Exploring NSW High Country Huts Day 1

We spent a full day driving and exploring parts of the NSW High Country, focusing on historic huts, old homesteads and key natural sites across Kosciuszko National Park. The route included Coolamine Homestead, Blue Waterholes, Cooindel Hut and Geehi Hut, along with drives through Kiandra, Link Road and Alpine Way.

This guide is based on first-hand travel through the region in typical touring conditions using a standard 4WD on maintained dirt roads. It covers what each stop is like today, access conditions and what you can expect to see on the ground. The aim is to provide practical, up-to-date information for anyone planning a similar NSW High Country trip focused on huts, scenery and easy off-road touring routes.

Coolamine Homestead

Our first of our NSW high country huts was Coolamine Homestead and it was the standout for the day. I’d seen a few videos of it on YouTube including one of Coolamine Homestead being restored in the 1970’s. Located in the Long Plain area of Kosciuszko National Park, Coolamine is one of the better preserved historic homesteads in the Snowy Mountains region. The drive in was easy and suitable for most vehicles in dry weather. In et weather it would be quite interesting. Once we arrived, we spent some time walking around the buildings and reading the information signs around the site.

The Spectacular Coolamine Homestead One Of Many NSW High Country Huts

The homestead itself is in very good condition and there are several old sheds and smaller buildings nearby. The area around Coolamine is wide open with grassy plains and mountain views in the distance. It is easy to see why early settlers used this area for grazing cattle and sheep. Even though it is a popular stop, it still feels quiet and remote. A highlight of the main building was the preserved old newspapers lining the walls. They made for some interesting reading. Another thing we liked about Coolamine was how complete it still is compared to some of the other historic sites in the high country. A lot of old huts have fallen apart over time, but Coolamine still gives a good idea of what life would have been like here many years ago.

It is an easy place to spend an hour or so just walking around and taking in the surroundings. If you are travelling through this part of the Snowy Mountains it is definitely worth the detour.

Blue Waterholes

From Coolamine we headed across to Blue Waterholes – it’s only another 8km return from Coolamine Homestead. This is one of the more well-known spots in the northern part of Kosciuszko National Park and it is easy to see why. Blue Waterholes is known for its clear blue water, limestone cliffs and walking tracks. We parked near the campground and went for a walk around the area. The tracks were easy and gave good views over the river and waterholes.

The landscape around Blue Waterholes is very different to other parts of the Snowy Mountains. Instead of thick bushland and alpine forest, the area is more open with rocky limestone country and caves. It has a very different look compared to the rest of the drive. The water was very clear and there were quite a few people around enjoying the area, although it still felt relaxed and quiet. There are a few different walking tracks around Blue Waterholes depending on how far you want to go. It is a good stop if you want to get out of the car for a while and stretch the legs. Even a short walk around the main viewing areas is worth doing.

Cooindel Hut

After leaving Blue Waterholes we continued on to Cooindel Hut. This was another interesting stop and one of the more complete huts we saw during the day. Cooindel Hut is smaller and more basic than Coolamine Homestead, but it still has a lot of character. The hut sits in a nice quiet area surrounded by bush and open country. A lot of huts in the high country are partly damaged or falling apart, but Cooindel is still mostly intact. That made it easier to picture what these huts would have been like when they were regularly used by stockmen and cattle workers.

We spent a bit of time walking around the hut and looking at the old timber construction before continuing on. These sorts of places are a good reminder of how isolated this country would have been in the past. The roads through this section were easy enough and suited relaxed touring rather than difficult four-wheel driving. Most of the day was more about the scenery and the historic sites than tackling hard tracks.

Me Beginning The Clarke Gorge Walk At Blue Waterholes In Kosciuszko National Park

Kiandra, Link Road And Alpine Way

From Cooindel Hut we headed back out to the Snowy Mountains Highway and drove past Kiandra. Kiandra is one of the old gold rush towns in the Snowy Mountains and is an interesting area to drive through even if you are only passing by. The scenery through here was excellent with open plains, rolling hills and mountain views most of the way. Conditions were cool but clear which made for a good day on the road. We then turned onto Link Road and drove through part of the Snowy Hydro area. Along the way we passed several Snowy Hydro power stations and other infrastructure connected to the Snowy Mountains Scheme.

On The Link Road Heading Down To A Dam Thats Part Of The Snowy Hydro

Geehi Hut

From there we joined Alpine Way and stopped at Geehi to have a quick look at another hut. Geehi is a nice area with good mountain views and plenty of camping.

Geehi Hut was originally built in 1952 by Jim Nankervis and his brother to support cattle grazing and fishing trips in the area. At the time there was also a shelter, laundry, shed and toilet nearby, although some of those buildings have since been removed. The hut is easy to access today and can usually be reached in a standard 2WD vehicle in good conditions. There is also a large campground with plenty of space for tents and caravans.

In 2004 the hut was rebuilt by the Kosciuszko Huts Association with help from NPWS staff and local four wheel drive clubs. The rebuilt hut was officially reopened in October 2004 with members of the Nankervis family attending.

The hut itself is fairly large at around 11 metres by 9 metres and contains three rooms. It was built using local river stones with a concrete and dirt floor along with a large stone fireplace and chimney.

Geehi Hut Sign

Stayed In A Cabin Overnight At Discovery Parks Jindabyne After exploring NSW High Country Huts

After Geehi we continued on past Thredbo and eventually reached Jindabyne for the night. We stayed in a cabin at Discovery Parks Jindabyne and it was fantastic. It’s quite a nice looking and well maintained park. We finished the day with Indian for dinner from in town before settling in to watch the footy after a full day exploring the NSW High Country.

Exploring NSW High Country Huts Day 1 Photo Gallery

NSW High Country Huts FAQs: Access, Driving Conditions And What To Expect