Blogs from Eden, New South Wales, Australia, Oceania

In 1797 George Bass and Matthew Flinders surveyed the bay at Eden for the first time, which is one the deepest natural harbours in the world. The first whaling station, for shore whaling, was established in the area by John Raine in 1828. Initially the prevalent orcas were seen by the whalers as a nuisance, however, the Yuin aboriginals employed on the boat crews refused to kill orcas, and a new policy encouraged collaboration between whalers and the killer whales. The killer whales would trap humpback whales that entered Twofold Bay, the whales would then be harpooned, and the orcas rewarded with the tongue and lips of the humpback carcasses. The whales would then be hauled ashore, their blubber cut up and boiled to extract oil. Whales were a valuable commodity for colonial NSW, with an ... read more

The Killer Whale Museum in Eden is a must visit place. A friend suggested we should visit it and we were apprehensive. However, once inside and reading the hisitory of whaling in Eden and in particular the story of the Killer Wales, then the whole visit turned into something very memorable. It is not place to tell the story here. Rather visit the museum or "Google" Old Tom the Killer whale of Eden. What a story!!... read more

Georgi had wanted to see the bay at Eden, from the time when a friend was on a cruise ship and the ship anchored in Twofold Bay. This bay was named by George Bass and is one of the deepest bays in the Southern Hemisphere. Our plan was to drive to Eden and maybe a bit further before we turned and start heading for Melbourne and the journey home to Tasmania. Our first stop was Orbost where we had hoped to get coffee. We got a few other necessary things done (like emptying the grey water tank) but finding a place with coffee was proving difficult. There was an art gallery but that was closed but we did eventually find an organic cafe that welcomed Georgi with open arms. The owner and Georgi were getting on ... read more

Hi readers, hope everyone enjoyed my first post as much as I enjoyed sharing it! I've spent the day traveling up to Pambula beach from the National Park today, and passed the time driving by thinking of some other tips I can give to readers who might be inspired to take a trip like mine. I had a few thoughts but one of the most obvious things I could think of while driving was that you really need to pick the right kind of vehicle for the trip you're planning. I had originally envisaged myself traveling in a giant motorhome, setting up camp by the beaches for a few days at a time with tables and all, but when it came down to it, taking a giant house with me wherever I went just didn't make ... read more

Hi blog followers. Today I have done two blogs as a catch up again. This one is from Eden on the south coast of NSW and our last stop before we cross over into Victoria. We have visited Eden once before when we had our bus/motorhome, but then the weather was terrible and we had nothing but heavy rain and therefore we had not seen Eden in the greatest light. I must say it was much better this time and very enjoyable. We did the usual thing and arrived in the van park early and set up camp (only takes us a few minutes now that we are seasoned caravaners) and then headed out to explore the town and surrounding area. The Killer Whale museum was excellent and it is unbelievable to read how the Killer ... read more