Mon 18th Nov
I read last night that Kangaroo Island is the third largest of Australia's islands. Straight away I knew that Tassie would be No.1 but what would be in second place? Asking the nearby brain's trust we all came up with different possibilities so I had to call on Google for the answer. What would you have voted for? Answer at end of post or you can just google it too.
We've spoken to a number of people seeking suggestions for how long to stay and what to see and do. The answers have ranged from 'Don't go at this time of the year, go in autumn', 'You can do it all in a day', 'You need at least a week'. In total, not very helpful. My biggest concern was to have a rough crossing and then have to get into a car and continue moving - my worst nightmare. We've taken the plunge and booked to stay for 2 nights. All four of us will travel in one car, leaving the vans at Jervis Bay. Shane, a friend of ours who loves fishing but suffers from seasickness too, has found the solution is to use just one earplug so I have bought some in readiness.
The ferry terminal was only about 3km from our site so there was no need to rush. A lighthouse nearby guides ships through Backstairs Passage, between Kangaroo Island and the mainland, and into the entrance to St Vincent Gulf. In contrast to others we have seen, this one is an inverted tapering rectangular design. The passage remained calm and so did my stomach. I cannot yet confirm the use of an earplug as I think I would have been okay anyway in those calm conditions.
We had a lovely lunch at Millie Mae's Pantry in Penneshaw. The food was lovely but the flies too friendly, which reminded me that I was going to try a new remedy I read about on a camping website. They recommended a lemon cut in half and liberally sprinkled with cloves. 'Millie' overheard the conversation and gave us a trial of a local product from the lavender farm. At first we thought this was a winner so we bought some. Deluded again.
Now we have everything on-hand but even so, nothing seems to work.
Before leaving Penneshaw we walked the nearby sculpture trail which winds through native bush land following a small ravine. Bleached stepping logs, scenic lookouts and beautiful seats crafted from reclaimed timber lead you to a number of interesting sculptures and haiku poems.
We could see the mainland from here too. Not all the sculptures were handmade. This one by Mother Nature.
By then it was time to drive across to Vivonne Bay on the southern coast where we have booked Camelot Cottage. The local general store is purported to serve the best whiting burgers so that is on the menu for dinner.
Not quite up to the standard of the castle and court of King Arthur, our Camelot is a quaint little cottage. Interpret 'quaint' as fibro-cement holiday shack complete with outside dunny. It did at least flush. The best feature was that the shack fronted the Harriet River, a sandy bottomed river that flows into the long, curved, white beach of Vivonne Bay with its gorgeous turquoise waters. This bay is the only safe harbour on the south coast and has a long jetty which is the base for the island's crayfishing boats during the season, which is now. Jenni and I went for a walk and dipped our toes into the Southern Ocean and were quickly convinced that we would not be swimming. Nothing but water between us and the Antarctic.
We called into the shop only to discover the burgers are on the breakfast and lunch menu, not dinner, as it shuts at 5.30 pm. Fortunately we had enough food for a bbq dinner and enough liquid supplies for a couple of nights.
Tue 19th Nov
Today we explored the Flinders Chase National Park on the western end of the island. We began at the Visitor Centre where the car park provided us with great shots of koalas. These are not native but were introduced and the international visitors adore them. We've come across plenty of goannas, echidnas, kangaroos and wallabies in the last couple of days.
Next we drove on to the sculptured granite boulders known as Remarkable Rocks. The shapes are so natural, smooth and asymmetrical. Orange lichen creates an interesting variation of colour; they could only be created by the master herself. We all took far too many photographs.
Next stop Admirals Arch located at Cape du Couedic where another beautiful lighthouse stands. There are cottages here you can stay in overnight if you can afford them. As you traverse the boardwalk down to the beautiful natural rock arch you can enjoy the antics of sea lions, Australian long-nosed fur seals and New Zealand fur seal as they surf in on the waves and lounge around on the smooth rock ledges. They appear so graceful and playful in the water and then so inelegant and labored on land.
