Coast and Country Hideaway

28 June 2010

Be captured by the beauty of Eden

 

Eden: what a perfect name. There could be no other name to describe such a wonderful place. Everywhere we turned we found a new place to explore. We only had a few days to take in the best of Eden and those few days certainly fell short of satisfactory. Every drive we took brought us to a new secluded beach or nature reserve to explore.

 

Eden is steeped in history. Apparently Benjamin Boyd created Boydtown and wanted the Australian Government of the day to set the town of Eden as the Australian Capital. He built magnificent buildings such as the Seahorse Inn. This luxurious dwelling was created in the opulence of Ben Boyd’s character. Set on the beachfront with beautiful lawns, it is a magnificent piece of history.

 

Nearby he erected a tower, originally designed to be a lighthouse. This was never commissioned as a lighthouse; it was only ever used to watch for whales. The structure, known as Boyd’s Tower, remains today.

 

Ben Boyd set out for the Californian goldfields but he disappeared and was never seen again. He was a flamboyant entrepreneur, a man of drive, ambition and determination, and is well revered by the townsfolk even today.

 

You must call into the Eden Gateway Visitor Information Centre located on the corner of Mitchell and Imlay Streets. This place is a wealth of knowledge and you will come away with the information to set your stay on course.

 

We explored the Whale Museum and learnt the story of Old Tom (another Eden icon). Old Tom was a killer whale who was befriended by the local fishermen. Old Tom would herd the humpback whales into the bay, then go around the bay to Aisling Beach and wake up the fishermen by splashing his tail in the water. When the fishermen cut up the whales, they would reward him with the tongues, which were his delicacy. When old Tom died, they collected his skeleton and it can be seen on display in the whale museum.

 

Eden has so much for the RVer to do and see. It provides an RV dealer, ARV accessories for sales, and a repairer across the road. We couldn’t believe the number of RVs we saw while we were at Eden. Just filling up the petrol tank we saw four at the one station and this was in the off-peak season.

 

We stayed at the Eden Tourist Park Beach Resort; other parks on offer include Fountain Holiday and Garden of Eden, Twofold Bay and Discovery Holiday Park. All offer peaceful settings in the heart of this fantastic town.

 

When the rest of town looked ready to bed down for a cold winter’s night (it was after all 6.30 at night), we ventured out to the Fishermans Recreational Club. The locals had told us to check out the Old Toms Fresh Seafood Restaurant there. This place was abuzz with people. We ate a sumptuous fare of seafood and veal cooked in the traditional country club style. No pensioner serves here, there was enough for everyone to be satisfied.

 

As we sat for a while, we noticed the people kept coming, locals, workers and the obvious tourists all enjoying a great meal and a hearty drink. We spoke to the owner Phill Cave, who tells us the locals have high expectations for the restaurant and it meets the challenge fulfilling those expectations.

 

We inspected the local fishing Co-Op, who confirmed that they provide fresh fish directly to the Fishermans Club, and when we sampled the fare, we could taste the freshness.

 

Eden really is a water lover’s paradise. All the brochures you collect will tell you this, and they’re not wrong. The ocean is stunning with many vantage points to see whales migrating by. The secluded bay is an ideal port or launch for sailing, deep-sea fishing, whale watching or sight-seeing cruises.

 

There are many waterways for lake fishing, and for the not-so-avid fishermen there is fresh local seafood available from a good selection of outlets.

 

Eden has spectacular scenery both coastal and inland, as well as many great walks and national parks to explore. We took at trip to Ben Boyd National Park to photograph the Pinnacles. This place is spectacular. The colours of the rock are magnificent, to say the least. When we were driving there, we saw the pink rocks on the side of the road and thought they had been painted. On further inspection, we realised it was coloured sandstone.

 

The Pinnacles show off the various colours in different light. It’s only a short walk from the car and not too steep, so I encourage you to make the journey. Keep a look out for eastern grey kangaroos and white-bellied sea eagles.

 

Haycock Point is another place to explore the beaches and rock pool. It’s a great place for shell collecting, bird watching, snorkelling and fishing. Boat cruises are just waiting at the door to take you to new adventures including whale watching (September to November) and game, reef and king fishing.

 

Looking for a walking adventure? Then try the Light to Light Walk. It’s an estimated five-day trek for the walking enthusiast. The walk commences at Boyd Tower and finishes at Green Cape Lighthouse. You will be amazed at the different scenery along the way. The flora and fauna will keep you enthralled as it changes with every step.

Eden is home to much great food. One of the hidden treasures is the Disaster Bay Chilli factory. Located in the industrial part of town, hidden in a tin shed, is this manufacturer of all things chilli. We sampled chilli wine, chilli jelly and were tempted by the sound of chilli chocolates, which are only available at selected times.

 

All the chilli is hand picked, and prepared by hand to their original recipes. These great flavours travel all over the country by special order and are a must for all those chilli connoisseurs. While you are visiting, ask Stuart or John for some of their great recipes.

