A former whaling centre, now a fishing port and increasingly popular holiday resort town, Eden occupies a position on the narrowest section of the coastal plain, surrounded by rugged hills that lead into the Great Dividing Range.

Where is it?: New South Wales: South Coast. Eden is 476 km south of Sydney; 50 m above sea level.

Events: Eden Whale Festival, held every October, is an integral part of the Eden calendar, providing a great weekend festival with a carnival atmosphere.

Lookouts: Lookout Point, Rotary Park and Seamens Memorial Wall are up the hill from Eden Wharf. They offer panoramic views over beautiful Twofold Bay to Mt Imlay. There is a Picnic area, toilets, and childrens playground.

Things To See and Do

Whaling played a very important role in the town's economy for over 100 years before its end in 1930. Eden Killer Whale Museum tells the story of whaling at Twofold Bay, with a particular focus on the killer whale. Yuin aboriginals, employed as whaling boat crew, 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 prize pieces of the humpback carcasses.

Surrrounding area

Once a more substantial township than Eden at the southern end of Twofold Bay, Boydtown fell into decline after Benjamin Boyd encountered financial troubles. The remains of whaling stations and the local landmark Boyd's Tower, a stone spotting tower used to look for whales, are all nearby.

Ben Boyd National Park comprises two rocky and beautiful stretches of coastline north and south of Twofold Bay featuring vivid rock formations, flowering heaths and banksia forest. The Pinnacles feature red and white earth formations; Green Cape Light House is the most southerly of the NSW coastal lighthouses. Boyd's tower and Davidson Whaling Station Historic Site stands as a reminder of the early whaling days when a pod of Killer Whales led by 'Old Tom' assisted the whalers in the hunt for baleen whales.

Merimbula is a pleasant and popular seaside resort town at the head of the far south coast region. Merimbula's lagoon, lakes and ocean are separated by white sand and fringed by unspoilt bushland stretching up into the mountains.