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Cooma
3(10 reviews)

Cooma, NSW 2630

3(10 reviews)

Ranked 11th best suburb by locals in South Eastern Region, NSW

Great for

  • Peace and quiet
  • Clean & green
  • Lack of traffic
  • Pest-free
  • Parks and recreation

Not great for

  • Nightlife
  • Gym and fitness
  • Neighbourly spirit
  • Shopping options

Who lives here?

  • Families With Kids
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • Country Lovers

Reviews of Cooma, NSW

29th May 2024

"Perfect small town"

I have lived all over NSW and ACT. Cooma is by far the nicest place I’ve ever lived. Small town vibes but close to the snow, the beach and the capital of Australia. Where else can that be said?

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
0
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"Cooma"

Firstly everything is at your fingertips! From Woolworths, Coles etc. Plenty pubs, and delivered takeaways... being a COVID testing person I had no problem with the best medical care

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
1
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"Small town with lots of bad attitudes."

0
souls

Agreed 110%

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"This place is not for everyone."

After living in Cooma for 2.5 years, Cooma is a only suitable for working couples or families with established employment prospects either in the area or further on to Canberra. Cooma is minus 0 in the winter months and is a harsh climate to work and play in. Summers are nice but again appropriate networks of friends and family are vital in this region. Shopping is consistant and basic needs can be met through the major supermarkets here however all other non specific retail items need to be sourced in Canberra over 1 hour drive away. Cooma can be very tough on people but it can be a retreat like environment for families or anyone looking to make an inland change from the hussle of the city lifestyle even if its only temperary.

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
0
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"Has its good points and not so good"

My experience in Cooma was not so bad. For a regional town it will surprise you you have all your shops that you would be used to finding in larger towns - owing mostly to the ski season. The town is neat and easy to get around. Seemed to have the small country town mentality going on a little bit but it wasnt so bad.

Great for

  • Peaceful and nice scenery in winter
  • Good value houses
  • Decent shopping for a small town

Not great for

  • Gets swamped with annoying disrespectful city types in winter
  • Can get old with people waiting around for 'when winter comes'
  • All work is locked down by people that know someone that knows someone

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Country Lovers
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"Great town to marvel at the colours & sky in, where your relatives out of Cooma will likely know the minimum temperature forecasted!"

After living in Cooma for 18 months i'm shocked by how much I love it and how good it is to not live in Sydney. Cooma is awesome if you have young children- preschool is way cheaper than syd and it is easy to access childcare. The snow is a great bonus and it is close enough to put kids in ski school for the winter (if you are prepared to leave the house at 7 am for 10 consecutive sundays during the season). Internet shopping means you don't miss out on what is happening in city shops and Canberra isn't too far away. It helps if you still have family in Sydney or another city so you know there is an out if it starts to get boring- 5 days in Sydney and 15+ wasted hours on the M5, M2, Military road and Ryde road will have you keen to head back to the Monaro! I imagine it would be harder to integrate into the community if you don't have children. Playgroup etc is a great way to meet locals, many you will find are fairly new to the area too. Try to get a house with a view of the sunrise and moon rise in the distance, the colours here are magic! If you are after a good coffee/ snack try 'Kettle & Seed' mmmm or Café 40 and the Thai above the visitors centre is really good too (Pha's Thai).

Great for

  • Childcare access

Not great for

  • No childcare @ gym
  • Needs better/ updated equipment and softfall at the main park

Who lives here?

  • Families with kids
0
SaltAndPepper

Good to hear anything positive about Cooma! Congratulations! If you are you selling your property your comment has been motivated and worthed an effort.

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"Not a place to move to, if you are thinking that country people are friendly"

This is a town, where the locals will treat you like an alien for the entire length of your stay, you will never get are job because there just aren't any, and if there are you have to know someone who knows someone else....
These people have never been past the 100km zone out of town, if you have ever lived in another town, travelled overseas or done anything remotely interesting in life, you will be looked down upon and never fit in with these people.
Anyone who tries to have a go to make something for themselves or give a business idea a go will be run down, and have their dreams trodden into the ground.
This place the houses are too expensive although the prices are now starting to fall, but with the lack of jobs and no industry in the town, i am unsure how people think they are going to pay these places off. Advice,.... anywhere has to be better than Cooma

0
ZX9R

If saynotocooma was referring to Cooma NSW I'd like to let readers know that our experience before and since moving to Cooma has been the exact opposite to his/hers. We experienced Cooma as a place to shop, eat in and visit, rather than a place to drive through on the way to the snow, after family members moved to a nearby town. We found the people serving in shops and others we met in passing to be friendly and helpful. After deciding we wanted a sea/tree change in southern NSW we checked out towns from Cootamundra to Cooma and Nowra to Eden. Cooma was our choice after months of searching because of its central location to magnificent scenery, picturesque towns, the NSW south coast and eastern Victoria. Its good medical and other facilities are supplemented by Canberra only a little over an hour away. It took a while to find the property we wanted but we moved in in July 2011 and have had one of the warmest welcomes we've experienced in forty years of living in Canberra, southern NSW and (for thirteen years) in five overseas countries. We expect it to take a while to get used to a new town, understand its history and learn how to fit in to the local culture. So far its been fun, notwithstanding occasional adjustments to fit in with local practices.. We feel sorry for saynotocooma and hope they had better experiences in the next town. Based on our experience so far Cooma has exceed our expectations but we suggest prospective residents check the town out for themselves and don't be put off by negative generalisations from unhappy people venting because of their personal problems.

