| Batlow NSW 2730 | |||||
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Population: 1100, Height above sea level: 725m , Latitude:-35.30S0 Longitude:148.2200 Location: 445km.south west of Sydney Highway: 28km. south of the Snowy Mountains Hwy at Adelong Nearest Major Town: Tumut Nearest Airport: Albury Touring Area: Snowy Mountains, Eastern Riverina |
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 Main street of Batlow, | |||
| Batlow is a small town in the eastern Riverina famed for its apple growing. Gem fossicking, gold prospecting, fishing and golf. Originally known as Reedy Creek, it was the scene of a gold rush in the mid 19th century. | |||||||||||||
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Situated in the Great Dividing Range, Batlow's history dates back to the 19th century when in
1854 fortune hunters converged on Reedy Creek for a short lived gold rush. Many stayed on establishing
farms and orchards, which eventually became known as Batlow. It was officially gazetted in 1910. The town is famous for its cherry, stonefruit and apple orchards with some 350,000 apple trees aound the town. There are many roadside stalls and orchards where you can pick or purchase your own luscious fruit. Batlow is home to a major manufacturer of canned fruits and two large fruit packing facilities. One of Australia's biggest packing facilities 'Fruits of Batlow' offer tours, while you can relax with a BBQ or picnic at the beautiful Springfield Orchard (Tumut Rd) where they grow 16 apple varieties. Timber Milling is Batlow's other major industry, and it is famous for it's scenic softwood and native forests. Weemala Lookout Flora and Fauna Reserve (H.V.Smith Dve) offers spectacular views of the town and Snowy Mountain peaks. Six km east. Hume and Hovell Lookout provides superb views of Lake Blowering. Pilot Hill Forest Park boasts a picturesque picnic area surrounded by many species of hardwood and conifers and the Bago State Forest has various walking and driving tracks, while the Hume and Hovell Walking Track, running from Gunning to Albury, is a must for enthusiasts. 
PLACES OF INTEREST: Bago State Forest The Bago State Forest is a 43,000 hectare forest south east of Batlow comprising soft and hard wood with stands of alpine ash and radiata pine. There are a number of pleasant walks and drives through this state forest including the Hume and Hovell Lookout (follow the signs from Yellowing access road) which has views over the Blowering Valley and Blowering Dam. Buddong Falls is 25 km from Batlow on a marked road has a lookout at the top with pleasant views of the falls and good picnic and barbecue facilities. Batlow Fruit Co-operative Limited On Forest Road south of town, the Batlow Fruit Co-operative is the largest computer controlled fruit grading, packing and storage complex in Australia. Visitors are welcome and fruit is available for sale. Tours can be arranged. For more details contact (02) 6949 1021. Fruit Picking Seasons During the year there are times when fruit is readily available from orchards and roadside stalls throughout the Batlow area. Cherries are picked in November - December; berries from December to April; peaches in January and February; pears between February and March and apples from March to May. Weemala Lookout - Flora and Fauna Reserve Take the road out of Batlow towards Tumbarumba and turn west into Cherry Lane to reach Weemala Lookout. This lookout offers outstanding views over the township. It is also is an excellent vantage point for a panoramic view across the northern end of the Snowy Mountains. Cascade Fuchsia Nursery Located at the end of Fosters Road to the east of the town centre is the Cascade Nursery, specializes in cold climate exotic trees and shrubs. The nursery is open from 10.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday, every week of the year, except Christmas Day. The gardens are open to customers as they contain many of the trees that are for sale in the nursery. There is also a 'Rare Trees Arboretum' continually developing as an extension of the already extensive gardens. For more details contact tel: (02) 6949 1268. Oregon Forest Walk Access is via a car park located off Central Logging Road. This walk takes in a fine stand of Douglas fir trees. Various softwoods are nameplated. Pilot Hill Forest Park and Arboretum A pleasant locale, it features over forty different species of hardwood and conifers from around the world, which were planted in the early 1920s. Nameplates indicate both the common and botanical names. There are picnic, barbecue and toilet facilities. Access is via the unsealed Bago Forest Way. Springfield Orchard and Tourist Information Tourist Information is avalanble at the Springfield Orchard on the Tumut Road about 1km out of Batlow. Springfield Orchard also has picnic and barbecue facilities and sells most of the fruits available in the area. It is open seven days a week. For more details contact (02) 6949 1021. Sugar Pine Walk Sugar pines are one of the largest and most valuable timber trees of North America. An excellent stand of them can be seen along this short walk which lies about 300 metres up Kopsens Road, at Laurel Hill (unsealed). ACCOMMODATION & SERVICES: ACCOMMODATION GUIDE Diggers Rest Motel, Tumbarumba Rd., Batlow NSW 2730 Telephone: (02) 6949 1342 Batlow Hotel, 12 Pioneer St, Batlow NSW 2730 Telephone: (02) 6949 1001 Yellowin House Bed & Breakfast, 127 Yellowin St, Batlow NSW 2730 Telephone: (02) 6949 1043, Facsimile: (02) 6949 1043 Batlow Caravan Park, Kurrajong Ave., Batlow NSW 2730 Telephone: (02) 6949 1444 Facsimile: (02) 6949 1444 
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