SHORE EXCURSIONS

OVERVIEW

Enjoy panoramic views of the area’s natural beauty and wildlife from lookouts at Boyds Tower and at a nearby nature reserve. Entrepreneur Benjamin Boyd built the tower in 1847 to be a lighthouse, but it was never commissioned and was only used for spotting whales. While accompanying a national parks ranger around the reserve’s walking track, you will climb the tower and other viewing platforms and gaze out over scenic Twofold Bay, Green Cape and Red Point, which was named for the color of its rocks. Eagles Claw Nature Reserve lies on the other side of the bay along a protected strip of rugged coastline. It once held one of the only colonies of little penguins on the mainland until a pack of feral dogs savagely eliminated them in 1993. The ranger will describe the rehabilitation efforts that have reestablished the indigenous penguins, which you may spot from the Rotary Lookout.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Marvel at the natural beauty of Twofold Bay and the surrounding wilderness from Boyds Tower.
• Look for humpback whales and other marine life from several observation platforms.
• Keep an eye out for little penguins that have been rehabilitated at Eagles Claw Nature Reserve.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

OVERVIEW

Enjoy morning or afternoon tea at a country club, then go kangaroo spotting around the links by golf cart. A short drive from the port and through the city brings you to Eden Gardens Country Club. The grounds here teem with wildlife, but by far the most popular is that iconic bounding Aussie biped, the kangaroo. Get on a golf-cart safari around the picturesque golf course in search of the array of fauna that calls this place home. On your return to the Club house you will be provided with morning/afternoon tea and a chance to ask any questions you may have. Along the way, you will stop to get that special photo of the kangaroos and whoever else is out and about today. Bring your best camera gear.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Head to the Eden Gardens Country Club where the golf course is something of a wildlife reserve.
• Enjoy a civilized morning or afternoon tea.
• Get great photo opportunities with the kangaroos who share this habitat with the drivers and putters.
• Be on the lookout for other animals; you never know who you’ll see here.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Walk Eden’s spectacular bayside region with a professional photographer, capturing stunning images and helpful hands-on tips. This tour is a natural for both beginning and experienced photographers – with a primary focus on landscape work, but the possibility of street photography, too, as you walk through the working port. This moderate ramble will visit cliff tops and viewing platforms, skirting a highly scenic coast and providing history on Eden and its landmarks – as well as insights on techniques the pros use to capture inspiring images, whether it’s with a high-end DSLR or just a handy smartphone camera. You’re sure to walk away with eye-grabbing shots to share with friends, family and your Instagram followers. And some valuable new knowledge that could make you an even better photographer as you continue your travels Down Under and around the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Take a walk along Eden’s coastline with a photography pro and sharpen your shooting skills.
• Gain insights on the sights you’re seeing and on light, lensing, framing and other concepts that can help make good photos great.
• Visit high overlooks over a stunning bay and stroll at street-level through a working port. Helpful Hints.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear casual, weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Cruise through Twofold Bay aboard a sleek catamaran, tracing a coastline blanketed with forests and dotted with historical buildings. Named for the two distinct curving folds along its shoreline, this body of water is one of the deepest natural harbors in the entire Southern Hemisphere. As your boat slices through the sea’s surface on stable twin hulls, an onboard guide will elaborate on Eden and Twofold Bay’s 19th-century history as a major whaling center. In those days, these waters were so busy with migrating whales headed for Antarctica during season that this became known as the Humpback Highway. You may also spot the old, weathered homestead of the Davidson Whaling Station off on one corner of the bay where the Towamba River flows in. This historic site was where the Davidson family ran their shore-based operation – longest-running in Australia – assisted in their efforts by an unusual alliance with a pack of killer whales. The whale-spotting tower of another historic Twofold Bay character, controversial entrepreneur Benjamin Boyd, stands nearby; he mysteriously disappeared while hunting ducks. Happily, for us and the planet, humpbacks and right whales still pass by here each year in sizable numbers, free to enjoy these waters in safety.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Board a sleek catamaran at the cruise pier and set sail into beautiful Twofold Bay.
• Sightsee along the coastline, a place of sandy beaches, thick forests and historic landmarks from Eden’s whaling past.
• Hear your guide recount the days when these waters were so filled with migrating whales this was known as the Humpback Highway
• Learn the stories behind the ramshackle Davidson Whaling Station and the old tower on the point in Ben Boyd National Park.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Wear weather-appropriate clothing; consider a light jacket or sweater
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Travel to coastal Merimbula to sample fresh lake oysters from a farm that’s been sustainably harvesting these succulent mollusks for decades. Yet, delectable as those views are, the real taste treat today is grown in a lake by Wheelers Oyster Farm. During your tour to this state-of-the-art operation, you’ll learn more about oysters than you ever imagined possible – from their life cycle to the history of oyster farming, to how these plump bivalves are prepared for dining at the on-premises restaurant. Of course, the proof is in the taste – and you’ll have your chance to savor that as soon as the “factory” tour is done; these fresh-harvested lake oysters are known for their tender, juicy and delicious flavor. Following the tasting, you’ll reboard the coach and head back to Eden for a brief panoramic spin through downtown and some free time before returning to the ship.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Drive along New South Wales’ Sapphire Coast.
• farm whose succulent crop grows in a lake and has a uniquely delicious, sweet taste.
• Learn all about the life cycle and sustainable production of oysters, then savor their flavor for yourself.
• Enjoy a panoramic spin through Eden on the way back with some free time in town.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen as needed.

OVERVIEW

Behold the natural beauty of the Sapphire Coast while exploring its most emblematic seaside villages. The views from the Rotary Lookout will set the stage for the gorgeous scenery that lies ahead as this renowned whale-watching spot offers a sweeping view of Twofold Bay. You will also pause at sheltered Cocora Beach, where you will likely hear the resident bellbirds communicating through tinkling bell-like calls. At Cocora Beach you will also find the starting point of the Bundian Way, an ancient path used by the Yuin people to traverse from the sea to the mountains, a 328km path leading to Mt Kosciuzko. At Quarantine Bay, where watch for stingrays and pelicans typically gathering to feast on the fish trimmings that anglers toss into the sea. Other coastal experiences await you during a leisurely walk on Boydtown Beach and in the village of Merimbula, where ancient Aboriginal oyster middens line the shore. The highlight in the Killer Whale Museum will be seeing the skeleton of the massive orca Old Tom and hearing the legend of how he helped whalers.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit several spectacularly scenic villages that rim the deep-blue waters of the Sapphire Coast.
• Gaze out over beautiful Twofold Bay from atop the Rotary Lookout in Eden.
• Listen for the distinctive call of bellbirds and watch for stingrays feeding at the water’s edge.
• See large oyster middens that the ancient Aboriginal people left along Merimbula Lake.
• Stand before the massive skeleton of a six-ton orca in the Killer Whale Museum.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.