The NSW Coast and Beyond.



Pigeon House Mountain

After leaving Lake Tabourie we headed southwards along the NSW coast to Eden.  Living in Canberra we have regularly visited the south coast but have not gone as far south as Eden for over 30 years.  On the way there we stopped for lunch at a delightful rest area just north of Narooma.

Sometimes our impressions of an area are influenced by the weather.  The weather in Eden certainly had the town looking its best.  Its amazing that we have travelled all over Australia and yet the coast and views in our backyard are as good as any we have seen.  I recall that our friends Mark and Denise made a similar observation after their round the country trip two years ago. We started with a lovely walk on Asling’s Beach and the Allan Gibson Boardwalk in the town.  We then went to the town of Pambula (home of Frankie J Holden) and spent some time in and around Ben Boyd National Park.  A highlight in the park was the pinnacles and the magnificent multi-coloured cliffs in the area.

The Pinnacles this natural cliffs formation of multicoloured sands and clays   Unusual earth formation with red gravel atop white sand cliffs

We then left the town and travelled south to Boyd’s Tower at South Head.  The entrepreneur Ben Boyd had planned that Boydtown was to be the harbour in the area and had a large tower built so his staff could spot the passing whales first.  The tower remains and is very impressive but it is all that is left of Boydtown as Ben Boyd went broke before he could finish the project.

Boyds Tower Entrepreneur Benjamin Boyd built this elaborate sandstone tower in 1847

Rugged stretches of coastline, unique rock formations

On the way back to Eden we stopped at Edson Lodge and had a tour of the Davidson Whaling Station.  The whale melting pots were a little macabre but it was good to gain an understanding of the whaling history in the area.

After leaving Eden we continued on Highway 1 to Lakes Entrance in Victoria.  On the way we stopped for an hour or so for a superb walk in the Drummer Rainforest on the Thurra River.  It was warm day in the sunshine but once inside the rainforest the temperature dropped a few degrees and we wandered around admiring the beauty of the forest.

the Thurra River

The Drummer rainforest walk

it is easy to lose track of time as you sit and watch the river flow or just listen to the birds chirping in the trees

We started our time in Lakes Entrance with a cruise on Lake King on the Stormbird to the small village of Metung.  It was a leisurely day cruising the lake, wandering around the Village and having a enjoyed lunch in the local.

Lakes Entrance -  many of the local pelicans, swans and seabirds.

Gippsland Lakes a network of lakes, marshes and lagoons covering 400 sq km, and are separated from the ocean with coastal dunes known as Ninety Mile Beach

 fishing boats with their catch

We used Lakes Entrance as a base to discover some of the sights in the area.  We had a quick look at Lake Tyers before going to Bairnsdale where we spent a bit of time at the Clock Museum and Antiques Warehouse in the town.  We also had a refreshing evening walk along the Lakes Entrance Esplanade to the beach.  After looking at the housing market in the area it has now gone to the top of our list as a retirement location.

The Entrance