Destination: COOTAMUNDRA

Cootamundra. A tiny town on the south west slopes of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales. Until a couple of years ago, I had never heard of it. It is now my home and the start point in my hunt for good food, local produce and any other thing animal, vegetable or mineral which might spark interest.





Sunset - Cootamundra

 


Storm, Cootamundra

 Cootamundra is not particularly well represented in the online world - the Tourism NSW website lists a "must do" attraction as dining alfresco while watching street performers. Don't be put off if this sounds terrible - I can assure the world that I have not once seen a street performer anywhere near Cootamundra. What Cootamundra does offer is a quaint town with buildings dating back to the 1800s. The town has been visited by gold fever and bushrangers in times past but these days, it has a slow, relaxed pace of life. For information on Cootamundra's faciities, services and events, visit the Cooamundra Shire Council website.


 

Cootamundra Wattle, Cootamundra



The Cootamundra Shire is home to many primary producers and the Visitors Information Centre which is located at the Railway Station on Hovell Street, Cootamundra, has a small range of produce for sale. Sadly, the range is limited considering how much is available if you take the time to look but it is still worth a visit. The local IGA does stock some local items too including honey, chutney, sauce and wine if you can hunt them out from amongst the mass produced stuff. I hope to feature some of these local products in the months to come so watch this space!



Cootamundra, NSW

Canola fields, Cootamundra NSW

In terms of attractions, if you come to Cootamundra, you had better like cricket. Donald Bradman was born here and the Bradman Birthplace Museum now occupies the house at 89 Adams Street, Cootamundra where Bradman was born. Staffed by volunteers, the Bradman Museum has a lot of history packed into a small space. If you are a cricket fan, it is worth a visit. This forms part of the Bradman Trail which also includes locations in Adelaide and Bowral.



Bradman Museum, Cootamundra



Jubillee Park in Cootamundra is home the the "Captains Walk" and is the next stop on any cricket fan's itinerary. Bronze scupltures of Ausralia's cricket captains past and present can be found here. The "Captains Walk" takes only a few minutes to see but again, for fans of cricket, it is an interesting spot. 




Ricky Ponting - Captains Walk, Cootamundra

 Like any good Australian town, Cootamundra is also home to a 'big thing,' in this case, the big cricket stumps. Maybe not a feat of great engineering but someone like Donald Bradman isn't born in Cootamundra everyday so who can blame us for making the most of it!?



Big Cricket Stumps, Cootamundra

 

Cootamundra is a small town with a big character surrounded by farms producing so much of the yummy stuff we all eat everyday - here is hoping you can share a happy and fruitful food journey around this area with me - Bon Appetit!