When we last checked-in, dear reader, we we exploring the wonderful diverse landscape of Kangaroo Island with our new friends... we dropped them off at their bed and breakfast after our second-day of touring... and knew we would run into them again at the airport when we went to pick up two new travelers for our last day on K.I. Hopefully we would see them again at the cricket match in Sydney, but alas, that was not to be! Our guide, Chris picked us up in the morning, along with this... O.K. - I'll say it... horrible woman who was also staying at our B&B .... I don't know if "horrible" is the right word... she was just sort of a bitter, older, whining sourpuss who was really sensitive about anybody discussing anything even remotely political or controversial. Being stuck in a car with her all day was NOT how we were looking forward to spending our final day on the island.
We loaded up all our luggage into the trailer we picked-up at the storage-yard behind another B&B nearby. We knew it was going to be a packed-car so the extra room was necessary by putting all our gear in the trailer. Not knowing just how DUSTY all our stuff was going to be by the end of the day!! We had to drive out to the airport, where we saw our friends, "The Minnesota Twins" - for thew last time... two wonderful retired professional basketball-playing twin-sisters from the beginning-days of the women's leagues in Europe... they were heading back to the mainland - while we were there to pick up a German lady ad her young daughter. Also smashed--into the Range Rover was another Aussie guide who turned pout to be the translator hired by the German lady for her daughter. The funny thing was... the mom spoke perfect English... and the daughter... although she was a sweetie, was so quiet...I don't think her mom knew that she spoke perfect English, too!!
We toured the other side of the island and some wonderful beaches... some filled with all kinds of fur-seals and sea-lions all lounging around on these stunning white beaches.... we did a lot of walking that day... and I thing we were all glad to have the time out of the car to stretch our legs.... and rest our ears!!!
You don't really notice it until you are in an enclosed vehicle with the windows rolled-up... but the German language is spoken several decibels above that of English and other tongues you may hear while traveling. At least this translator spoke it that way.... the conversation she was having with the mother in the back-seat was pretty-much shouted the entire time we were moving. Again, if you recall - our driver/guide Chris was quite hard-of-hearing and I think he just turned his hearing-aids off!!
A great an memorable stop was at this wildlife way-station place - that was really more of a rustic petting-zoo - and here we gt to pet the koalas and feed the kangaroos (they are really smart and so cute!!) It was hot that day (December is the middle of the Aussie Summer!) and a little dusty with all of the animals running about... but having a kangaroo eat out of your hand and the way their whiskers tickle the palm of your hands... it's just a special experience that I will never forget!
On the grounds of the petting-zoo there was a really spectacular picnic area that was covered and decorated and set up for a really fancy lunch of steak and salad and warm breads... and a damn good bottle or two of Kangaroo Island Cabernet Sauvignon from a local winery called "Sunset"... I must say these open-air lunches were some of the best things about our three-days on Kangaroo Island... the food was awesome, the wines were good.... and the scenery was spectacular.
We left the way-station and went and explored another scenic beach where we had to climb through some rocks (a tight-fit n some places!!) - and we ran into some locals where we shared a couple of beers before we headed back over to the other side of the island (the island is actually quite large and can take over an hour to cross it.) We had a late-afternoon flight to Adelaide - so at the airport, we grabbed our luggage (now covered with about 5-pounds of Kangaroo Island dust and dirt!) and got on the little puddle-jumper plane for our next stop... Adelaide and the Barossa Wine Country!!
Here are some of the pics from our last day on K.I. - from our Facebook Albums...
Sea Lions and Other Critters on Kangaroo Island
KI Critters
