Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island, South Australia

In preparation for crossing into the state of South Australia and its restrictions, we stopped just before the border to make bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches.  I lost another potato and a green pepper at the quarantine border.  The guard said I could have kept the potato if it had been washed.  It has really been a surprise to find so many restrictions between Australian state lines.  We went through another inspection when we arrived at Kangaroo Island by ferry.  They had a bin by the ferry landing with a sign indicating which products should be disposed of prior to entry, including illegal honey products, potatoes, rabbits, and foxes. (I wonder if anyone ever put a live animal in the disposal bin?)  :)

After a misty morning, a rainbow stretched out before us as we boarded the ferry for the 45-minute ride to the island.  We took it as a welcoming sign.  We had heard that Kangaroo Island was home to a wide and plentiful array of wildlife, beautiful shores, and even fresh seafood shops.  It certainly sounded like our kind of place!

Kangaroo Island was named by English navigator Matthew Flinders in 1802 in honor of the bounty of kangaroos that fed his starving men.  The island is the third largest in Australia, and is 93 miles long and 35 miles across at its largest width.  It has a population of about 3,000 folks.  Over a third of Kangaroo Island is protected in natural preserves.

We stopped by a recommended oyster house in the small town of American River only to find them closed because the oysters were spawning.  Disappointed, we back-tracked to another seafood restaurant for lunch and had fish tacos.  It was wonderful to eat fresh seafood again.

A large building was adjacent to the restaurant.  Upon hearing our accents, the two ladies inside asked if we would like to see their project.  Inside the boat house, they showed us a partially completed full-scale replica of the U.S. Schooner Independence, the first ship ever built in South Australia.  They explained that the area was first inhabited by Americans after the US Brig Union landed in 1803.  The Union's captain constructed the Independence to help with sealing operations.  The ship was presumed lost with all hands on deck on her second voyage in 1805.  For more information about their efforts to rebuild the Independence, go to http://rebuildindependence.org.

Rebuilding the Independence in American River on Kangaroo Island

We re-provisioned in Kingscote and discovered the Kangaroo Island Fresh Seafood Shop.  Fresh seafood!?!  Wow!  We purchased fresh salmon, shrimp, and whiting to eat over the next several days.  We spent the first night at a campground on Emu Bay.  The following morning, we drove to Flinders Chase National Park on the eastern tip of the island, some 110 kilometers from Kingscote.

On our way, we stopped by the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park.  We had been told that it was a must-see.  Under misty clouds, we wondered if we should choose another day to visit.  With only two other cars in the parking lot, however, we decided that we might have the entire park to ourselves.  We almost did... not more than six other people were visiting the entire time we were there.

The small park was great fun.  We were able to photograph several animals that had been elusive in the wild.  As an example, the park had a small rookery of the endangered blue (or little) penguins.  Most had been rescued and were now in the park's breeding program.  This little lady that I photographed had been caught in an illegal fishing net and saved by the scientist on board.  The captain lost his license, and, unfortunately, the penguin lost her ability to hunt.  In her new home, she has already reared a chick.  Another female penguin was nesting while we were there.

Blue penguin, Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

We met a wombat rescued from someone who thought raising a wombat in his house would be fun.  Because this wombat liked to be cradled, staff members would often take time during their lunch hours to hold her.  This young lady was kind enough to let me pet the wombat.  I was surprised to find its fur so coarse.

Wombat cradling at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

David was followed by a pair of pelicans intent on stealing his camera strap.

We found begging wallabies in the feeding area.

And I was finally able to take a decent photo of an echidna.  Their spines are so tough that they can actually puncture a tire if they are run over.

From the wildlife park, we drove to Kangaroo Island's national park.  Flinders Chase was one of those rare and wonderful places.  We had planned on staying only a night or two and ended up staying five.  We camped at Snake Lagoon Campground and were the only ones there for all but our last night.  Every morning and evening, a mob of about twenty kangaroos grazed in the dry lagoon.

Lounging kangaroo on Kangaroo Island

Hopping kangaroo, Kangaroo Island

Magpies visited our campsite regularly, including this recently fledged chick.  We have grown use to the magpies caroling in the morning and know it is a melody we will miss.

Newly fledged magpie on Kangaroo Island

The Flinders Chase visitor center parking lot was home to several koala.  It was fun to see so many folks walking through the parking lot, gazing up into the trees, trying to catch a glimpse of one of these iconic Australian marsupials.

Koala, Kangaroo Island

We saw one of the koalas crossing the road.  He looked a bit like a drunken sailor, wobbling back and forth as he made his way through the brush.  They are certainly much more agile climbing trees.

Grounded koala on Kangaroo Island

The grounds also had lots of Cape Barren Geese.  Some were quite testy with one another.

Cape Barren Geese, Kangaroo Island

Testy Cape Barren Geese, Kangaroo Island

We tried to find platypus on the Platypus Water Holes walk, but they remained elusive.  Over the next few days, we hiked to Remarkable Rocks.  This hike took us to granite boulders etched by wind, waves, and rain for the past 500 million years.  The photos would have been so much more dramatic under clear skies.

Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island

Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island

We also visited the historic Cape Du Couedic Lighthouse, built from 2,000 pieces of local stone from 1906-1909.

Cape Du Couedic Lighthouse, Kangaroo Island

And we hiked the Snake Lagoon trail, winding through gum trees and climbing along the aptly named Rocky River.

Snake Lagoon boardwalk over Rocky River

Snake Lagoon, Kangaroo Island

Gray skies seem to follow us while we were on the island.  Our last full day, however, the sun broke through, offering a spectacular sunset and sunrise.

Sunset, Kangaroo Island

We arrived at Kangaroo Island's Seal Bay Conservation Park before it opened.  The park is home to about 400 Australian sea lions, making it the third largest colony in Australia.  Only about 45,000 of these beautiful creatures survive after they were hunted almost to extinction in the late 1800s.

David and I were the only ones in the park that early morning.  We signed up for the tour, and a young ranger guided us to the beach.  We watched a sea lion pup call for his mother.  Our guide told us the mother was probably out to sea, feeding.  She explained that sea lions have an 18-month gestation and that the pups stay with their mother another 18 months.  As a result, a female sea lion may only have three to five pups during her lifetime.  These reproduction rates have contributed to the population's slow recovery.

Sea lion pup, Kangaroo Island 

We watched a pair of adolescent sea lions spare in the waves not more than twenty feet in front of us.

Sea lions, Kangaroo Island

Later, a large bull came lumbering down the dune behind us.  Cumbersome on land, he splashed in the water and glided swiftly out to sea.

After our tour, we strolled the long boardwalk that spanned the beach.  We watched a sea eagle fly over head while sea lions surfed and played in the waves.  It looked like such fun!

Sea eagle, Kangaroo Island

Sea lion surfing, Kangaroo Island

We drove to Kingscote after our visit to the sea lion park  to make one more purchase of fresh fish for our evening meal.  We spent almost a half hour talking with the seafood shop folks.  In the grocery store, we ran into the park ranger who had been helping us.  The check-out clerk recognized us and asked how we were doing.  Everyone had made us feel so welcome.  It touched our hearts.

We spent our last night in the city park near the Penneshaw ferry landing and our early morning departure.  Honey eaters swarmed lovely flowers in the waning sunlight.

Kangaroo Island had, indeed, surpassed our expectations.  It had provided everything we enjoy... amazing wildlife, wonderful hiking, warm and friendly people, and even fresh seafood.  What more could a body ask for?

Kangaroo Island Ferry