In part one of my Australian coastal adventure I left you with views of the Blue Pool in Bermagui, NSW. It was a gorgeous spot to enjoy the ocean after the long drive from Canberra. We spotted seals and soaked up the sun and ocean breezes before heading to our next stop.
From Bermagui we followed Australiaās Princess Highway north. The road winds inland for a time, and our next stop, Tilba (comprised of the Historic Villages Tilba Tilba and Central Tilba), was away from the coast. Tilba is incredibly cute and known for its cheese!
Tilba Tilba and Central Tilba are very tiny. The total population of both villages combined is less than 300. However, this small but quaint shire packs a big punch! Colonial timber cottages dot the landscape. These are filled with galleries, boutiques and eateries. And the scenery... the towns are surrounded by lush green hills straight out of a fairytale.
As I mentioned earlier, one thing Tilba is known for is cheese. Tilba Dairy runs the ABC Cheese Factory. The factory has a gift shop filled with souvenirs and of course cheese. We tasted several varieties (the black pepper cheddar was āda bombā.) You can also look though a window to see the small factory floor where cheese is made.
Along with our visit to the lolly shop and cheese factory, we also popped into a leather shop and small tea room. However, my favorite stop this visit was to Tilba was the Bates Emporium Store. The store has two entries, one side is post office and the other is a small grocery and sundries shop.
I first went into the post office side to buy stamps. Then ended up having a long conversation with the shopās owner. He heard my accent he wanted to know where I was from. After I answered Seattle, he told me he had a sign from a famous Seattle waterfront restaurant he found washed up on the beach near Tilba! He and his friends fished the sign out of the water and called the restaurant in Seattle (ALMOST 8,000 miles away) to tell them about the find. Anyway, after sharing this story the shop owner led me into the grocery side of the shop and behind the counter. He then took photos making it look like I worked in the store! The owner was a total character and so much fun.
Before leaving Tilba, we stopped to take a couple photos of the beautiful scenery. The rolling green hills look perfect for a dairy cows. So much quaintness! š¤£š
Our next and final stop for the day was Narooma, NSW. Narooma is located on Australiaās South Coast and has a population of about 3,000 people. This part of the coast is the closest in Australia to the continental shelf (only 12 miles). This makes Narooma a popular spot for deep sea fishing.
My husband lived in Narooma from the time he was four years old until he turned nine. Staying at this part of the coast was inspired by hubās desire to revisit his childhood home. So of course our first stop was to see his old house.
Next we headed to our hotel. Surprisingly, our hotel is just across the street from my husbandās primary school! Our room looks out over Narooma Golf Club towards the ocean. Rainbow lorikeets greeted us as we went for a swim at our pool.
After a quick dip and a dry off, we had a little explore of the town. Our explorations focused mainly on Australia Rock and Wagonga Head. This area separates the Pacific Ocean from Wagonga inlet.
We spent about an hour walking the breakwater. Between the ocean views, sunset and sea lions there was a lot to take in. After we headed into the main area of town to find dinner. Being a Monday a lot of spots were closed, but we eventually settled in at a lovely Italian spot.