 

Pambula is a quiet little town to the north of Eden. As we ventured towards town we saw a little shed on the lefthand side called Oaklands. There were several cars parked there including a few vintage, which made us turn in to see what was going on there. We were so glad we did as we stumbled across a gold mine. This turned out to be a rabbit warren of fun.

 

There was a garden nursery with beautiful plants for sale, a café, an art gallery, a produce store and an animal petting zoo. We spent so much time here it was just terrific and so relaxing. The café had a sumptuous selection of hot and cold foods, cakes and drinks. So impressed were we that we had to make extra time on our last day to call back in for a second visit.

 

We met many locals here who knew just where to find the best coffee and food in town with atmosphere to boot.

 

Pambula Beach is well worth inspecting, and there are many great spots to swim as well as walking tracks and viewing platforms.

 

No trip to Eden would be complete without a detour to the Bega Cheese Factory, located where else but in Bega. The factory has samples for you to taste, products for sale and a great little café to eat in. Upstairs is a museum with historical information about the factory and its heritage. The Bega Tourist Information centre is also housed here now.

 

We came across many RVers when we were here including some vintage car and caravan combinations that looked fantastic. There is a lookout just north of town with views of Mumbulla Mountain to the north and the vista to the west and over town is breathtaking.

 

No short story on Eden can do it justice. The scenery, the tracks and trails, the craft, the shops, the history and the atmosphere of Eden are hard to capture in words. Even the photos don’t show the contrasts of the beauty of this place. I can see what Ben Boyd saw, and it makes you want to stay and invite the whole world to enjoy the sights and sounds of Eden. Once visited, never forgotten!

 

HOW TO GET THERE

 

From Sydney: take the Pacific Highway through Wollongong past Batemans Bay to Eden.

 

VISITOR INFORMATION

 

EDEN GATEWAY VISITOR INFORMATION CENTRE
Corner Mitchell Street and Imlay Street
Eden NSW 2551
Ph: (02) 6496 1953
Fax: (02) 6496 4425
E: info@ede ntourism.com.au
www. edentourism.com.au

 

WHERE WE STAYED

 

Thanks to all the staff at:
EDEN TOURIST PARK
Aslings Beach Road
Eden NSW 2551
Ph: (02)6496 1139
E: [email protected]
www.edentouristpark.com.au

 

ACCOMMODATION

 

TWOFOLD BAY BEACH RESORT
731 Princes Hwy Eden NSW 2551
Ph: (02) 6496 1572
Fax: (02) 6496 3082
E: [email protected]
www.aspenparks.com.au

 

GARDEN OF EDEN CARAVAN PARK
Cnr Princes Highway and Barclay St
Eden NSW 2551
Ph: 1800224460
Fax: (02) 6496 3618
E: [email protected]
www.edengarden.biz

 

FOUNTAIN CARAVAN PARK
99 Princes Highway
Eden NSW 25513
Ph: (02) 6496 1798
Fax:(02) 6496 1820
E: [email protected]
www.fountaincaravanpark.com.au

 

SEAHORSE INN
BOYDTOWN PARK ROAD
Eden NSW 2551
Ph: (02) 6496 1361
Fax: (02) 6496 4211
E: [email protected]
www.seahorseinn.com.au

 

MUST SEE:

 

EDEN KILLER WHALE MUSEUM
Inlay St, Eden
Ph: (02) 6496 2094
One of the most interesting days out for all ages, including the skeleton of Old Tom the killer whale.

 

FREE ACTIVITIES

 

TASTE TEST AT DISASTER BAY CHILLI PRODUCTS
PO Box 513 Eden NSW 2551
Ph: (02) 6496 4145
Fax: (02) 6496 1117
www.disasterbaychilies.com

 

THE PINNACLES, BEN BOYD NATIONAL PARK
North of Eden, see tourist information centre for further details.

 

OAKLANDS BARN & GARDEN NURSERY
Café, Gallery, wooden toys, animal nursery and trail rides.

Prices Highway (500m south of town) Pambula NSW 2549
Ph: (02) 6495 7257

 

BEGA CHEESE HERITAGE CENTRE – CHEESE TASTINGS
Lagoon Street
Bega NSW 2550
Ph: (02) 6491 7762
www.begacheese.com.au

 

WALKING TRACKS
The Garden & Heritage Trail of Eden.
The Light To Light Walk.
See tourist information centre for further details.

 

CHEAP TREATS

 

OLD TOMS FRESH SEAFOOD – SUNDAY ROASTS
Eden Fishermans Recreation Club
217 Inlay St Eden NSW 2551
Ph: (02) 6496 1577
Open seven days

 

THE GARDENS COUNTRY CLUB – CHINESE AND AUSTRALIAN MEALS
Princes Highway
Eden NSW 2551
Ph: (02) 6496 1126

 

ARTWORKS – ART ON IMLAY
150 Imlay Street (a few doors south of the post office)
Eden NSW 2551
10am – 4pm daily

 

EDEN MARKETS
First Saturday of each month
Eden RSL Hall Calle Calle St Eden NSW 2551

By Paul Hutchinson
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