Most of us have heard of Eden, the little town on the far south coast of New South Wales. If you like the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, you’ll know it’s the last safe port before the boats enter Bass Strait. If you do a road trip in Southeastern Australia, it’s that town that is a bit out of the way to get to.
When you finally get the chance to pay Eden a visit, you’ll wish you had stopped by sooner. Set on beautiful Twofold Bay it is a spectacular place with a fascinating history.
Disclosure: Please Note That Some Links In This Post May Be Affiliate Links, And At No Additional Cost To You, We Earn A Small Commission If You Make A Purchase. Commissions Go Toward Maintaining The Curious Campers Website.
Contents
Unique Things to do in Eden
I must admit, when we travel, we don’t naturally gravitate to the historical aspects of a town. But in Eden, not only is its history hard to avoid, but its story is so good you’ll find yourself going to places to learn more about it.
So, while there are plenty of things you can do in Eden you can do in lots of other towns, we have put together a list of things to in Eden that are uniquely Eden.
Discover the remarkable relationship between whalers and the killer whales, the stories of the ‘colourful’ characters like Benjamin Boyd, and the relationship between the local Thula people and European settlers.
It is a fascinating place. We hope you enjoy learning about it as much as we did.
- Book a 5hr Eden Tour – Nature, Beaches, Lookouts & National Parks
- Book a 2hr Guided Bike Tour around Eden’s Lake Curalo
Eden Killer Whale Museum
If you have never been to Eden, one of the first things you should do is visit the Eden Killer Whale Museum. Located in the centre of town, with its distinctive lighthouse tower, you can’t miss it.
After an hour or two here and you will have a huge appreciation for the heart and soul of Eden. From the skeleton of Old Tom in the foyer, make your first stop the small theatre where you can watch a short film that gives you a rundown of Eden, Its whaling history, and introduces you to the people involved.
The names you hear – Boyd, Davidson, Imlay, Brierly… you will see in the landmarks across the town and region. There are spacious rooms full of artefacts from the whaling era. maritime history and displays of local marine life.
While there are not a lot of hands on interactive displays for kids, there is a big range of things to look at and you can go on tours of the mini lighthouse (which was closed for our visit sadly).
We were glad we stopped here early on in our visit to Eden, it helped tie together many of the other attractions we looked at in the following days.
- Open 9.15 – 3.45 Mon to Sat, 10.15 – 2.45 Sun. Entry fees apply.
Bundian Way Story Trail
Winding its way between family friendly Cocora Beach and the busy fishing marina at Quarantine Bay, this generally easy walk has great views of Twofold Bay.
The trail also highlights the Bundian Way, a track used by Aboriginal mobs between Eden and the New South Wales high country.
Despite the showery weather we had for our walk, the views from the lookouts along the trail were still excellent and it is great fun exploring the coast and reading about the Bundian Way and the interactions between European explorers and local Aboriginals.
We have a full guide to the Bundian Story Trail walk if you want to learn more.
Beowa National Park
There are two sections to Beowa (formerly Ben Boyd) National Park that sit just north and south of Eden. Both areas have some fantastic attractions, we have a full guide of what you can do in the park.
But if you want to experience some of Eden’s history, make your way to the southern Green Cape section, home to Boyd’s Tower and the Davidson Whaling Station.
There are some great views from Boyd’s Tower, and it is a good place to go whale watching. You can do a tour around the Davidson Whaling Station or just look around the grounds and see the remains of the processing area at Brierly Point Beach.
The two sites are quite close to one another and are both worth a visit to get an even deeper sense of Eden’s history.
Stay or Eat at the Seahorse Inn
One of the region’s most notorious early settlers was Benjamin Boyd. He had a grandiose vision for Eden and an extremely healthy ego. Nowhere is this symbolised more than the Seahorse Horse Inn that was supposed to be the centrepiece of his namesake settlement – Boydtown.
While Benjamin Boyd’s schemes and criminal activity saw him ruined, the same can’t be said for the Seahorse Inn. Over decades, the site has been restored by various owners and now offers boutique accommodation.
Day visitors can enjoy a meal with views over the gardens and Twofold Bay and pop into the little art gallery where there is some lovely whale themed art and craft.