The arch is a great example of the power of the ocean and weathering which has shaped the whole coastline.
After lunch back at the park visitor centre we drove on to Sandy Creek. It was here that we met a ranger who told us that tomorrow, with a predicted 40 deg C, would be classed 'catastrophic fire conditions' so the park would be closed. Fortunately we were visiting today and leaving the island tomorrow afternoon. The walk initially followed the banks of Sandy Creek and was shady under plenty of tree cover. Then the path took you into the creek bed and finally the dunes to a remote beach. The water in this creek flows below the surface, the sandy soil being so porous. We saw lots of birds and heard many more. Once again I tried dipping my toes into the ocean but it was even colder today if you can believe it.
Back home at Camelot we put our feet up for awhile before cooking up another bbq dinner and drinking the last of the wine supplies. Must be bedtime.
Wed 20th Nov
The sun was streaming in the window well before we rose today and stepping outside we were presented with a gusty north wind that immediately reminded me of hot, dry summer days as a child in country Victoria and expecting that the fire siren would sound at any time. This announced the departure of all the men in the valley and the women would turn their hands to preparing sandwiches and flasks of hot water. An anxious wait until everyone returned safely.
With all the parks closed today and tours cancelled, we decided the best course of action was to head towards the ferry end of the island straight away, just in case things turned nasty. In Kingscote we rummaged through the Op Shop, admired the items in the handcraft gallery and gleaned some ideas to try out ourselves (remind me to collect hakea seeds). What to do when you can't visit public parks and facilities? Try private ones like Kangaroo Island Spirits, KIS Gin Distillery. They have won many international awards for their gins and also make a very tasty Kaffirchello with Chilli. Not my cup of tea but Eric was impressed and is going to try that out for himself once we are home.
After sampling their wares we had a light lunch there then moved on to Dudley Winery. I know what you're thinking but we were forced into this by the fire situation. The winery sits high above Penneshaw and was catching a cooler wind off the water. Stunning views made the whole experience very pleasant. Eric tried their Coastal Paddle, a generous taste of 5 of their wine offerings while I stuck to the usual joyride tastings.
At about 3.30 we moved on to the air conditioned ferry terminal. At this time in Kingscote BOM recorded that it was 40.6 deg C with NNW winds averaging 37 km/h but gusting up to 56 km/h. Dolphins escorted our ferry as we left the jetty at Penneshaw an hour later. A calm start to the crossing lulled me into falsely believing I had these crossings nailed. Further in, we were riding the swells and I kept my eyes firmly fixed on the horizon. That's why it took me quite a while to realize a huge cloud of smoke was engulfing us from the York Peninsula. Sadly there are a number of fires burning there and also north in the Barossa region.
Fortunately our vans were safe and we were all looking forward to sleeping in our own beds after a delicious dinner at the restaurant on site.
Australia's islands in order of size
1. Tasmania
2. Melville
3. Kangaroo
4. Groote
5. Bathurst
6. Fraser
I read last night that Kangaroo Island is the third largest of Australia's islands. Straight away I knew that Tassie would be No.1 but what would be in second place? Asking the nearby brain's trust we all came up with different possibilities so I had to call on Google for the answer. What would you have voted for? Answer at end of post or you can just google it too.
We've spoken to a number of people seeking suggestions for how long to stay and what to see and do. The answers have ranged from 'Don't go at this time of the year, go in autumn', 'You can do it all in a day', 'You need at least a week'. In total, not very helpful. My biggest concern was to have a rough crossing and then have to get into a car and continue moving - my worst nightmare. We've taken the plunge and booked to stay for 2 nights. All four of us will travel in one car, leaving the vans at Jervis Bay. Shane, a friend of ours who loves fishing but suffers from seasickness too, has found the solution is to use just one earplug so I have bought some in readiness.
The ferry terminal was only about 3km from our site so there was no need to rush. A lighthouse nearby guides ships through Backstairs Passage, between Kangaroo Island and the mainland, and into the entrance to St Vincent Gulf. In contrast to others we have seen, this one is an inverted tapering rectangular design. The passage remained calm and so did my stomach. I cannot yet confirm the use of an earplug as I think I would have been okay anyway in those calm conditions.