SaltAndPepper

Truer words were never spoken, saynotocooma! We were there looking to buy the property, (thanks God that we didn't buy) only to find out that local real estate and stock agent has abandoned us prior to the settlement. No calls back, no follow-up, not a peep. We were left out of pocket for almost $2500, pulling out of the deal (excluding the trip expenses). There are also RE in Cooma Region that will never send you the Contract of sale on initial inquiry and try to sell you wothless, old, crappy houses (inclusive furniture) for a way overinflated price. We are not "venting out" our personal problems - we are just concerned for anyone interested in Cooma Region not to go through the same or similar experiences as we did.
With slight accent you may not even get a sandwich on time as a visitor. That is also a way to understand and accept local cultural heritage.
Dissapointment is imminent in Cooma and Snowy MountainsRegion unless you are born and bred there. If in doubt - check it out!
Cooma & Snowys ... never again!!! The episode we would like forget!!!

souls

saynotocooma everything you said sounds like the nightmare my husband and I are living here. And also nothing to do with 'personal problems' We moved and purchased a house to turn into our 'forever home'. We moved here completely 'FULL OF LIFE' excited for our future, and becoming a 'cooma local' to now 2 1/2 years of having the life completely 'SUCKED OUT' of you. We are in agreement to every word you have written and what you have experienced, because that is just a small fragment of what we have been living through and what continues to weigh us down. If only for a lotto win, I'd be removing us immediately from this 'TOXIC' environment.

KateS1

Is it really that bad? We are thinking of moving to Cooma, Adaminaby or Dry Plains. I'm not white (blonde haired, blue eyed) and neither are my kids. Will I be making a mistake?

SaltAndPepper

Hi KateS1! My wife and me are both white, gray-haired, green eyed with non-Anglo Saxon accent. It's toxic community and for your hard earned dollar (because you've worked much harder and longer than Anglo Saxon) you deserve better bang-for-a-buck. Your move to Cooma Monaro shire would be text book mistake. We've signed the contract on very nice property nearby Cooma and in the middle of the process we've "bolted out" - never to return. If your insanity prevails (which we hope it wouldn't) make sure that everything is written down. Don't expect any service & respect in this community.

js12

I agree with saynotocooma . Cooma is an approximately an hour from the capital city of this country yet it would seem folk from Cooma have never known anything but a very small town world. Locals do of course travel to Canberra to buy more than the basics and for other reasons but it seems the larger world of expanded concepts and alternative ideas doesn't get a look in. The towns nearby of Berridale and Adaminaby are even more cruel in the way new comers who think at all for themselves are treated.

Many in the towns grew up going to school in Cooma and then just live in the area for most of their life. Basically it feels like dualing banjo country without the banjo song. There is a suicide rate that seems unspoken of yet if you spend time here you will be aware of it quickly, in 2019 the house prices are 300 percent higher than they were less than ten years ago though job availability is low. The prices are propped up by greed and the real estates are fully on that banwagon. There is a massive housing and rental crisis. Physical and emotional abuse is high level and rumour about people gets completely out of hand.
Good points = well if you took away the general mentality, Cooma is not too far a drive to the South Coast and ocean and very close to the snow for skiing.

ad25

Only losers dont like Cooma. Normal people who have basic social intelligence and know how to interact with others like the place.

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"The Heart of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme"

Cooma is the largest town in the Snowy Mountains showing spectacular scenary with rugged mountains and deep river valleys. It is about 5 hours drive SW of Sydney and the home of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme, the biggest civil engineering project ever in Australia. 2 national parks form a stunning backdrop to the town that has historical streets and a heritage railway station. There is an abundance of attractions and activities available in this town to keep all traveller's interested. Drive to the top of Mount Gladstone to see the views of the mountains and the Monaro Plains, or admire the Tuross Falls that is part of the 5km long Tuross River Gorge. Go horse riding or fly-fishing for trout. In the Centennial Park, there is a sculpture of the Man from Snowy River and next to the Mosaic Time Walk, an International Avenue of Flags. Go for a walk on the Lambie Town Walk, which passes an historical prison which is still in use today. Cooma has great museums and easy access to some of the best snow fields in NSW.

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Retirees
1
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"Cooma - Close to the snow."

Cooma is in the Snowy Mountains of southern NSW. It the main administration area for the Snowy Hydro and is the largest town in the Mountains. A walk around the town will give you an idea of the town’s history as there are many monuments and reminders scattered throughout. See the International Avenue of Flags which has flags from all the nations of people that came and worked on the Hydro Electric System and visit the Snowy Hydro Information centre. There are galleries and museums, art and craft shops, vintage train rides as well as fishing, bushwalking, caving climbing and cycling. Motels, B& B’s, camping, guest houses and lodges offer great accommodations and when it comes to food there is something for all tastes.

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
1
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"Quiet small town that is dependent on the winter months"

Cooma is a country town on the doorstep of the NSW ski fields. There are many motels and ski hire shops in the town along with restaurants to service this stop to the ski fields. Cooma is the budget friendly choice of accommodation if skiing, with many modest motels accommodating the budget conscious family. There are cheap eats like pizza available, and your higher end restaurants. There is also a lot of competition amongst ski hire so you can shop around for the best deal, many of them opening 24 hours during the peak ski periods.

Cooma itself also has an excellent bakery that is on the side street off the main round about in the middle of town. They serve excellent home mad pies with actual pieces of meat that do not taste like they have been in the pie for more than two days. The pubs do not exactly get to all that much at night since everybody who is in the town for the snow tries to sleep early to catch the morning powder.

Who lives here?

  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
1
The opinions expressed within this review are those of the individual and not those of Homely.com.au.
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