Hopping fun on Kangaroo Island

A trip down the Fleurieu Peninsula involved dropping off the van at a storage yard and a hot, but pleasant drive on to Cape Jervis.  A smooth crossing of the potentially treacherous Backstairs Passage, the main shipping route to Adelaide from the East, brought us to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. After only three weeks on the road with our tent and caravan we were to enjoy some homestyle comfort at a rental house on Island Beach on the north coast of the Island. As well, it was a great chance to catch up with Rose and Davo who came to meet us. Surrounded by bushland and some 200m from the beach, our accommodation was a welcome and spacious relief from the confines of the caravan. Bunks of a different sort (with enough head space to sit up) were enjoyed by the kids each of whom quickly claimed their territory.

We were eager to discover some of what the surrounds had to offer, so we ventured down to the beach to discover a long expanse of soft, fine white sand with calm waters which the children promptly determined was pleasantly warm.  

Our first full day on KI involved a drive to South Australia's only eucalyptus oil distillery, home to an emu named Julia and a stray galah, nicknamed Collin by the kids. After a tour of the fractionation process in action, it was on to a honey farm to sample some sweet product from the only pure strain of Ligurian bees left on the planet, according to the proprietor. Apparently, these bees were brought to Kangaroo Island many years ago from the Ligurian shores of northern Italy. Honeycomb coated in chocolate and, of course, honey ice cream proved a hit with the kids, particularly Rubes. We learnt about the honey making process and saw some bees in action, riveting stuff!

On to the south coast of the Island, to a seal colony of Australian sea lions was our next destination. A guided tour of the beach where some 1000 seals call home saw us up close and personal with these beautiful sea creatures. Many of the adult females had given birth to pups 6 months earlier and have been busy fattening them up for the colder months ahead. Spending up to 3 days at a time out to sea feeding and avoiding predators, these guys sleep most of their days on land. 

Day 2 on KI was a cracker, so following some school work we decided to head down to the beach for a swim and some sand digging. A swim in the crystal clear water was surprisingly warm, and then some sand evacuation saw both Jem and Rubes buried up to their necks in sand. The afternoon took in a visit to a local winery for a taste of some pretty average wines was compensated by the stunning views over the bay. 

On day 3 we took a drive to South Australia's first light house which was completed in 1852 to guide ships through the Backstairs Passage to Adelaide. A guided tour to the top of the lighthouse gave us a wonderful view back to mainland Australia to the northeast. The lighthouse was constructed from local granite, abundant on the cliffs below the lighthouse, gathered and cut by the early settlers by hand. Inhabited by lighthouse keepers until 1972, the lighthouse is now fully automated and still functions as an important navigation post for vessels. 

The rest of day 3 was spent at an island sheep cheese factory where we picked up some much needed supplies (according to Oscar) of sheep yoghurt, haloumi, manchego cheese and lamb and feta chorizo - all made on site. To end the day, a quick espresso at KI Spirits where some interesting liqueurs and vodkas are blended. Rose and Davo sharing a few of their own Limoncello secrets with locals. Our favourite was the nocino, a hazelnut liqueur only just made and not quite ready for sale. We've reserved some for when it does go on sale, hopefully forwarded on to keep us sane later down the track. 

Wildlife abounds on KI and we have been treated to many roo sightings, mainly in full poses of rigor mortis by the roadside, and a few live ones to boot. We've also seen goanas, sting rays, wallabies and plenty of bird life, but the koalas, wombats and echidnas have thus far eluded us. We still have a few more days to catch a glimpse. Tomorrow we go in search for koalas in ernest! Stay tuned...

Our hunt for the Aussie bear, took us to the southwest tip of the island and we weren't disappointed. The koala sanctuary had planted their favourite eucalypts and they had made themselves right at home. Here's a pic to prove our sightings.

The south coast of KI is beautiful and rugged so we ended the day with a short coastal walk and a visit to the Remarkable Rocks.

On our last full day on KI we took a leisurely drive around some of the northern part of the island taking in a salt lake, and a lavender farm and the scenic Emu Bay where during Josh's obsession to snap the ideal photo, he waterlogged his wallet and iPhone and nearly his camera to boot.

The end of our stay on KI had seen some fairly fierce southerly winds blow in and combined with our poor sea faring guts, the our imminent ferry crossing had Tracey running for the medicine cupboard. All were dosed the night before and the morning of our trip with drugs to ward off the dreaded sea sickness demons. It was time to say goodbye to Rose and Davo after what had been a memorable few days on this unique island.

The seas were choppy, and both Rubes and OJ were very concerned about their mother, considering she had been so preoccupied with the prophylactic measures. There were enough enquiries from them as to how she was faring to generate a "fine, don't ask again". Jeremy kept saying he was hungry, which seemed a perfect decoy - he was the first to fall - caught and bowled by his mother with a vomit bag and her trousers! Oj, who had been quiet for some 40 minutes, whilst the boat rocked to and fro, we discovered had been vomiting his breakfast over his chair onto the exit passage, unbeknownst to us until Ruby alerted us. Meanwhile, Josh was busy trying to tidy up Jeremy's spew and catch Oscar's spaghetti bolognese - most of it unfortunately made it to the turf. Given it was at the exit, Josh tried in vain to conceal the evidence - a witches hat served ideally as a base, but only functioned to funnel the rich aroma out the top for all to smell on their disembarkation. But alas, despite Ruby's ever helpful nature, collecting paper towel to assist in the clean up, she did not escape unscathed. A late projectile vomit whilst in motion crossing the aisle was the finale we could only have scripted ourselves. And so it was with the passengers queuing to disembark that we innocently turned our heads as several commented that the stench of sea sickness was fresh in the air. Ahh, to feel the safety of terra ferma beneath one's feet - what a relief. And that was KI.