We had a lovely lunch at Millie Mae's Pantry in Penneshaw. The food was lovely but the flies too friendly, which reminded me that I was going to try a new remedy I read about on a camping website. They recommended a lemon cut in half and liberally sprinkled with cloves. 'Millie' overheard the conversation and gave us a trial of a local product from the lavender farm. At first we thought this was a winner so we bought some. Deluded again.
Now we have everything on-hand but even so, nothing seems to work.
Before leaving Penneshaw we walked the nearby sculpture trail which winds through native bush land following a small ravine. Bleached stepping logs, scenic lookouts and beautiful seats crafted from reclaimed timber lead you to a number of interesting sculptures and haiku poems.
Not quite up to the standard of the castle and court of King Arthur, our Camelot is a quaint little cottage. Interpret 'quaint' as fibro-cement holiday shack complete with outside dunny. It did at least flush. The best feature was that the shack fronted the Harriet River, a sandy bottomed river that flows into the long, curved, white beach of Vivonne Bay with its gorgeous turquoise waters. This bay is the only safe harbour on the south coast and has a long jetty which is the base for the island's crayfishing boats during the season, which is now. Jenni and I went for a walk and dipped our toes into the Southern Ocean and were quickly convinced that we would not be swimming. Nothing but water between us and the Antarctic.
Tue 19th Nov
Today we explored the Flinders Chase National Park on the western end of the island. We began at the Visitor Centre where the car park provided us with great shots of koalas. These are not native but were introduced and the international visitors adore them. We've come across plenty of goannas, echidnas, kangaroos and wallabies in the last couple of days.
Next we drove on to the sculptured granite boulders known as Remarkable Rocks. The shapes are so natural, smooth and asymmetrical. Orange lichen creates an interesting variation of colour; they could only be created by the master herself. We all took far too many photographs.
The arch is a great example of the power of the ocean and weathering which has shaped the whole coastline.
After lunch back at the park visitor centre we drove on to Sandy Creek. It was here that we met a ranger who told us that tomorrow, with a predicted 40 deg C, would be classed 'catastrophic fire conditions' so the park would be closed. Fortunately we were visiting today and leaving the island tomorrow afternoon. The walk initially followed the banks of Sandy Creek and was shady under plenty of tree cover. Then the path took you into the creek bed and finally the dunes to a remote beach. The water in this creek flows below the surface, the sandy soil being so porous. We saw lots of birds and heard many more. Once again I tried dipping my toes into the ocean but it was even colder today if you can believe it.
Back home at Camelot we put our feet up for awhile before cooking up another bbq dinner and drinking the last of the wine supplies. Must be bedtime.
Wed 20th Nov
The sun was streaming in the window well before we rose today and stepping outside we were presented with a gusty north wind that immediately reminded me of hot, dry summer days as a child in country Victoria and expecting that the fire siren would sound at any time. This announced the departure of all the men in the valley and the women would turn their hands to preparing sandwiches and flasks of hot water. An anxious wait until everyone returned safely.
With all the parks closed today and tours cancelled, we decided the best course of action was to head towards the ferry end of the island straight away, just in case things turned nasty. In Kingscote we rummaged through the Op Shop, admired the items in the handcraft gallery and gleaned some ideas to try out ourselves (remind me to collect hakea seeds). What to do when you can't visit public parks and facilities? Try private ones like Kangaroo Island Spirits, KIS Gin Distillery. They have won many international awards for their gins and also make a very tasty Kaffirchello with Chilli. Not my cup of tea but Eric was impressed and is going to try that out for himself once we are home.
Fortunately our vans were safe and we were all looking forward to sleeping in our own beds after a delicious dinner at the restaurant on site.
Australia's islands in order of size
1. Tasmania
2. Melville
3. Kangaroo
4. Groote
5. Bathurst
6. Fraser
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