CARAVAN ADVENTURES: Ben Boyd National Park NSW

We turned off the highway 12 km south of Eden to explore the Ben Boyd National Park.

First stop, Boyd Tower car park and then had a short walk through a burnt out forest to find the tower in the bush on the headland. Originally Boyd had planned it to be a private lighthouse but was refused permission by the authorities so it was used for whale spotting. It is big with 5 levels, can be seen from Eden and from across the bay at the caravan park. Apparently back in the day access to the upper floor was by ladder.

Boyd's Tower overlooking Twofold Bay and the
Pacific Ocean

Every Pyrmont Sandstone brick and every stone carried
by ship and then bullock cart from Sydney

From the tower we back tracked a little down to the Navy wharf which is a very impressive double highway reaching far out into the bay. The Navy train there and it's also used as a safe haven for other vessels when needed. Today it was being enjoyed by some fisher folk and one lady told us that the gates are only locked when there is a Navy ship at the wharf.

There is also a huge wood chipping plant on the same shore, I suppose having a deep harbour is an advantage for them as well.

We enjoyed our picnic sitting in the sun watching the birds and the water.

Taken from the Navy Wharf

Next stop was the Davidson Whaling Station, a long walk down to the shore to see some relics of the huge pots where the men extracted the whale oil from the blubber. Now it's a picturesque little bay but I'm sure the men who worked there took little time to admire the view!
Half way up the hill is Davidsons cottage, very rustic and pretty in a beautiful garden. We wandered around before we realised that we were on private property, fortunately the local authorities were not around so we are free to continue our nefarious journey.

These rusted iron pots once used to render the whale blubber to separate the oil

Davidsons Cottage

No trip to the park would be complete without seeing the Green Cape lighthouse and settlement so off we went along the 21Km windy, bumpy road to get there. It turned out to be well worth the drive, the lighthouse and surrounding buildings have been beautifully restored and are now looked after by the State government of NSW so a joy for us all to see. The sea was blue and calm today and we saw 2 container ships passing each other closely, however in the past this place has been the site of many tragedies and ship wrecks, it even has its own cemetery where 76 souls from the ship Ly Ee Moon rest.