Travelled down with a night's stop over at Cape Jervis cottages so we could be on the morning ferry. Very lush grazing land abutting the beaches, lots of sheep and cattle, and acres of crops planted. Kids had a ball at the accommodation playing with their dogs, checking the chooks and feeding a week old lamb. Went for a drive around and found Morgan's beach so despite the horrid weather went down on it to get some photos, and for the kids to climb some giant wet sand dunes.
Woke to thankfully still morning, the only complication being having to reverse the van on with precision backing, they jam them in on the boat tighter than sardines. A pleasant crossing, without the advertised dolphins, landed us in Penneshaw. Quick trip over to Kingscote where we were staying. After reports of torrential rain and howling winds we upgraded our accommodation to a cabin so quickly unpacked and dried the van before setting off to explore Kingscote. This was a relatively quick experience but managed to identify where the Penguin tour went from. Very surprised at the items stocked. The hardware store seemed to double as kitchenware, electrical, lighting and linen store, with Le Cruiset (sorry Glenn didn’t grab you any), Rodd and Sheridan being the standard of items.
Back for early dinner before braving the Penguin tour – had been unable to book so half expected it to be closed. Turned out to be about 15 silly people, managed to see penguins roosting, and coming in from sea with the rain holding off though not the cold. Morgie piling on 3 beanies and 2 heavy jackets and still feeling the cold. Back at the centre there were several aquariums with local fish and sea life in it, part of the experience was a tour and feeding of the fish in the tanks. Jack really took to this especially the tank with all the local poisonous fish turning our 1 ½ tour into 2 ½ at which point I called time as both Jack and the tour guide would have discussed the tanks all night. Gordon just wanted to know if the giant lobsters in the tanks were available for dinner.
The next morning brought all the horrendous weather as promised so went back to sleep before dragging ourselves off to do some domestics such as washing and groceries. The local library proved a boon with internet access, board games and heaps of books so the kids and Gordon holed up here for the day with brief interludes to the local café for hot chocolates and muffins.
Rugged up and dragged the wet weather gear out for the next day with a few breaks in the rain promised but no let up in the wind. Headed off to Seal Bay for the Lion seals, despite the horrendous weather found it totally amazing with the seals often laying on the path we were walking on or huddling in the bushes nearby. Spent a while huddling together on the beach to watch them playing in the waves with Jack trying to bet some insider information on body surfing, they were phenomenal at it. Got back to the information centre as another deluge set in. The guide recommended the cave tour as a dry option for the day so set off to Kelly Hill caves. Spotted a café along the way so had to stop for a coffee and hot chocolate just to thaw out a little. Turned out to be a gallery as well of mainly local artists with lots of rustic craft works including a corregated iron kangaroo riding a scooter and tricycle, possums handing from the roof and birds spotted about the place. Jack was most taken by a gong taller than himself, especially since he was able to bang it.
Booked into the tour at Kelly Hills caves, Jack did a quick trip back to the car to grab his gloves and had just returned when an enormous thud resounded. A giant sugar gum had fallen, root ball and all across the path that Jack had just walked up, missing vehicles by a few metres, ours included The earth was so sodden it just couldn’t hold the tree any longer, this was something we were to experience many more times on the island but thankfully not at this close a range. The caves were quite small compared to Wombeyan but the features more spectacular partly due to their almost translucent nature – there has been a policy of minimal impact since the system opened.
Came out of the caves to a break in the rain once again so headed ff to the south west of the island and Flinders Chase National Park. Here the feature is Remarkable rocks which is a set of rocks on a scrubby cliff that have been beaten by the wind and sea till there are holes literally through the middle of them and worn away to look like giant beaks of some prehistoric creature. The wind was howling to such an extent that we literally had to hang on to Morgan to prevent her from being blown off. Only managed to inspect the lee side of the rocks as even Gordon was blown around and the little bit of rain was hitting you with such force it felt like you were being attacked by a million tiny needles at once. A small hop from here took us to Admiral’s arch which is home to the New Zealand fur seal colony with board walks huddled down in the rocks and therefore quite sheltered. The winds were whipping away most of the horrendous smell so we spent quite a time watching them laze on the rocks and play in the waves. Quite amazingly surfing on and off a rock shelf with waves smashing on it and surging off at immense speed. A quick stop at the visitors centre and some roadside time perusing of Cape Barron geese and their chicks saw us arriving in Kingscote for dinner. There is an immense amount of wildlife on the island much of it appearing as road kill. There are tour busses which pick up people from the morning ferry and drop back on the evening and scream round the island with no care for other drivers or the local wild life slowing for nothing. Had been recommended the local Caltex as the place to go for fish and chips so headed off to give it a go. It certainly turned out to be the place locals went, though would recommend take away and sitting by the beach in better weather. Absolutely brilliant food pity about the petrol bowser outlook.
