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:  

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.

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.

	Cafés
	Bob's of Mogo 15 Princes Hwy Mogo NSW 2536 Telephone: (02) 4474 3238
	Mogo Munchies 31 Sydney St Mogo NSW 2536 Telephone: (02) 4474 4805
	Old Boatshed Cafe Cnr Tomakin Rd & Princes Hwy Mogo NSW 2536 Telephone: (02) 4474 0799
	Willow Cafe Princes Hwy Mogo NSW 2536 Telephone: (02) 4474 5445