Day 24 Tour Day

After the run yesterday, I caught a bus (about 100km or so south from Adelaide) and a ferry (45 minute sea crossing) to Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia. The bus trip was relatively uneventful until quite near the end when an echidna crossed the road in front of us and shortly after I spotted a kangaroo over in the distance. Checked in to the YHA before the rest from the ferry realised it was only a few yards walk up the road. Found the chip shop and having noshed them for tea, I thought I'd take Cath's advice (but only the once, it's ok) and 'sit' a while in the pub.

The whole of KI (to its friends) has a population of only 4000 or so and about 1400 live in Penneshaw where the ferry lands and the YHA is. A bit of a one pub, one chip shop, one supermarket town where the locals all know each other. So I ordered my beer and sat by the side in a bar with about four people in it, oh and another (from the YHA I discovered later) sitting in the 'dining' area. After not long, this chap wanders over and asks if it's ok to join me, not a pick-up he says just for a chat! Just as well, as he was plastered already and drank at least another three glasses of red wine before driving home. Was a great insight into small town life, but also life in what some would see as a pretty idyllic place and others (like me) as somewhere you could go quietly crazy in! Not sure if some of the residents don't experience it as both. Hilarious, poignant and a great evening. One of the two chaps who came in later from their computer class (two evenings of 3 hours each for two weeks) explained to me about the drink driving: "Once you've had two drinks you're over the limit, so you might as well stay and have more!" Mind you, you'd be unlucky to find another car moving at the same time. Finally made my way back to the YHA, ooh yards down the road and discovered, oh joy, not one but two people snoring loudly. In a women's dorm!!!!!!!!! Aaarghhhh. Not the best night's sleep I've ever had.

Today, Thursday was the KI Highlights Tour. I'm not sure if all Australians aren't really stand-up comedians at heart, our driver/guide definitely had potential. We started off on a fairly long drive past lots of roadkill to Seal Bay and lots of Australian Sealions. They are lovely, and were all over the beach. One insisted on lounging watching us all from the foot of the wooden stairway down on to the beach. It was wonderful to see them, although the rather large male up the slope behind us kept making moves to join in with the tour which made the official guide and our driver a bit twitchy. I suppose explaining flat tourists is a bit tricky.

After the sealions it was lunch already. There had been a lot of commentary and sightseeing along the way. As we drove into the carpark there was a koala very obligingly on the ground. So we all leapt out and took photos before it legged it up a tree. Lunch was bbq dead stuff with salad or a potato cake thing with the salad for us vegetarians. The local kangaroo tried to join us but was tempted away by the staff. He shared someone's mug of coffee afterwards. After lunch, on a short walk, we saw more koalas including a mother and baby as well as some wallabies and various noisy parroty things.

More driving ensued and we entered Flinders Chase National Park (not sure if the 'national' means KI....). Tried not to add a middling size goanna to the roadkill count on the way to 'Remarkable Rocks' These are a cluster of granite boulders on the edge of the ocean. Lots of spectacular scenery here with beautiful beaches in view nearby. I spotted another goanna close up on the walk back to the coach :D We moved on to Cape Du Couedic lighthouse which is also near something called 'Admirals Arch' but is also the home to a colony of New Zealand Fur Seals. They were all over the place. The sea was really foamy on the rocks and it was superb to see the seals frolicking and playing in the waves and the pools as well as just lying about like they do. On our way back out of the National Park we stopped off at the Visitors Centre for a convenience break and more spotting of tame kangaroos. One of them seemed to want to get into a car or at least investigate it for sources of food.

On the drive back to Penneshaw, there were some kangaroos trying to cross the road ahead of us. I had bagged one of the front seats so I could see whatever we tried to kill :D Also spotted some pelicans flying in formation, that was amazing. Saw one on a beach too. I popped in to the supermarket and bought some pasta and cooked it for my tea! Then literally over the road I went to sit on the beach and wait for the Little Penguins to come in off the sea for the night. Like they did last week at Phillip Island but in smaller numbers. Just as cute though! A pelican did turn up while the penguins were coming out of the sea and the "Do pelicans eat penguins?" question did cross my mind after all the fuss at home about one in St James Park munching a pigeon recently.

You can get a bit cynical about these tours but our chap, Daniel, was very good. Lots of information about the island, its history, industry, flora and fauna and so on. He pointed out loads of things along the km that we covered during the day.

Tomorrow, catch the 8-something ferry back to Australia and in the late afternoon catch the Ghan train to Alice Springs, arriving some 18 hours later. So, I'll be off-air. I've upgraded my ticket - I'll be in something called a 'compact' cabin on my own. No snoring to keep me awake! And I've finally managed to book the missing night's accommodation in Ayers Rock. What do you mean, I didn't tell you?

G'day :D