Father’s day saw a drop in the winds so after a leisurely pancake breakfast and the ritual pounding of Gordon we set off for the furthest north west point of the island – Cape Border. All the main roads had water over them, many above half a metre, but with assistance from the locals (one guy even turned round and went through before us to ensure we missed the washed away bit of road) we managed to make a slow way to the light house. Arrived in time for the 11.30 tour which we took but then stayed for the 12.30 as this is when they set off the cannons. The guide was a font on knowledge but not very effective in getting this across to people. There was a group of 4 guys who had come across for hiking and we on the tour, the kids and one of their members all were to play a part in setting off the cannon. Mr. Tour Guide readied the blast and gave instructions to the 3 involved and walked away. Next thing we all jump 20 feet – the guide included, as the blast sounded, no-one got to see it let alone take a photo. Apparently all 3 of the blasters had miss heard his instructions. Mr. Tour Guide was not impressed and very huffily packed up his little box and stormed off, it was all we could do to stop from rolling about in laughter which only led to Mr. Tour Guide losing it even more and declaring “I suppose I have to finish the tour”. The kids did get a certificate which funnily enough said they performed satisfactorily.
This was enough of the light house for us so we made our way back towards home. Driving past the Gallery again Gordon decided he really did need the possum and as it was father’s day (we all liked it too) let him pop in to purchase it and for Jack to practice his Gong skills one last time. A brief lull in the showers again occurred as we were passing Seal Bay so we popped in to see how the sea lions were fairing. With less wind more were out in the open meaning we had to creep past them whilst they sunned themselves on the boardwalk. Fitted in the self guided tour again before close where we managed to spy several really small pups and a Baleen Whale skeleton that had been dragged up into the sand dunes. This spot has definitely been our favourite. Home to make an attempt at curry for dinner as father’s day treat – the cuisine on Kangaroo Island did not extend this far.
Our last day on the island saw the weather clear a bit more in the morning so headed off to sample some of the local produce, bummed out on the Lavender farm the night before – not open at the moment – seems there is KI time and real time so not sure what we would get to see. Out to the Honey farm where there was a hive behind glass and quite a good display of the equipment and very yummy homemade honey ice-cream which we all enjoyed. Got another critter display on the way out of the farm with an echidna wandering across the road, spend half an hour following him around much to his discust. The Eucalyptus distillery didn’t prove so fruitful – you can do a self guided tour which we will charge you $30 for but nothing is running as it is our off season, declined on the tour but kids enjoyed the orphan joeys – one sleeping in the dog basket and another only a few weeks huddled in a pouch worn by a staff member.
Had been told about a cool beach walk out at Stokes bay where you have to scramble through cracks in fallen rocks to get through to the beach so headed out for a look. The important thing they forgot to tell us is that access is tide dependant. Crawled through as far as we could, all agree that in summer it would be a spectacular place. Climbed the cliff to see if we could get down but only the kids were willing to take the scramble which they did playing on the beach whilst Gordon and I chilled up top.
Our last visit on the Island was to the Sheep dairy quite an experience watching the sheep get milked. The kids were stoked getting to see a whole shed of lambs, with one being brought out for them to pat. They take the lamb from the mother and raise them in a shed as sheep only produce milk for a few months after having a lamb so they are either being milked, out with the rams or pregnant – this goes on for until they are about 12 – not much of a life if you ask me. Had another KI time experience for dinner when we went to go to a place that advertised open every day but Xmas to find it closed, this seemed to be the state of play for most places on KI monday nights, but did manage to find a pizza joint open.
Tried for our last critter experience and went possum spotting that night, drove to several spots that we thought would hold potential to no avail but after giving up found one wandering down the middle of the road much to our delight but his dismay, didn't find any of his friends and he skittled off very quickly.
