Eden, NSW
The place to go for all things whales, from spotting them in the ocean to learning about their history at the famous museum.
Where To Stay In Eden
Reflections Eden has a beautiful location, wedged between Lake Curalo and Aslings Beach meaning you’re never far from your waterside activity of choice be it swimming, fishing or just relaxing with your toes in the sand. Sites here are all larger than average and flat with grass, slab and ensuite options. It’s worth noting that if you’re willing to forgo connecting to the Park's power and use an Unpowered Site instead, you’ll be rewarded with beautiful views from a position on the edge of the beach or bush. Cabins are available in a range of sizes sleeping 2 to 6 people, all of which come with fresh linen. This isn’t a Park overflowing with different facilities (who needs them when there’s so much outdoor entertainment at your doorstep), but there’s a great camp kitchen, a kids playground and a communal fire pit area which is a great place to wind down at the end of the day with old friends or to make some new friends. Dogs are welcome year round on all Sites and selected Cabins so feel free to bring your four legged friend for the adventure!
Where To Eat & Drink In Eden
For morning coffee and your produce needs while you’re at it, head to Sprout, a local cafe-come-fresh food grocer serving up delicious coffee and cafe staple dishes. Come late afternoon, we love visiting the Great Southern Inn for a drink. This is a true Aussie pub, sporting an expansive deck with beautiful views over the bay that are best enjoyed with a cold beer in hand. In the evening sometimes you can’t go past a pizza, and Eden Pizza serves up fresh and filling pizzas with all your favourites available.
What To Do In Eden
For those who love the water, Eden is a must visit. Home to the Southern Hemisphere’s third deepest harbour, it’s a fantastic spot for both fishing and diving. If you haven’t brought your own gear, it can be hired at Pickles Fishing & Outdoors in town. If you’re keen to venture further offshore, you’ll find deeper reefs and caves that can be visited on both diving and fishing tours. We recommend Freedom Charters for fishing, and Dive Eden for diving. If you’re after some more tame watersports, Aslings Beach is a beautiful spot for a swim - make sure you don’t miss the stunning rock pool located at the Southern end of the beach. For the history buff, a visit to the Killer Whale Museum is a must. Originally built to house the skeleton of the Orca “Old Tom”, this is now a great spot to learn all about Australia’s Whaling, Timber and Fishing history.
The Essentials
All the essentials you’ll need are in Eden with a Pharmacy and multiple supermarkets (Coles and IGA) available in town. If you’re in need of caravanning and camping gear, Eden Gas & Gear is well stocked with the basics.
The Drive
As always, we give you the rundown on the drive you’ll take from the three closest capital cities.
From Canberra - At just 268 km from Canberra, this is an easy drive to do in one hit, straight down the Snowy Mountains Highway. There’s plenty of options to stop and stretch your legs, and we quite like the historic charm of Nimmitabel, once an important stopover for miners and prospectors making their way from the coast to the goldfields at Kiandra.
From Sydney - At 485 km this is a longer drive and whilst you’ll likely need at least one stop, you can make the decision whether it’s a stretch of the legs or perhaps a chance to take in another town for a night or two. If you choose the latter, we highly recommend exploring the incredible beaches of the Jervis Bay area which is just shy of half way between Sydney and Eden.
From Melbourne - At 554 km, we recommend breaking this one up with a stop or two and whilst it’s an easy enough drive to knock over in a day, there’s several great towns to check out along the way so we recommend an overnight stay. Our choice would be Lakes Entrance for its unique waterways, pristine beaches and marine life.
