Summer's a breeze in the Snowy

As you suck in the the crisp mountain air of the Snowy Mountains, you can't help but feel away refreshed. But be warned: the longer you stay, the harder it is to leave.

Hiking ... the going can be quite easy along the boardwalks. Picture: Philip Young

WHEN you step off the plane at Cooma airport, in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, it's the crisp mountain air that you notice first.

As you suck in the fresh, clean breeze, you can't help but feel away from the smog, away from the bustle – away from it all.

But be warned: the longer you stay, the harder it is to leave.

Just ask Justin and Delia McIntosh. They bought a holiday house at Jindabyne, the region's hub, in the 1990s – and the more they visited, the more the Snowys captured a part of their heart.

So much so, they've ended up with a 2900ha property that they've set up as a haven for wild brumbies.

Their place, Snowy Wilderness, is a 45-minute drive south-west of Jindabyne.

The land is mostly undeveloped tracts of bush and alpine paddocks – just perfect for brumbies – and adjoins the Kosciuszko National Park.

But it's not just brumbies that are welcome there. Visitors can take part in a range of adventure activities at Snowy Wilderness, including horse-riding, quad bikes, fly-fishing, camping and bushwalking.

The venture is run by Ross Smith, but the McIntoshes fly down from Sydney at weekends.

It has been quite an undertaking. But such challenges were nothing new for Ross Smith, a man who grew up on a 600,00ha cattle station in far north Queensland and began his working life driving huge barges in the Canadian Yukon.

The property has about 65 wild horses. A highlight is a ride to see repatriated Kosciuszko brumbies and some walers (short for New South Walers) rescued from helicopter shooters in the Guy Fawkes National Park, in northern NSW.

The walers are direct descendants of the hardy mounts that carried Australian light-horse troops in the Boer War and World War I.

Whatever the activity, visitors can finish the day with a delicious roast meal cooked in a camp oven – four huge, cast-iron pots packed with potatoes, onions, sweet potato, carrots, garlic and herbed legs of lamb and pork.

A secluded one-bedroom, stone-and-glass cottage offers private accommodation in a bush setting, or guests can stay in the homestead.

There are also campsites on the property available for $18 a night. Plans are also well advanced to build 18 five-star, eco-friendly lodges.

The magic of the Snowys is evident on a guided walk from Thredbo village to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko.

If the prospect of walking up Australia's highest peak is a bit daunting, don't be put off.

A 15-minute chairlift ride from Thredbo takes care of most of the climb, leaving an ascent of about 300m spread over 6km. It's an easy stroll along an elevated, metal-grid path that helps to preserve the Kosciuszko National Park's delicate plant life.

It's a fragile and harsh environment where the dwarf alpine plum pine is the largest tree. Summer guide Lisa Ryall points out a 700-year-old specimen beside the path.

The plum pine grows so slowly it looks more like a bonsai tree, but it provides food for mountain pygmy possums.

These tiny creatures can be seen scampering over rocks in summer, eating seeds, nuts and bogong moths.

No other trees grow above the 1800m mark, but wildflowers flourish. About 200 species cover the peaks in January.

From its summit, Mt Kosciuszko offers peerless views of the Victorian alps to the south, and Charlotte Pass, Guthega and the Jagungal wilderness to the north.

Back at Thredbo, there are plenty of accommodation options in the village. Fifteen minutes back along the road from Jindabyne, the Novotel Lake Crackenback resort is an ideal family base.

There's plenty to do at Lake Crackenback. Activities include mountain-bike riding, archery, trampolining and a par-three golf course that, in true country tradition, includes resident kangaroos.

The resort is also a base for overnight hiking trips. Walkers carry just a day pack and walk into a camp already set up with tents, sleeping bags and gourmet meals.

Canoeing and fly-fishing, a heated indoor pool, sauna, and spa round out the activities. Soon there will be aquabikes to ride on the lake.

Locals will tell you there's a real energy among the people who live here.

And energy is the operative word at the award-winning Wild Brumby schnapps distillery on the Alpine Way, 15 minutes from Jindabyne.

Run by Brad and Monika Spaulding, who operate the Thredbo Ski School, the distillery produces 6000 litres of flavoured schnapps each year from local fruit.

Brad Spaulding dreamed up the idea for a distillery after he was introduced to the process while studying sport in Austria. His fellow students used to brew their own schnapps when they returned home during holidays.

Austrian-born Monika also had a tradition of schnapps-making in her family.

The distillery offers a range of classy foods and crafts as well as tastings and light snacks, tea and coffee.

Hearty, European-style lunches will be on the menu when the distillery opens a commercial kitchen early in the new year.

The writer was a guest of Tourism NSW.

The Sunday Telegraph