Despite the horrendous weather we really enjoyed what the island had to offer and very pleased when our trip off occurred in calm seas.
Woke to thankfully still morning, the only complication being having to reverse the van on with precision backing, they jam them in on the boat tighter than sardines. A pleasant crossing, without the advertised dolphins, landed us in Penneshaw. Quick trip over to Kingscote where we were staying. After reports of torrential rain and howling winds we upgraded our accommodation to a cabin so quickly unpacked and dried the van before setting off to explore Kingscote. This was a relatively quick experience but managed to identify where the Penguin tour went from. Very surprised at the items stocked. The hardware store seemed to double as kitchenware, electrical, lighting and linen store, with Le Cruiset (sorry Glenn didn’t grab you any), Rodd and Sheridan being the standard of items.
Back for early dinner before braving the Penguin tour – had been unable to book so half expected it to be closed. Turned out to be about 15 silly people, managed to see penguins roosting, and coming in from sea with the rain holding off though not the cold. Morgie piling on 3 beanies and 2 heavy jackets and still feeling the cold. Back at the centre there were several aquariums with local fish and sea life in it, part of the experience was a tour and feeding of the fish in the tanks. Jack really took to this especially the tank with all the local poisonous fish turning our 1 ½ tour into 2 ½ at which point I called time as both Jack and the tour guide would have discussed the tanks all night. Gordon just wanted to know if the giant lobsters in the tanks were available for dinner.
The next morning brought all the horrendous weather as promised so went back to sleep before dragging ourselves off to do some domestics such as washing and groceries. The local library proved a boon with internet access, board games and heaps of books so the kids and Gordon holed up here for the day with brief interludes to the local café for hot chocolates and muffins.
Rugged up and dragged the wet weather gear out for the next day with a few breaks in the rain promised but no let up in the wind. Headed off to Seal Bay for the Lion seals, despite the horrendous weather found it totally amazing with the seals often laying on the path we were walking on or huddling in the bushes nearby. Spent a while huddling together on the beach to watch them playing in the waves with Jack trying to bet some insider information on body surfing, they were phenomenal at it. Got back to the information centre as another deluge set in. The guide recommended the cave tour as a dry option for the day so set off to Kelly Hill caves. Spotted a café along the way so had to stop for a coffee and hot chocolate just to thaw out a little. Turned out to be a gallery as well of mainly local artists with lots of rustic craft works including a corregated iron kangaroo riding a scooter and tricycle, possums handing from the roof and birds spotted about the place. Jack was most taken by a gong taller than himself, especially since he was able to bang it.
Booked into the tour at Kelly Hills caves, Jack did a quick trip back to the car to grab his gloves and had just returned when an enormous thud resounded. A giant sugar gum had fallen, root ball and all across the path that Jack had just walked up, missing vehicles by a few metres, ours included The earth was so sodden it just couldn’t hold the tree any longer, this was something we were to experience many more times on the island but thankfully not at this close a range. The caves were quite small compared to Wombeyan but the features more spectacular partly due to their almost translucent nature – there has been a policy of minimal impact since the system opened.
Came out of the caves to a break in the rain once again so headed ff to the south west of the island and Flinders Chase National Park. Here the feature is Remarkable rocks which is a set of rocks on a scrubby cliff that have been beaten by the wind and sea till there are holes literally through the middle of them and worn away to look like giant beaks of some prehistoric creature. The wind was howling to such an extent that we literally had to hang on to Morgan to prevent her from being blown off. Only managed to inspect the lee side of the rocks as even Gordon was blown around and the little bit of rain was hitting you with such force it felt like you were being attacked by a million tiny needles at once. A small hop from here took us to Admiral’s arch which is home to the New Zealand fur seal colony with board walks huddled down in the rocks and therefore quite sheltered. The winds were whipping away most of the horrendous smell so we spent quite a time watching them laze on the rocks and play in the waves. Quite amazingly surfing on and off a rock shelf with waves smashing on it and surging off at immense speed. A quick stop at the visitors centre and some roadside time perusing of Cape Barron geese and their chicks saw us arriving in Kingscote for dinner. There is an immense amount of wildlife on the island much of it appearing as road kill. There are tour busses which pick up people from the morning ferry and drop back on the evening and scream round the island with no care for other drivers or the local wild life slowing for nothing. Had been recommended the local Caltex as the place to go for fish and chips so headed off to give it a go. It certainly turned out to be the place locals went, though would recommend take away and sitting by the beach in better weather. Absolutely brilliant food pity about the petrol bowser outlook.
