EDEN, NADGEE NATURE RESERVE AND BEN BOYD NATIONAL PARK - 14 TO 19 MARCH 2021

 

EDEN, NADGEE NATURE RESERVE AND BEN BOYD NATIONAL PARK

14 March

The drive to Eden from Jindabyne was long and the scenery very varied – endless undulating hills of boulders and tall dried grass to steep decline with ferns and trees recovering from recent bushfires. We stopped at a quaint church in Dalgety and further on near a wind farm. They are big close up. We bought lunch at Bombala and ate in in a picnic area beside the Bombala River – pretty but still cold. We thought about staying the night but overnight temperature was predicted to be 1 degree.

We finally arrived at Eden and settled into one of the camping grounds Discovery) south of the town.

We had a stroll along Boydtown Beach towards the mouth of the Nullica River. The walk was nice and the river mouth was mainly a flat expanse of sand due to low tide.

15 March

The wind had dropped and the sun was shining. After breakfast, we had a bake on Boydtown Beach. It was very relaxing. Occasionally, tiny waves broken on the beach. The morning grew warmer and I had a swim close to shore. Yesterday there was a shark attack at Merimbula Beach, which wasn’t far away.

We had lunch then drove to the tourism office in Eden for information on the area.

Next stop was Aslings Beach. It was windy and the water was crystal clear. We walked along the beach to the rockpool that was filled with sand. There were some interesting geological patterns on the cliff rock strata.

Next stop was the Eden Lookout. A great view right across the expanse of Twofold Bay!

Continuing on, we had a walk along the wharves at Eden harbour. Definitely, a working harbour!

16 March

We woke to a cloudy sky.

I had an early walk along the beach. There was a large naval vessel not far from shore.

We breakfasted and packed as we decided to move to a different camp area.

After coffee in town, we settled into our new camp site at Reflections, Eden. The camp was positioned between Aslings Beach and Lake Curola.

I had a kayak on the lake when the rain eased. The lake was tidal and as it was mid tide I was limited in my paddling area as most of the lake was too shallow.

About mid afternoon, we had a walk along Aslings Beach to the north. It was a little windy but it was pretty where the lake emptied into the sea. At the start of our walk, we ran into a young couple I met while mountain biking down Thredbo Valley. A small world at times!

17 March

A cloudy morning.

After breakfast, we had a bike ride around Lake Curalo. A fun 12 km ride along Aslings Beach boardwalk, the bike track around the lake and into town. The track was beside the lake most of the way. It was on a boardwalk, graded path and rough surface. Along the way, we had great views of the lake and its birdlife. At one point there was a pair of yellow tailed black cockatoos. The lake ride ended at the lake’s mouth on the beach. A pretty ride!

Later in the afternoon, we strolled along the boardwalk at Aslings Beach.

18 March

We drove to Nadgee Nature Reserve. It was pretty but a bit of a disappointment as far as kayaking (not enough water) and hiking goes (not sign posted).

Back at camp, I had a bike ride around Lake Curalo. I rode further than with Jacinta previously doing the north side of Aslings Beach – there was hard sand to ride, multicoloured rocks and a small pretty cove.

19 March

A cloudy morning.

We packed and set off for Bournda National Park.

We left Eden and drove through the northern side of Ben Boyd National Park. We stopped at a few points of interest - The Pinnacles, where we had a two short hikes and North Long Beach.