Eden, NSW

Ratings: CP ***** Surroundings *****

Mealtime for an egret as the tide rises in Lake Curalo...the view from our site. Eden has an interesting whaling history: the Thawa people of the Yuin Aboriginal nation were the original inhabitants of this area and had a special relationship with dolphins and whales, killer whales (Orca) in particular which were sacred and which they refused to kill. However the settlers exploited Aboriginal knowledge of whales, employing them in the whaling industry which began in this area around 1828. The Orca whales were used to trap humpbacks which entered Twofold Bay where they were harpooned and the Orcas were rewarded with humpback carcasses. Whaling was banned in Australia in 1979.

An solitary walk along the sweeping Aslings Beach returning from the Lake Curalo inlet.

Colours and reflections of the serene Merimbula River where we enjoyed coffee after a boardwalk.

The Pinnacles of Ben Boyd National Park. Surprisingly different to other pinnacles we've seen, this is a natural cliff formation of multi coloured sands and clays which were apparently deposited around 65 million years ago during the Tertiary geological period. The top of the white sediment marks the level of an ancient water table while the red colour is iron oxide.