The gardens are beautiful too and there is even a replica Boyd Tower near the generous carpark. It is a great spot for a relaxing meal.
- The Seahorse Inn Brasserie is open 7 days for; Lunch 12pm – 2pm & Dinner 6pm – 8pm.
Eden Heritage Walks
If you like a heritage tour you can choose between the Eden Heritage Drive and the Eden Heritage Walk. The drive takes you to the sites mentioned above – the Seahorse Inn and the Green Cape Section of Beowa National Park.
The Eden Heritage Walk has three routes. The easy section is a beauty incorporating Aslings Beach and the Alan Gibson Boardwalk. We’ll describe these a bit more below.
The medium and harder sections take in the top part of the town including the hilly areas around Snug Cove and the Seamen’s Memorial Wall and Rose Garden. It also incorporates the fun and short Warren’s Walk from Snug Cove. There are some nice views of the harbour on this short trail.
Along the walks you will see the churches, banks, pubs, schools, courthouses, cemeteries and memorials that have local historical significance. Maps are available from the visitor centre at Snog Cove.
Aslings Beach & Rockpool
One of Eden’s best beaches, Aslings Beach is a good spot for a swim, you can look out for the pod of local bottlenose dolphins or go for an Insta moment at the rockpool at the right hand end of the beach.
Another feature of the beach is the Maritime Heritage Walk. You can walk along the beach but off the sand and see murals and signs about the history of different types of boats that have come into Twofold Bay.
The walk is already a lovely stroll, and this info adds another layer of interest to it. There is some outdoor exercise equipment dotted along the walk.
See What’s Happening at Snug Cove
Home to the town’s excellent visitor information centre, young and old will love a visit to this busy wharf. Kids will enjoy seeing the huge tug boats and there are all sorts of other boats moored around the big but accessible wharf.
A cruise ship docked while we were in town, and it was amazing see it tied up and even more impressive watching it manoeuvre itself out of Twofold Bay at the end of its stay.
The wharf is also the departure point for one of our favourite activities when we travel – a nature cruise. More info on this right below. The twisty Warren’s Walk from the wharf to the top of hill is also good fun.
Look around Rotary Park
If you drive up the hill from Snug Cove, on your right you will see the Rotary Park precinct. It is a small area, home to several important Eden sites.
You can follow signs to the Seamen’s Memorial and Rose Garden, an excellent whale watching platform, the Marine Rescue Station and the Eden Lookout. There is a small playground in the park too.
With great views across Twofold Bay and Boyd’s Tower on the other side of the bay, it is one of those spots in Eden that captures many aspects of the town’s history.
Go Whale Wildlife Watching on the Water
We love a wildlife cruise so booking a tour with Cat Ballou cruises was a must for us, whale season or not.
When it is whale season (which runs from late May to November), this cruise is the best way to get as close as possible to the migrating whales that are regular visitors to the bay. It is a great way to reflect on how we our attitudes to whales have changed since Eden was established.
In February for our visit, we still had a magic dolphin encounter, saw several sea eagles and spotted a hammerhead shark. It was heaps of fun and you can read about our Eden cruise here.
No matter the season, make sure you get out on the water and see the local marine life.
Allan Gibson Boardwalk
Right across the road from Aslings Beach you’ll see the Eden Football Ground. If you drive into the oval and follow the road around to the netball courts, you will come to the main entrance to the Alan Gibson Boardwalk on Curalo Lagoon.
Some reviews for this walk talk of smelly water but the lagoon looked in pretty good health for our walk, what you see will depend on the season.
But if you like a bit of bird spotting, or if it’s too windy for the beach this a nice walk along the lake. You can do a full lap of the lake if you can get across the mouth – which you can if the water levels are down. Otherwise, the return walk along the boardwalk is a lot of fun.
If you enjoyed this story you might also like:
Merimbula for Nature Lovers | Tura Headland Walk| Visit Stunning Narooma
Liked it? Pin it for Later…
500 THINGS TO DO
Join our mailing list and receive our Free Top 500 things to do in Australia. If you love the Australian Outdoors download this list and keep it handy when you are planning a weekend away or a road trip around Australia.
