5km, 1–2 hours) hugs the riverbank past the Tumut Community Labyrinth. Blowering Cliffs (5km return, 2–3 hours) climbs through montane forest to views over Blowering Dam and a waterfall trickling down the cliffs. Clarke Gorge (5km, 3–4 hours) follows Cave Creek past cave entrances to a waterfall, while the more demanding Nichols Gorge (7km) continues along the creek through karst country for experienced walkers. Warogong Sugarloaf (11km, 4–5 hours) and the Geehi Walk (6km, 2–3 hours, passing the historic Geehi, Keebles and Old Geehi huts) are both worth the effort, and the Blue Water Holes walks in Kosciuszko National Park wind through striking limestone formations to clear, cold swimming holes. For something longer, tackle a stretch of the multi-day Hume and Hovell Track, which starts at the Thomas Boyd Trackhead on the Goobarragandra, about 23km east of Tumut.
One of the region's best-kept secrets: Tumut and Tumbarumba have some of the most adventurous mountain bike trails in regional Australia. Tumut State Forest has four marked trails — Mundowie Loop (red, 3.3km, intermediate), Womboyne Trail (blue, 2.3km, intermediate), GC Mile (purple, 1.6km, advanced) and MTB Loop (green, 1.2km, advanced) — for cyclists and walkers only, please, no motorbikes or horses. The purpose-built Tumut MTB Park adds four more intermediate-to-advanced trails close to town, with a trailhead off Sydney Street. Bring a riding companion, let someone know where you're headed, and carry a repair kit and refreshments — track conditions change and you'll share the forest with other users.
Visit trailforks.com/region/tumut-mtb-park-14058 for trail maps and conditions.
For bike hire or a guided mountain bike safari, call Michelle at Ground Up Tumut on 6947 4909.
Argalong Trail Rides takes you through the scenic foothills of the Argalong Range, about 30km — roughly 40 minutes — from Elm Cottage. Riding helmets are supplied, bookings are essential and fill early, and it's worth packing long sleeves and sturdy trousers with riding boots or sturdy rubber-soled sneakers for the trail.
Call Donna to book your horse riding experience on 0435 812 152, or visit their Facebook page.
Tumut Golf Club's picturesque 18 holes are short in distance but deceptively challenging, calling for real thought before every club selection — the 16th has humbled better players than you'd expect. The course is open seven days, with equipment and motorised cart hire on hand, kangaroos and native birds for company, and a good 19th hole to debrief in afterwards. Gundagai's course tests all levels of skill, and Talbingo Country Club is a relaxed option for the social golfer.
Elm Cottage's riverside setting makes for easy birdwatching without leaving the garden — expect Wood Duck, Pacific Black Duck, White-necked Heron, Willie Wagtail, Grey Fantail, Scarlet Robin, Wedge-tailed Eagle, Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Crimson Rosella, Laughing Kookaburra, Satin Bowerbird and Australian Raven, among others. A walk into town turns up water birds — Great Cormorant, Great Egret, Australian Ibis, Purple Swamphen — and raptors like the Whistling Kite. The Blowering Cliffs walk is good for Common Bronzewing, Gang-gang Cockatoo and White-winged Chough, while the Weeraboolera State Conservation Area is home to Australian King-Parrot, White-throated Treecreeper and Spotted Quail-thrush.
A trip to the Snowys is never complete without seeing the region from the air. Air Escape, one of Australia's best social flying clubs, is based nearby — take a trial flight in a microlight or ultralight, or build up your training hours, for a rare sense of scale over the Snowy Hydro Scheme and the hidden valley around it.
Find out more at airescape.com.au.
Selwyn Snow Resort, committed to being one of the most affordable snowfields in the Snowy Mountains, is an easy drive from Elm Cottage — with lift tickets, tobogganing, snowsports instruction and equipment hire all on offer for a day, or several, on the snow.
The Snowy Mountains food and wine scene has grown fast. Taste cold-climate wines overlooking the vines at family-owned Courabyra Wines, call in on the award-winning Tumut River Brewing Co., or try Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery near Jindabyne and Ladbroken Distilling Co.'s uniquely Australian spirits. In Kunama Valley near Batlow, the Crafty Cider Cellar grows its own apples across 55 acres and pours free tastings of six ciders, while Jolly Berry's family blueberry farm turns out sauces, jams, wine, port and sparkling wine. Further afield, the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory is a Willy Wonka-style detour about 90 minutes away, and Green Grove Organics and the Coolamon Cheese Factory are worth the drive for produce and cheese. Closer to home, Local at Learmont's in Tumut's CBD gathers locally made goods and art under one roof, and the town itself serves up everything from a hearty pub meal to Thai, Japanese and Indian. Or keep it simple: cast a line in the Goobarragandra, smoke your catch over the campfire, and watch the sunset from the riverbank.
Courabyra Wines: courabyrawines.com · Tumut River Brewing Co.: trbc.com.au · Wild Brumby: wildbrumby.com.au · Ladbroken Distilling Co.: ladbroken.com.au · Jolly Berry: 0427 760 446 · Green Grove Organics: greengroveorganics.com.au · Coolamon Cheese Factory: coolamoncheese.com.au
For guests who'd rather not lift a finger, Catherine Ann's Beauty Therapy offers private treatment rooms and a proper relaxation massage — the perfect way to unwind after a day on the river or the trails.