Kangaroo Island Part One

Sealink Terminal

Approaching Kangaroo Island

The first lookout point near Penneshaw

Kangaroo Island

Emu at Emu Ridge

Baby Wallaby

Penneshaw

Penneshaw at Rush Hour

View from Kangaroo Island Seafront Resort hotel room

Oh what I would give to be on Kangaroo Island today.  For those who know me, I am very much a city girl who lives in the country due to the location of our jobs.  I love cities. I love shopping. I love restaurants on every corner.  Kangaroo Island is the opposite of everything that I love or thought I loved.

We arrived on Kangaroo Island via the Sealink ferry just a few days after the ferries had been shut down for some maintenance issues.  Although I wouldn't have minded being stuck in Adelaide a few more days, if we had missed this gem, I would have been devastated now that we've been there and know what the island has to offer.

For two days, we were with a small group of maybe twelve people touring the island.  Most of the people in our group were from Europe with one couple from Australia rounding us out.  Again, this was winter, so, the island was pretty quiet.  Our guide for the two days said that normally he has about 45 people on his tours during the peek season and that there are usually multiple buses at each and every stop.  This time, we were usually the only bus at each of the stops which made this a very personalized experience.

Our stops on the first day included some look out points not far from the ferry terminal in Penneshaw as well as the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery.  The owner here was a character and not necessarily in a good way in my opinion.  He was very rough around the edges and honestly, I think more interested in the money his farm can make him and is looking to try to farm Emus to do the increase those profits.  It was an interesting short tour with a little shop at the end, but not the highlight of our trip.  However, we did love the baby wallaby he and his wife were raising.

The first day also had us stopping at Seal Bay where we saw some beautiful Australian sea lions up close and personal.  We even saw a few of the moms returning from the sea and calling out to find their babies. It was nature at its best.  After Seal Bay, we ended up at a small place for lunch and a bird show.  Again, because this was the off season, it was pretty much a private show and everyone who wanted to participate was able to do so.  My husband got to hold a Kookaburra on his arm and that made his day.

All around Kangaroo Island are wildlife preserves and sanctuaries.  We visited one where we were able to pet some koalas, feed kangaroos and even hold a baby kangaroo who decided to give me a kiss!  I really wish we had more time to explore some of these places as there was a koala walkabout that looked tremendous, but wasn't part of our schedule.

Kangaroo Island was the only place we saw koalas in the wild too.  They were often hard to spot in the trees, but our guide helped us find a few.  The sad part though is that because they are in the wild, they are often seen where you don't want to see them while driving across the island.  This saddened me and I think much of the "accidents" could have been prevented if the speed limit on the island were lower.  The cars and buses went across the island quite quickly which I didn't think was necessary and quite harmful to the beautiful inhabitants of this island.

To be continued....