Summer will be officially coming to a close at the end of February. With school holidays over, it’s time to find out how one of the Snowy Monaro region’s smaller villages, Adaminaby, fared over the summer break.

Although it may be relatively small in size, the village and surrounds offer plenty to see and do.

Adaminaby links into an abundance of bush, history and heritage with its proximity in the north to Namadgi National Park - which offers bush walking and interesting historic mountain huts within 20-30 minutes drive from the centre of the town and then to the north-west is the northern end of Kosciuszko National Park, with close proximity to Yarrangobilly Caves and thermal pools, old Kiandra gold fields and historic huts.

Not far away is Lake Eucumbene; when it’s full it is nine times the size of Sydney Harbour and provides fantastic trout fishing and boating - kayaks and sail boats are launched from Old Adaminaby and Anglers Reach, and there are other areas to explore such as Buckenderra and Seven Gates from Lake Eucumbene.

A range of camping areas and places to stay are also available around this area to use as a base.

Adaminaby itself has accommodation, a hotel, variety of shops and other attractions, including the popular Snowy Scheme Museum.

“The museum has a collection of national significance telling the story of the Snowy Scheme from 1949 to 1974,” chair of Snowy Scheme Museum and Adaminaby Easter Fair organising committee, Tim Corkill, said.

“We also include some of the Snowy 2.0 project including a model of one of the tunnel boring machines in the collection. People who visit the museum find it jaw-dropping the different stories you can find out about at the Snowy Scheme Museum.”

Across the road is the iconic Big Trout which had a 50th birthday in 2023.

“It’s one of the original ‘big things’ in Australia, there were only about two or three before that,” Mr Corkill said.

There is now a newly re-furbished information precinct nearby and mural artwork as well in the village centre.

The Adaminaby-Eucumbene Heritage Trail, including the historic cemetery on the shores of Lake Eucumbene (going back to the early 1800s)is another attraction, plus, moving forward autumn is when the Adaminaby Easter Fair is held on Easter Saturday, an event that attracts about 3000 people from near and far.

With all this available across the Adaminaby region, the summer visitor numbers have been strong, Mr Corkill said.

Coming from the inland, en-route to the coast via the Snowy Mountains Highway, it’s a busy time of year, he said, not just during school holidays, but when the school holiday break ends there are many travelling along this stretch of road especially towing vans or in motor/mobile homes.

“Quite a few of them stop off at Adaminaby and visit the Snowy Scheme Museum to learn some local history, or sometimes they are seeking information on family who were workers on the scheme in the 1960s or 1970s who are re-tracing their parents or grandparents roots. It’s really nice to see,” Mr Corkill said.

“The point of difference in relation to Adaminaby is its connection to history and heritage, and the trout fishing - the area caters for family-friendly activities and more self-catered holidays.

“The weather has played its part too, we have had some very hot days but it means there’s been people swimming in Lake Eucumbene, and boating activities taking place.

“As a small accommodation business owner in town, we’ve been happy with the number of guests coming through and it has been on par with previous years. That seems to be the general feedback that we’ve been getting.”

Rainbow Pines Tourist Caravan Park in historic Old Adaminaby sits on the shores of beautiful Lake Eucumbene with the breathtaking Snowy Mountains as its backdrop.

The owners, Michael and Sal Mustafa, took over Rainbow Pines two years ago, a long-established caravan park ideally positioned for visitors seeking both relaxation and outdoor adventure.

Mr Mustafa said the park caters for a wide range of guests, including long-term annual residents, camper van travellers and tourists from all over Australia who enjoy staying in the cabins and bungalows.

He said fishing remains one of the major attractions, with regular fishing competitions drawing enthusiasts to the region.

“However, this past summer period has been slightly quieter than usual. Lower water levels at Lake Eucumbene, combined with extremely hot weather, affected fishing activity and overall tourist numbers,” he said.

“As lake levels directly influence fishing conditions, we remain hopeful that rising water levels will bring renewed activity and stronger visitation in the coming seasons.”

In addition to fishing, the area is well known for its hiking, brumby spotting and in the winter months, skiing in the nearby Snowy Mountains.

“This seasonal variety makes Rainbow Pines a destination visitors return to year after year. Rainbow Pines is also closely connected to the rich history of Old Adaminaby.”

Mr Mustafa said an exciting development for the area is the re-opening of the historic church located just below the park.

“After being closed for a long period, we are aiming to have it open by the end of April. This will allow tourists not only to view the church externally but to step inside and properly experience its history and atmosphere,” he said.

“It will also be open for worship, providing a meaningful addition to the community and an attractive stop for tour buses and visitors exploring the region.

“With its unique lakeside setting, strong seasonal appeal including fishing and skiing, and the revival of local heritage attractions, Rainbow Pines Tourist Park continues to be a welcoming and popular destination in the Snowy Mountains.”