From: c.oneill@trl.oz.au (Chris O'Neill)
Subject: Re: Canberra
Organization: Telecom Australia Research Laboratories, Melbourne, Australia
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 06:03:05 GMT

In article <1992Nov4.185550.16510@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu>
peta@thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu (Peter Whaite) writes:
>In article <1992Nov4.061045.29404@trl.oz.au> c.oneill@trl.oz.au (Chris
O'Neill) writes:
>>In article <axolotl.720692149@ultima> axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au (Iain Sinclair)
>>writes:
>>>c.oneill@trl.oz.au (Chris O'Neill) writes:
>>> >If you are talking about the outdoor pastimes of the Blue Mountains then
>>> >you don't know much about the mountain country near Armidale which is at
>>> >least on a par with the Blue Mountains.
>>>
>>>I was talking about the Blue Mountains specifically.  They have an
attraction
>>>all their own, don't you think?  Just like the Warrumbungles, Barrington
>>>Tops, etc. do.
>>and the New England Tablelands (Styx canyon, Guy Fawkes river, Wollomombi
>>gorge, dozens of other gorges, Nymboida river, lots of other canoeable
rivers)
>>all within easy reach of Armidale
>
>From my admittedly patchy experience of Barrington Tops, and the Wollomombi
>gorge I'd have to say the Blue Mountains wins hands down.  

Doesn't sound like you've seen the other places in the New England Tablelands I
mentioned.

>Kanangra walls is truely spectacular, 

as is the Styx canyon.  It carries a lot more water than Kanangra falls.  The
bottom pool is in a narrow gorge 400 m deep and is about 100 m diameter with a
70 m waterfall straight into it that causes waves 60 cm high.  But the Styx is
not very well known.

>and the walk off the west side down into the Kowmung River
>is idyllic.

as is the lilo trip down the Guy Fawkes.

>>and the Southern Tablelands (Shoalhaven river, Bungonia, Morton N.P.,
>>Budawangs) all within easy reach of Goulburn (and Canberra by the way).
>
>Well I went to high school in Goulburn.  People say its a hole, and its windy
>and cold --- I'm not going to disagree.  However my parents were always avid
>bushwalkers and cavers, something I picked up too, so we covered most of the
>country around there.  It really is in a great central location -- the
>Shoalhaven and the Budawangs (really my favourite place to walk) to the south,
>and the Blue Mountains to the north.  Apart from the places mentioned above,
>you can go north through Tarago to Wombeyan Caves, the Wollondilly River, up
>to Colong Caves (and a backway into the Kowmung near Mt Colong).  I'd say its
>quicker to get to Kanangra Walls from Goulburn than it is from Sydney, you
>just have to drive through what feels like an endless blight of pine
>plantations.
>
>Also there's the other side of Canberra, over the Brindabellas and up the
>river to Long Plain, Coolemon Caves, Yarrongabilly Caves, and the Snowy
>Mountains.  Yeah -- that is really beautiful country, camping out up there is
>so pleasant the memory of it makes me homesick.
>
>>>Besides, someone posted saying that the best place to live >100 km
>>>from the coast was "nowhere", and they were in Armidale. :-)
>>
>>They probably weren't interested in outdoor activities in mountain country.
> 
>Well hardly mountains, but a pretty nice bunch of hills.  

Well, mountains that are flat on top with deep gorges and steep escarpments. 
You can still call it mountain country.

>However the real
>problem is --- what the hell does a person do for a job in these country
>towns.  

Yes, I'm still wondering what position the original poster is in to be
interested in asking the original question.

>I suppose teach, but I think the possibility of holding down an
>interesting job in Goulburn e.g. is pretty slim.  If you cant stand a big city
>Canberra is in many ways the ideal compromise, and it is certainly IMHO smack
>bang in the best piece of country on the east coast.