Our short stay in Canberra was over before we knew it and soon we were
heading south. Eden was to be our destination but we couldn’t resist a stop off
at ‘the snow’ en route. The green
landscapes turned to the brown more commonly associated with the Australian
outback before entering the lush mountain area. A brief pause at Jindabyne was
necessary to buy passes for the Kosciuszko National Park. It was a very brief
stop which was a shame as the mountains and lake (which covers the previous
site of the town) shimmering in the sunshine were begging to be explored.
We arrived at Thredbo as the first flutterings of a snowstorm were
floating through the air. An obligatory snowball fight later and we were back
on the road again. Even the skiiers were moving away from the mountain as visibility
had decreased so drastically.
A seemingly interminable drive along dark and twisting roads
followed until we finally arrived at Eden Beachfront Holiday Park where we
passed a chilly night (a natural hazard of winter travel). With the rising of
the sun the next morning we realised what beautiful views we had stretching out
to sea. Our first tourist stop was the Killer Whale Museum where we learnt
about how whalers and killer whales worked together to trap humpback whales
that entered Twofold Bay. I admit boats and whaling don’t exactly get my heart
racing but it told a fascinating tale, and I skipped thr ough the rest of the
exhibitions. A walk along the beach to stretch the legs and soak up some fresh
sea air made a welcome interlude before heading to Boyds Tower.
The tower is a short walk from the car park along an accessible path
lined with melaleuca trees, signs of bush fires apparent. When built in 1847 it
was one of a number of similar structures, many of which did not survive as
they were made of wood. Boyds Tower was built of sandstone so weathered the
years better. It does show some damage from its age however, part of the top
missing from a lightning strike in the 1860s. Unfortunately, visitors are
unable to climb the tower but any disappointment will be washed away with views
from the lookout. Eden is very aptly named.
Green Cape Lighthouse is a 31km walk away but alas the sun would
begin to fade before we could cover such a distance and so had to rely once
more on the car. When built in 1883 it was the tallest lighthouse in New South
Wales but lost this title shortly afterward with the construction of Smoky Cape
in 1891. Green Cape was replaced by a solar power light tower in 1992 but the
original structure still stands and if you time your visit right you could be
treated to a tour.
The very nature of a road trip means there’s never much time in any
one place and soon we were on our way to Lakes Entrance, our first stop in
Victoria. Unfortunately, everywhere seemed to close by 8pm so we struggled to
find anywhere for dinner (our only choice in the end was a takeaway pizza place
which turned out to be satisfyingly tasty). The benefit of arriving in the dark is the
pleasure of waking to unexpectedly beautiful views in the morning, especially
after another cold night. The water with boats floating gracefully atop was
serene as the sun glimmered off the still surface.