We woke up in Narooma, drank flat whites (now a morning ritual) and got back in the car. Although we hoped to take a boat out to Montague Island to see seals and penguins, it ended up being too last minute. Without dwelling on the missed opportunity, we headed on towards Mystery Bay. 

Mystery Bay turned out to be one of the most gorgeous beaches I've ever seen. Not only was it stunning, with fluffy sand and big, gargoyle-y rocks coming up from the clear blue water, we were the only people on the beach. We walked for a while, stopping to peek into tide pools walled in by rocks. 

Before we left, we climbed up over the biggest rock pile and saw some seals in the water on the other side. It was only a few, and they were acting strangely, swimming in circles around one seal, its fin straight up in the air, bobbing there lifeless. I was half expecting to see one of the seals go flying, a victim of an underwater surge attack a la Shark Week, but it didn't happen, and we didn't have time to watch seals all day! 

So, we drove to the historic town of Tilba, and unexpectedly fell in love with it. Well, at least two of us did. (Hint: old houses, antiques, wildflowers and afternoon tea tend to be more of a "girl thing.")

The entire town, which is basically one road, has been more or less preserved, so walking down the quaint street feels like stepping back in time. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for strolling along, stopping to shop in a few of the old houses-turned-stores, many with merchandise set out on their wrap-around porches for browsing. 

The jewel of Tilda is its acclaimed cheese factory, which has also been there for more than 100 years. Out of obligation (yeah, right), we bought some cheese, as well as crackers and quince paste because we're not savages, and sat at picnic table in the shade to chow down. The only thing left to do was enjoy a classic Australia (by way of the English) "cuppa" aka afternoon tea. It was truly lovely. 

Finally, after over an hour in Tilba, we allowed Mike to drive us all away and onto Bergamui. We were excited to see the Blue Pool, another famous salt water swimming pool, and we did, but unfortunately it was too windy and cold to take a dip! All the wind also meant that the pool water wasn't flat. When it is, you can see to the bottom and the more greeny-turquoise color next to the deeper blue of the ocean is breathtaking. Oh, well. If my only regret is not seeing the Blue Pool during peak conditions, I think I'll be just fine. 

Later in the afternoon, after another successful day on the road, we arrived in Eden. When we discovered that our little rental house had a full kitchen, we decided to make tacos for dinner.

Tacos, yet another picturesque sunset over a harbor, and in bed before 10pm. I'm seeing a trend emerging…