Kangaroo Island Part 2 - 'Remarkable Rocks', rugged coastlines and kangaroos

After our very enjoyable visits to the Hanson Bay Koala Walk and the Flinders Chase National Park, where we saw some typical Australian eucalyptus scrub, fascinating plants that are unique to this region and wonderful coastal scenery, we then drove to a place that was very aptly called ‘Remarkable Rocks’. This is a group of granite boulders that have been sculpted into the most amazing, artistic  shapes over time by the wind and water.

From there we saw more spectacular coastline and the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse and Admirals Arch. Walking down then back up the walkways here was very invigorating, to say the least! The sea air was very fresh and the sound of the ocean pounding against the rocks was almost deafening. I just loved it!

And on the way back we finally saw a small mob of the kangaroos after which the island is named. (‘Mob’ is the collective noun for kangaroos.)

I certainly can recommend visiting this great island with its wild landscapes and unique flora and fauna. I Visited it in August, which was a great time to visit, though I was lucky the ferry was able to go back and forth when there had been rough seas around that time. As I said in my last post, I was advised that summer is not a good time because it can be extremely hot, even though it is surrounded by ocean. You also can fly there.   

The next morning I boarded the ferry back to the mainland and the coach back to Adelaide, ready for my train trip back to Melbourne. I had been away several weeks and was glad to be home again, though I had enjoyed every moment of my long trip to the ‘Top end’, as it is often called, and  back down south. With Kangaroo Island added in to make the most of the time I waited for the ‘Overlander’ to take me home from Adelaide to Melbourne after arriving in Adelaide on the Ghan, I had literally travelled between the Kimberley coastline on the  ‘top’ of of Australia to the southern coastline of the mainland.

This is the end of my long set of stories about this wonderful, magical trip. 

Next time I will talk about my next adventure after that. 

Meanwhile, I do hope you enjoy the following large number of photos from Kangaroo Island. The last photo is of the ferry I boarded to return to the mainland. 

Early in the morning, after a stormy night. The ferry can take vehicles as well, hence the space down the middle. 

Kangaroo Island Part 1 - including Seal Bay

After my arrival in Adelaide on the Ghan, I was very excited to travel the next day to Kangaroo Island, which I had heard so much about. I was to discover that Kangaroo Island is seven times larger than Singapore, and yet is only the third largest island off the Australian mainland - Tasmania being the largest of course. 

As I cannot fly, first I went on a coach from Adelaide to Cape Jervis through some very picturesque countryside. After the remote desert landscapes I had just travelled through, which I loved by the way, here were rolling hills covered with lush green grass. From golds and reds and purples and browns dotted with spinifex, termite mounds, boab trees and so forth, and rugged terrain to smooth fields of green. What a contrast! 

From Cape Jervis I caught a large, modern ferry over to the island. I was just so lucky, though. This was August, and there had just been bad weather and rough seas, so ours was the first ferry able to cross over there for a day or so. The ride was perfectly smooth and it was just great to see the island come into view. 

The ferry docked in a charming, small seaside village called Penneshaw, where I was to stay for two nights. After checking in, I explored the village, and was intrigued by a small group of birds busily flying in and out of some bushes on the beachfront over the road from the hotel.  That evening I walked to a place from where you could take a guided tour to see some penguins. There were only a few of us, which meant we could walk close to the guide, who had a torch. That was very fortuitous, as the dirt track was not lit up, of course, or the penguins would not come out of their burrows. As it was, we only saw a couple of brown penguins quite a distance from us. Unfortunately I could not photograph them though. But I was still glad I saw them and had a pleasant walk over hills overlooking the sea on what was a balmy evening. 

The next day I went on an all-day tour of the main attractions on the island. We were on just a very small coach. There were maybe only about twelve of us, all from different parts of the world. We soon bonded and had a great time on this shared experience. Driving through the island showed us some of the different landscapes on the island, from bushland to farmland to rocky shores, and different plant species. 

Our first stop was at Seal Bay, where we were taken by a special guide to see the many Australian sea-lions, including young ones, lazing on the beach as well as on the pathway down to it. It was a fabulous experience walking amongst them, though of course we had to maintain a respectful distance to avoid them becoming aggressive. I still remember our guide telling us this was the best time of the year to see them. Apparently the weather here is far too hot in summer - the temperatures on the beach can be in the high 40s (Celsius) and there is a huge risk of bushfires. 

Next we went to a bistro and museum, where we had a great lunch. We then visited a park at Hanson Bay where we saw some koalas nestled in trees.

I will continue this in my next post, as already I have enough photos to show you . . . which I hope you enjoy. 

Coming into Penneshaw on the ferry

One of the intriguing little birds and unusual plants on the foreshore opposite my hotel. I am told the birds are commonly known as 'silver eyes'. 

Off to join a tour to see the penguins.

Some more of Penneshaw.

The hike from the car park down to Seal Bay. This is a conservation park.

Looking in another direction along the bay as we walked down to the shore. 

This seal was snoozing by the path. 

View closer to the shore. 

A family group enjoying the beach.

A large male watching us. 

A gorgeous young seal.

The only view I could get of one of the koalas. 

Interesting vegetation in the park. 

  

A desert wildlife park near Alice Springs

Unfortunately I have been caught up with many commitments, so although it is almost a month later, this evening is the first time I have been able to resume my story.

I left Darwin on the Ghan, and again we had two ‘whistle stops', first at Katherine Gorge and then in AlIce Springs, on the way down to Adelaide in the south. I did not take any photos of Katherine Gorge this time, having taken them on the way up to Darwin as well as on our Kimberley tour when we went on a sunset cruise through the gorge.

But I did have some wonderful conversations with the ladies sitting next to me on the coach that took us back and forth to the gorge, which is quite a distance away from the railway. One was a Swiss lady who was very concerned about the extent of migration to her country and its impact on their society. And coincidentally, the other had recently moved from her role as an officer for our federal government department that is responsible for migration to  an advisory and managerial job.  She told me she had spent quite some time in overseas posts, and had found it extraordinarily gut-wrenching having to interview people in refugee camps and decide who Australia would accept and who would not be allowed to move here. She had to consider things like how she believed these often very traumatised people would cope in our very different society.  And she was very concerned about those of her male colleagues who were far too perfunctory and detached and had little empathy for these people. It was sobering to think how hard it must have been for her, when she had such a kind heart and so much compassion for the refugees. 

I chose a different experience in Alice Spring this time and went to a desert wildlife park. I was so glad I did, as the park showcased different environments and some of the plant and animal species found in them. The main fauna that were featured were birds and reptiles, some of which I had not seen before, including the ‘thorny devil’. When you see its photo below, you will well appreciate it how it came to be called that.

But that was not all we enjoyed at the park.  We were very privileged to have a delightful Aboriginal guide and to be able to visit an art studio on the site and meet a relative of our most famous Aboriginal painter -  Albert Namatjira.  Most of his paintings were of the stunning MacDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs. In fact, on my next big trip in this region, I stayed in Alice Springs and went on some wonderful journeys around that region. I will talk about that later. As well, we were treated to the most marvellous gourmet lunch. Who would have expected that? It was simply delicious and included a specialty dish using crocodile meat. 

It was with great reluctance I left the park and got back onto our coach to go back to the train. But I was looking forward to the trip I was doing after arriving in Adelaide - to Kangaroo Island! That will be my next story.

I hope you enjoy the photos. You will very quickly work out which one is the ‘thorny devil’. I am afraid I do not know the names of the other species, except for the red-tailed black cockatoo.