Father’s day saw a drop in the winds so after a leisurely pancake breakfast and the ritual pounding of Gordon we set off for the furthest north west point of the island – Cape Border. All the main roads had water over them, many above half a metre, but with assistance from the locals (one guy even turned round and went through before us to ensure we missed the washed away bit of road) we managed to make a slow way to the light house. Arrived in time for the 11.30 tour which we took but then stayed for the 12.30 as this is when they set off the cannons. The guide was a font on knowledge but not very effective in getting this across to people. There was a group of 4 guys who had come across for hiking and we on the tour, the kids and one of their members all were to play a part in setting off the cannon. Mr. Tour Guide readied the blast and gave instructions to the 3 involved and walked away. Next thing we all jump 20 feet – the guide included, as the blast sounded, no-one got to see it let alone take a photo. Apparently all 3 of the blasters had miss heard his instructions. Mr. Tour Guide was not impressed and very huffily packed up his little box and stormed off, it was all we could do to stop from rolling about in laughter which only led to Mr. Tour Guide losing it even more and declaring “I suppose I have to finish the tour”. The kids did get a certificate which funnily enough said they performed satisfactorily.
This was enough of the light house for us so we made our way back towards home. Driving past the Gallery again Gordon decided he really did need the possum and as it was father’s day (we all liked it too) let him pop in to purchase it and for Jack to practice his Gong skills one last time. A brief lull in the showers again occurred as we were passing Seal Bay so we popped in to see how the sea lions were fairing. With less wind more were out in the open meaning we had to creep past them whilst they sunned themselves on the boardwalk. Fitted in the self guided tour again before close where we managed to spy several really small pups and a Baleen Whale skeleton that had been dragged up into the sand dunes. This spot has definitely been our favourite. Home to make an attempt at curry for dinner as father’s day treat – the cuisine on Kangaroo Island did not extend this far.
Our last day on the island saw the weather clear a bit more in the morning so headed off to sample some of the local produce, bummed out on the Lavender farm the night before – not open at the moment – seems there is KI time and real time so not sure what we would get to see. Out to the Honey farm where there was a hive behind glass and quite a good display of the equipment and very yummy homemade honey ice-cream which we all enjoyed. Got another critter display on the way out of the farm with an echidna wandering across the road, spend half an hour following him around much to his discust. The Eucalyptus distillery didn’t prove so fruitful – you can do a self guided tour which we will charge you $30 for but nothing is running as it is our off season, declined on the tour but kids enjoyed the orphan joeys – one sleeping in the dog basket and another only a few weeks huddled in a pouch worn by a staff member.
Had been told about a cool beach walk out at Stokes bay where you have to scramble through cracks in fallen rocks to get through to the beach so headed out for a look. The important thing they forgot to tell us is that access is tide dependant. Crawled through as far as we could, all agree that in summer it would be a spectacular place. Climbed the cliff to see if we could get down but only the kids were willing to take the scramble which they did playing on the beach whilst Gordon and I chilled up top.
Our last visit on the Island was to the Sheep dairy quite an experience watching the sheep get milked. The kids were stoked getting to see a whole shed of lambs, with one being brought out for them to pat. They take the lamb from the mother and raise them in a shed as sheep only produce milk for a few months after having a lamb so they are either being milked, out with the rams or pregnant – this goes on for until they are about 12 – not much of a life if you ask me. Had another KI time experience for dinner when we went to go to a place that advertised open every day but Xmas to find it closed, this seemed to be the state of play for most places on KI monday nights, but did manage to find a pizza joint open.
Tried for our last critter experience and went possum spotting that night, drove to several spots that we thought would hold potential to no avail but after giving up found one wandering down the middle of the road much to our delight but his dismay, didn't find any of his friends and he skittled off very quickly.
Despite the horrendous weather we really enjoyed what the island had to offer and very pleased when our trip off occurred in calm seas.
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