Tumbarumba  New South Wales

On the outskirts of the Bago State forest at the foot of the Snowy Mountains in southern NSW, Tumbarumba is noted for its spectacular scenery of mountains and valleys and is a vital staging post for forays on to the ski slopes country. The nearby Talbingo Dam and Reservoir is one of the highest rock-filled dams in Australia and is part of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme. There’s a wonderful fuschia garden here where you can wander among more than 300 different varieties, and apple trees are also in abundance. The hills abound with native eucalyptus and stands of pine. Apparently, the town's name derives from an Aboriginal word meaning 'sounding ground' in reference to the acoustics among the surrounding hills and mountains which amplifies the thumping noise of kangaroos going about their business. They must have made a real racket when blasting for the hydro-electric scheme was being carried out. In the 1860s and 1870s, there was a minor gold boom down this way, but today cattle, sheep, fruit growing, sawmilling and, of course, tourism keep the money circulating in town.