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Shops in the main street
of Mogo |
Mogo
Historic mining town now a tourist destination on the
Princes Highway
A decade ago Mogo was nothing more than a few old houses 10
km south of Batemans Bay and 291 km south of Sydney. Then,
as is common with old villages with tourist potential, some
of the shops were painted, a few new shops (in historic
style) were built, someone decided to establish a zoo, and
suddenly the village was a popular tourist attraction with
the usual array of gift shops, cafes and specialty stores.
It is a far cry from the origins of the town. In 1857 the
goldrush at Mogo began with the discovery of the metal at
Cabbage Tree Creek. 200 diggers appeared almost overnight
and the township quickly became a reality. It has been
suggested that, soon, there were over 10 000 people in the
area. True or not the swelling population led to the
building of churches, shops, hotels, a post office in 1866
and a public school in 1869. However, the boom quickly faded
and the village became a sleepy backwater driven through by
people, particularly the vast numbers of holidaymakers from
Canberra, looking for a coastal retreat.
Things to see:
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Looking south along
Mogo's main street |
Walking the main street
Mogo was very much reoriented towards tourism in the 1980s
after a number of craftspeople and artists had gathered in
the vicinity, ultimately sparking a redevelopment. New
buildings housing craft shops, pottery, leatherwork,
jewellery, clothing, woodwork, furniture, crystals and
galleries and eateries were constructed to add to the
surviving miners' cottages. There is also a modest dinosaur
museum and maze.
Old Mogo Town - Gold Rush Theme Park
Old Mogo Town, located on the corner of Annetts Lane and
James St is a reconstruction of a nineteenth-century
goldrush village. It includes old equipment, walking trails,
eating and accomodation and is seven days a week from
10.00am - 4.00pm. There are guided tours which re-trace life
during the 1850's goldrush, including the story of the
Clarke Gang. Explore the working Stamp Battery, Gold Mine,
Exhibition Buildings and Rare Trades Workshops, then test
your skill by panning for gold.
The charge is $14 for adults, $6 for children and $35 for
a family of two adults and two children. Aussie food is
served at The Diggers Rest Tavern. There is accommodation at
the 3.5 Star Miners cabins and en-suite bunkrooms. The park
also has picnic facilities, tranquil lakes and gardens
surrounded by Mogo State Forest.
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The waterwheel at Old
Mogo Town |
Mogo Bushwalk
The Mogo Bushwalk commences just off the highway at the
entrance to Old Mogo Town. It is a 1.3-km, 30-minute walk
through wet and dry sclerophyll forest with wooden steps and
bridges and interpretive signs.
Mogo Zoo
Mogo Zoo is located on the Tomakin Road, which heads east
off the highway just south of Mogo. Open seven days a week
from 9.00am - 5.00pm it specialises in endangered species -
snow leopards, red pandas, Bengal and Siberian tigers,
ringtailed lemurs, cottontop tamarins, lar gibbons etc. -
and offers horseriding.
Goldfields Park
Goldfields Park, farther along the Tomakin Road, near the
town of Tomakin and fronting the Tomago River, conducts
visitors through an old underground goldmine. There is also
a miner's hut on display, a 120-year old stamper battery at
work, extensive picnic and barbecue facilities, walking
tracks, tennis courts, a boat ramp, fishing, a children's
playground with heated pool and step-by-step explanations
about the old panning and mining procedures and a chance to
indulge in the process yourself. The 27-acre natural
bushland site is open weekends, plus public and school
holidays from 10-4. The tours run at 11 and 2 and take about
1.5 hours. The current charge is $8 for adults and $20 for a
family ('children' defined as 3-14 years, under 3 is free).
The phone number is 02 4471 7381. Shaft mining also occurred
around Batemans Bay and Nelligen though the abandoned sites
are dangerous and unavailable for inspection
Broadwalk
Business Brokers
Broadwalk Business
Brokers specialise in General Businesses for Sale, Caravan Parks for
Sale, Motels for Sale, Management Rights & Resorts for Sale, Farms for
Sale, Hotels for sale,Commercial & Industrial Properties for Sale.
Phone:
1300 136 559
Email:
enquiries@broadwalkbusinessbrokers.com.au
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES FOR SALE
COFFS HARBOUR BUSINESS BROKERS
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Disclaimer
We advise prospective purchasers that we take no
responsibility for the accuracy of any information in the business
provided by vendors or their professional advisers and that they should
make their own enquiries as to the accuracy of this information,
including obtaining independent legal and/or accounting advice
Mogo