Ben Boyd National Park

Top choice in South Coast NSW


Divided into two sections north and south of Eden is 104.85-sq-km Ben Boyd National Park. Boyd was a Scottish entrepreneur in agriculture and whaling who left a trail of failed business ventures in the 1840s. The park contains some of his follies, such as a still-impressive lighthouse, along a dramatic coastline peppered with isolated beaches. Other scenic highlights include the Disaster Bay Lookout, the vivid Pinnacles rock formations and the Pambula River Walk, which threads together important Yuin sites.

Whales are often visible offshore and there's plentiful bird and marsupial life.

Bring coins to pay the park entry fee (it's pay and display).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby South Coast NSW attractions

1. Davidson Whaling Station

1.72 MILES

Eleven kilometres along Edrom Rd there’s a turn-off to the historic Davidson Whaling Station on Twofold Bay, last used in 1929. Have a picnic in the…

2. Boyd's Tower

2.62 MILES

At the end of Edrom Rd is the turn-off for Boyd’s Tower, built in the late 1840s from Sydney sandstone. It was built as a lighthouse, but the government…

3. Whale Lookout

4.07 MILES

Between late September and late November, a good spot to look for whales is at the scenic lookout south of the wharf. This can also save you the time and…

4. Sapphire Coast Marine Discovery Centre

4.32 MILES

There's a school-classroom feel to the family-focused Marine Discovery Centre, which has touch pools full of harmless creatures and a dark room that glows…

5. Killer Whale Museum

4.57 MILES

This long-running museum satisfies appetites for tales of seabound adventures, local Aboriginal history and blubber-based medical cures. As its…

6. Green Cape Lightstation

11.24 MILES

At the southern tip of Ben Boyd's southern section, elegant 1883 Green Cape Lightstation offers awesome views. There are tours (by appointment only) and…

7. Panboola

14.13 MILES

An admirable community project has protected 77 hectares of wetlands for native bird species. The well-managed realm of mangroves and salt marshes is…

8. Merimbula Aquarium

16.18 MILES

Get to know your wrasse from your kingfish at the aquarium beneath the very good seafood restaurant Merimbula Wharf. It's an educational, if not very…