Travel: Garden of Eden, NSW

By Tony and Denyse Allsop

Denyse and I had enjoyed a trip from Lakes Entrance, Vic, through the sun-dappled forest and were almost in Eden, NSW when we heard a loud noise: it sounded as if our caravan safety chain was dragging.

Two kilometres further on, at the Eden information pull-in, we stopped to investigate. On opening our doors, it was immediately apparent that the sound was the call of bellbirds – dozens of them, and they were pretty loud. I wondered how many other travellers had the same experience.

Our destination was the Top Tourist Park, Garden of Eden. As we pulled in, the gardens at the entrance caught our attention. They certainly are a feature, enhanced also by the colourful autumn leaves.

After choosing our site, it was off to the town information centre, one of the best we have come across, where we were given free touring maps and information on the surrounding national parks. Scanning these over a cuppa, we decided that the town was worth several days’ stay.

Whale watchers

Eden has a population of 4000, and has two supermarkets, several motor dealers, tyre retailers, all the usual shops associated with a town of this size as well as one of the largest fishing fleets in NSW. The wholesale/retail fish sales at the wharf are great value, and we treated ourselves to a seafood feast of fish and prawns.

Continue on this road a short distance and you come to a picnic area with great views over the harbour and ocean. The nearby Rotary Lookout is a very popular spot during October and November when the whales pass close to this shoreline on their southern migration. Another great whale watching spot is at George Bass Park.

As well as some of the best whale watching on the east coast, Eden boasts a challenging golf course, and fishing and scuba diving charters. The town was based on the whaling industry and has an excellent whale and marine museum, but the main industries are now timber and fishing. An amateur $20,000 fishing competition is held each March while a separate $20,000 game fishing competition is held mid-April.

Whale watching is best around October, when the whale festival is held. Whales are frequently seen on Twofold Bay in October/November and a siren is sounded by the museum when the whales are in, so visitors can head to the vantage points to see them.

The museum was established in 1931 to house the skeleton of ‘Old Tom’, the leader of a killer whale pack which worked with the local whalers. They herded the whales into the shallows, where the whalers could then easily harpoon them. In return they ate the soft parts of the dead whales before they were brought ashore to be processed. The whole story is well told in the museum.

Lake Curalo is a salt water lake which normally enters the sea at the northern end of Aslings Beach. A boardwalk follows the lake for around 1.5km. Aslings Beach is a surf beach as well as a good fishing spot. Yes, I caught a nice bream just big enough for a meal for us both.

At the southern end of the beach is an interesting rock pool for swimming. Keen anglers will find great fishing in this town: from beach to rocks, on Lake Curalo or the wharf, or even offshore.

Historical wandering

Our main interest in Eden lay in the surrounding Ben Boyd National Park, which stretches to the north and south of the town. It is named after an early entertainer, Ben Boyd, who in the 1840s built a number of imposing buildings including the Seahorse Inn and Boyd’s Tower, a sandstone lighthouse (which was never lit), and acquired vast pastoral, whaling and mining interests with borrowed money. When no return was forthcoming, his backers withdrew their funds and his amazing empire collapsed.

Various examples of his folly can still be seen in the southern reaches of the park, and the sandstone lighthouse can even be spotted from Aslings Beach. There are many historical walking tracks, most of which are fairly easy and a short distance to interesting beaches, headlands, historical sites, lighthouses and forests. Also of interest are a woodchip mill, the new Navy wharf, several creeks and bays, the Greenscape Lighthouse built in 1883 and a historic shipwreck cemetery. A national park day visitor fee applies in the southern part of the park only.

To the north of the town there is much more to explore within Ben Boyd National Park. The road branches off after 8km on a good dirt road, suitable for any 2WD car. There are several short turn-offs to Pambula and Severs beaches, Long Beach, Worong Point and the Pinnacles, a very interesting eroded cliff face with vivid red and white bands which contrast with the green and blue sea.

The Pinnacles was formed 65 million years ago when the soft white sand developed a cap of red clay. This is best viewed in the morning when the sun strikes it. There is an easy 400m walk through native bush from the car parking bay and we saw (and heard!) dozens of wattle birds feeding on banksia flowers.

The national park has good forest areas and much wildlife. We saw several grey kangaroos on the beach, swamp wallabies and a goanna. A wombat was in the picnic area at Haycock Point. We also caught a glimpse of a lyre bird in the bush on the Pinnacles walk.

Inland from Eden and off the Princes Highway are many picnic spots, waterfalls, swimming holes and walking tracks, all along interesting bush drives.

Paradise found

Garden of Eden Caravan Park backs onto Aslings Beach and is one of the most inviting parks we have stayed in. The gardens are very impressive. There are some large drive-through sites, some of which have concrete slabs; others have good grass and all with power, water and sullage. There is an area set aside for those travellers with dogs. TV reception is fair, but a coaxial cable in available from the office to connect to your site for excellent reception. Mobile phone reception in the park is good.

The amenities block is great: the floor is heated for cold winter days, music is piped through, soap is provided and the showers are large with a good shelf space and plenty of hooks. Importantly, there’s a plentiful supply of hot water and they are kept very clean. There’s also a large laundry with several machines, dryers and four tubs.

Free barbecues are spaced around the park, which is set on several levels. Swimming and wading pools, a bowls lane and a tennis court are available and the park is a short walk to the main beach via the Lake Curalo boardwalk. The park actually backs onto the lake. We walked the one kilometre into town, but it probably is too far to carry a load of groceries home. Apart from the bellbirds’ chatter (they go to bed at night just like us), there is very little noise, something Denyse and I appreciate at night.

A camp kitchen and TV room, babies’ room, car and boat wash are also available. The current overnight fee of $23 a double for a powered site (even less with our Top Tourist discount) was very reasonable. To top off our time here we found everyone we spoke to in town very pleasant and helpful, making Eden a very enjoyable place to stay.

Eden facts

Eden is approximately mid-way between Sydney and Melbourne (about six hours’ drive from either).

Population 4000

Eden Visitor’s Centre Ph: (02) 6496 1953

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services:

Merimbula, (02) 6495 5000

Narooma, (02) 4476 2888

State Forests, (02) 6496 1500