Australia continues to surprise and delight us, the beauty and scale is breath taking. Not to mention just how untouched and remote the landscape is- you feel as if you the first one exploring a trail or swimming off a beach- it is enchanting and addictive. I have never experienced anything like it.We returned from Kangaroo Island, buzzed from the copious amounts of fresh air and outdoor adventures. I know I am speaking too soon, but we may have seen the best of Australia. This feeling a good thing, because in lieu of heading back to Tejas for a good ole family Christmas we chose to stay in the sunburnt country and explore. Kangaroo Island was our trade off for loved ones and Ninfa's- happily, it did not disappoint.
KI is located just off the coast of Adelaide in Southern Australia. It is the third largest island in AU and was named for the bountiful feast of kangaroo explorers enjoyed upon their arrival. Like a lot of Oz, Kangaroo Island has very poor sandy soil which made life hard for settlers to farm and stabilize homesteads. Through the 1900's the islands primary economic driver was whaling and hunting of fur seals and sea lions for their pelts and blubber. One of the three sea lion colonies left in Australia is on KI; despite the outlawing of hunting in the 90's the number of sea lions remain low. Today the sea lions are carefully monitored and protected by the government.In the 1920's a program was initiated to "preserve" Australia's distinct wildlife by relocating animals to Kangaroo Island, kind of like a Noah's Ark. Koalas, echidnas, platypus, wombats, emu and the like were placed in a large nature preserve, Flinder's Chase, named after the island's discoverer Matthew Flinder. To date, Kangaroo Island boasts loads of wildlife- Koala and Kangaroos in the tens of thousands and other animals in the thousands.
My mission was to see a platypus while we were there- alas, they are very illusive. One of the guides at the park has lived on the island her whole life and saw one once in 2008 after she had camped at a lagoon edge during a drought. This lady was the female version of Crocodile Dundee, rode hard and hung-up wet. I have resigned to view the shy creature only in books...my outdoorsy is not that outdoorsy.
As a consolation prize we did spot and echidna. Echidna's like the platypus, are also part of the monotreme family- egg laying mammals. Their babies hatch and then spend several months in the mothers pouch. They too are shy, so this is my photo of the echidna running off into the bush, its the brown blur- I would have stopped to focus but I was standing on a meat ant mound in flip flops- No bueno!
Kangaroo Island is also home to the only pure colony of Ligurian Bee's left in existence. The bees were shipped in from Italy in the 1900's and thrived on the island. The honey is delicious and KI actively exports the honey and queen bees all over the world.
 |
| This is a rouge hive of bees we found in a cave on the beach! |
"Awww man, Koalas again!" -Davis Atkinson, spoiled, age 7
Because Kangaroo Island was populated in the 1930's with Koalas it is one of the only places on the West Coast of Australia where they roam free in the trees. We saw a lot of them.
Some of these photos were taken during an evening tour- koalas are nocturnal, sleeping about 20 hours a day. At night they feed on eucalyptus and can eat 2 kilos in a sitting. Eucalyptus is the only food they eat, so a large population can be devastating to the landscape. We learned that koalas have tiny brains and are often described as "stoned"- eucalyptus contains large amounts of arsenic. While their bodies can handle the poison to a degree, they are not regarded as the smartest animals- what they lack in wits they surely make up for in adorableness!
Snake Lagoon
We did some wonderful hikes, this was the Snake Lagoon trail in Flinder's Chase Park. Despite the name it is not snakey- you just follow a river snaking its way to the ocean. We were on KI during some of the hottest weather of the year. The humidity is so low it doesn't feel like July in Texas, but it was definitely hot. The kids were champs and loved ending up on the beach!
 |
| We saw a total of 5 people on the hike, two of which were researching the lizards. |
 |
| Aussie's refer to lizards as 'dragons'; this guy was really awesome but not the dragon the kids were hoping to run into ;) |
 |
The beach at last!  
Remarkable Rocks
The tourist brochure touts granite outcroppings all over the island, one grouping in particular is referred to as the Remarkable Rocks. Before seeing them I thought this was a bit of a stretch, how can rocks be remarkable? Boy, was I wrong. You can see them on the horizon in the first picture, and as one guy in our group said- they look like they have been placed here by aliens. Even the starkly contrasting orange lichen is too perfect. The rocks are perched on the edge of a cliff and were carved out thousands of years ago by the ocean. It is one of the most remarkable things I have ever seen and I hated to leave. The colors change with the sun, I could have stayed all day and watched.
            
Cliff Top Walk
On the hottest day we were there, 44 C, we got up early and did the Cliff Top Walk. It was a spectacular hike along the top of the limestone cliffs that make-up the island. We were on the look-out for Guanas, pronounced go-annas, but it was so hot not much was around. The views were amazing and the color of the ocean hard to beat.
     
Sea Lion Colony
We visited the sea lion colony on KI, they rival the koalas in cuteness and lethargy, since most of them just slept. The one exception was a pup that went up and down the beach terrorizing the colony, he actually approached another tour group! It was amazing- and I don't think I've ever been so jealous or wished I had a fish in my pocket to lure him our way.
    
Los Swankyenda Especial
Our home base for this trip was the fabulous Southern Ocean Lodge. While booking I kept giving the concierge opportunities to exclude us in some way; I have had nightmares about turning the "plunge pool" into a scene from Caddy Shack...my children are, what can I say, a little rough around the edges. All told everyone was on their best behavior and it turns out my kids can hang with the best of them during a four course meal. Kirk and I worked our way through a fabulous South Australian wine list and enjoyed food like we have never had. Mother nature treated us to a full moon and we even got a decent family photo. It was a vacation we will never forget. Australia gave us her heart and soul for Christmas.
  
As strange as it sounds, I want to acknowledge all our friends and family for giving us permission to stay and enjoy our time here. There is a strong pull to go home- out of longing, or habit, or Whatabuger withdrawal- but also a lurking sense of obligation. When we announced in October that we would stay on in Oz for the holidays everyone gave us their blessing. No one grouched or guilted us- they encouraged our travels.
Thank you. We really are having an adventure of a lifetime.
 |
