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Mittagong Australia is an ideal choice for a short break away

Mittagong Australia is an ideal choice for a short break away

Mittagong is situated in the Southern Highlands of the state of New South Wales in Australia. Its citizens refer to it as Mitta. Incorporating the villages Welby, Balaclava, Braemor and Willow Vale it is home to a population of near seven-and-a-half-thousand people. It rests against the Old Hume Highway and is near the river Nattai and lies between Mounts Alexander and Gibraltar. Lake Alexandra is located within the town itself.

Once called New Sheffield the town now takes its name from the aboriginal Dharawal peoples. Mittagong means "little mountain" but some suggest it can also mean "plenty of native dogs". They offer as evidence the fact that dingoes used to live there in great numbers.

Looming over the town is Mount Gibraltar, once thought to be a volcano, now regarded is the formation of an igneous intrusion. "The Gib", as it is known in town, is a small mountain in the form of a ridge rather than the peaked top usually associated with mountains. It was once the location of a granite quarry that can now be visited by hiking trails leading up to it. One can also take the trails to enjoy scenic vistas from the lookout points on the mountainsides overlooking Mittagong and Bowrai.
Mittagong Australia is an ideal choice for a short break away


Gibraltar's peak is called Bowrell and is adapted from the Dharawal, a name meaning "a high place". 863 meters over sea level, one comes here after climbing the thickly forested mountain face. Though the peak is a protected nature reserve, signs of technology are still to be found here, as the elevation is ideal for the many broadcast towers and telecommunications poles that are planted here.

The town's main nature spot is actually man-made. Lake Alexandra was built early last century as a supply dam for train engines. Now a park surrounded by seventy acres of nature it is popular for outdoor recreation. A significant number of different species make up the large bird population, and birding is a serious activity here. Also available are areas for camping, barbecuing, hiking and picnicking. The Forty Foot Falls can be reached by the trails that begin here.

When driving down the Old Hume Highway from Brauner one will see a large old building, over a century old. This is one of the original malt houses built for former brewers New South Wales, Tooth and Co. These buildings are a historical site and are called "The Maltings" by the residents. Though renovation was begun a few years ago, it has been left off for now.

Highland Market Place is the commercial heart of town, built on its former industrial heart, the nineteenth century ironworks and mine that established the town's industry. Housed in the Market Place are Big W, Woolworth's and many other franchises, as well as an addition devoted to domestic work and convenience, the Highlands Homemaker Center where can be found franchises such as Fantastic Furniture and Dick Smith Electronics. And the original industry of the spot is preserved in the car park where a museum for visitors preserves some of the original features of the mines that flourished here over a hundred years ago.

Mittagong preserves both its urban and natural history, and these preservations are on display and available to residents and visitors alike.




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