"Great natural harbour : Eden" a Eden Travel Page by pedroswift

When I think of Eden, I think of the number of times the harbour has been used as a place of refuge by boats retiring from the annual Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Unlike many other ports on the south coast, entry does not involve crossing a treacherous river mouth with associated sand bar. My guess is many a battered and sea sick sailor has fallen in love with Eden and fondly recalls the name of the refuge: "Snug Cove" - part of the larger Twofold Bay. I can recall one yacht skipper, Geoff Boettcher, who had retired so many time to this refuge he said a couple of years back when he made it to Hobart, “They call me The Mayor of Eden. I drew a big arc around Eden (on the chart) and said to the guys, ‘we’re not going in there!’.”

Snug Cove was named by Bass and Flinders during their 1798 voyage to prove Tasmania was an island. They sheltered in the cove during bad weather. Flinders said prophetically of Twofold Bay & Snug Cove, " This place will probably be of great service to Whalers who, when fishing off this coast might be glad to get shelter from a gale of wind."

Eden's prodigal son is not a famous footballer: it's a killer whale named "Old Tom"! Visit the Killer Whale Museum on top of the hill on the extension of the main street to watch the video explaining the symbiotic relationship established between Tom and the indigenous population and early settlers. See Tom's Skeleton and a range of artifacts covering the whaling, fishing, and timber industries together with other aspects of local history.

Stopping at Eden as part of a road trip? Better make it more than one night to cover the touristy activities available. Being of a nautical bent, I enjoyed walking the Asling Beach Walking/Cycling path (northern end of the main beachfront). Local artists, John Downton & Rod Henderson have designed 20 boating scenes that depict the Nautical Heritage of the area. They have been set into the concrete cycle path. Pick up a brochure from the Tourist Bureau and set off on a leisurely 1.5 km walk to check out history from native bark canoes to early explorers (Bass & Flinders) to fishing, tourist, recreational and commercial shipping.
The serious bush walker is well catered for in this area with National Parks providing a variety of walks.eg Lighthouse to Lighthouse Walk (31kms /3 days) in Ben Boyd N.P. (select "facilities&things to do" from right hand menu) )