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Goulburn
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Now bypassed by the Hume Highway,
GOULBURN
is still the traditional stop-off point en route to Canberra. It's a large regional centre for the surrounding area, and for a quality
wool industry
which was established in the 1820s. The town, with its wide streets, has a conservative country feel, but boasts city facilities and some large and impressive public buildings. Goulburn's connection to sheep, and one kind in particular, is made obvious to the public with the
Big Merino
(daily 8am-8pm). Another of Australia's unashamedly tacky "big things", the fifteen-metre-high sheep proudly stands next to the Ampol service station on the Old Hume Highway; the first floor has a wool industry display, and on the third level you can look out over the town through the sheep's eyes. Spare a thought for the poor beast as you traverse his insides, though; he was recently emasculated in the name of shop space. To get closer to the real thing, head for the long-established
Pelican Sheep Station
on Braidwood Road, 10km south of town (tel 02/4821 4668, fax 4822 1179,
www.argylecountry.com.au/pelican
; bunkhouses $35-50, cabins $50-70, plus camping), which has been in the same family since 1827. Tours include a shearing demonstration and the chance to see some sheepdogs being put through their paces.
There are several historic places to visit in Goulburn, including the National Trust property Riversdale , an 1840 coaching inn on Maud Street (mid-Sept to mid-July Sat, Sun & holidays 10am-4.30pm, at other times by appointment on 02/4821 9591), but the most interesting is the Old Goulburn Brewery on Bungonia Road (daily tastings from 11am), which has been brewing traditional ales and stouts since 1836. Details of other old properties can be obtained from the Goulburn Visitors Centre , next to the very impressive 1887 courthouse and opposite the shady, flower-filled Belmore Park, on Montague Street (daily 9am-5pm; tel 02/4823 0492, www.goulbourn.nsw.gov.au ); they also have a list of accommodation. The classic place to eat in Goulburn, obligatory when passing through on the way to Canberra, is the Paragon Cafe , at 174 Auburn St, open daily for lunch and dinner. A bastion of good, filling food - inexpensive breakfasts, great hamburgers, steaks, fish, veal, pasta and pizza - it's been here for around fifty years and retains its 1940s-era fittings - it's also licensed. The most intriguing place to stay in the area is at the Gunningbar Yurt Farm , 20km out of town on Grabben Gullen Road (tel 02/4829 2114; $20 as a helper with four-hours' work per day required, but all meals included; or as part of a WWOOF placement. A yurt, in its original form, is a Mongolian round leather tent, and the concept was enthusiastically adopted and adapted by Californian New Agers. The ones here are mostly of wood and are portable prefab buildings in the Californian mould - solar-powered, naturally lit and wood-heated. Essentially a sheep property, the "yurt village" has several yurts, each with a different function, providing an educational centre for groups of children to help them become more self-sufficient and environmentally aware. If you want to stay, you must call in advance; if you don't have your own transport, someone can pick you up.
The
Bungonia State Recreation Area
, 25km east of Goulburn, covers a rugged strip of the Southern Tablelands containing some of the deepest
caves
in Australia. The spectacular limestone Bungonia Gorge and the Shoalhaven River are two of its physical attractions. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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