Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Four Nights on Kangaroo Island South Australia. Day One - 29th April.



The planned trip is to fly to Adelaide, hop into a hire car and head off for one night in Victor Harbor before catching the car ferry to Kangaroo Island. Then four night on the Island before returning to Adelaide for one night before flying back home.


Stopped 'Zorro' the i30 at Willunga Hill Lookout to see where we were and to check the owner's manual.

Had lunch at Goolwa Bakery.

There are a lot of stone buildings in Goolwa. Didn't have enough time to photograph  them though.

A monument to the wooden boats, Goolwa.

The Goolwa Barrage.
Consruction completed in 1940, 7 km's from (Murray) river mouth.

Windy on the fresh-water side of  the Goolwa Barrage and still on the salt-water side.

Australian Pelicans waiting for a feed...........

...........and so were all these cormorants and shags.

Fur Seals having a play at the barrage. 

Fur Seals on the Goolwa Barrage.




'On Occupied Territory', at Victor Harbor.
 A sculptor by Margaret Worth. The 2002 flag pole sculptures were part of the 200th anniversary of Flinders meeting Baudin. It represents the meeting of ‘three worlds and three cultures’ – British, French and Aboriginal – all entwined through wind and water.

I think it was cruel to keep a whale in a small pool like this.
Victor Harbor.

Horsedrawn Tram at Victor Harbor.

The 600m (1,969 ft) wooden causeway to Granite Island, Victor Harbor.

Staying on the 'safe' side

'Granite Island  -  Kaiki'.
We didn't see any penguins............

..........but we did see some Pacific Gulls.

The tram crossing the causeway.

The tram crossing the causeway.

The 600m (1,969 ft) wooden causeway to Granite Island.

Don't recall this track being here on our last visit.

We saw a few of these Brown Quail.

Looking across to Petrel Cove from Granite Island.

You must have a red rectangular surfboard, jump into the water with long pants on and have a window under the door of your tent.

We saw this couple a lot doing the trip.

You can tell the water must be cold by the way he's squinting his eyes.

'Caution  -  Beware of Waves'
THEY BITE.

The end of the walk around the Island.

'Penguin Interpretive Centre'
You could go into this building and somebody would tell you what the penguins were saying.

Staying on the right track.

Turning for home.

The long walk back.

Still time to find some scraps,

The end of day one, Victor Harbor.

Adelaide to Victor Harbor.



     
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Four Nights on Kangaroo Island South Australia. Day Two - 30th April.



Left the Comfort Inn Motel at Victor Harbor to drive to Cape Jervis to catch the car ferry to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island.  We have been booked to stay the first 2 nights at the Kangaroo Island Seafront Hotel which was fairly close to where we embarked from the ferry. 
We had a few hours to kill before we could access our room so we headed off to the first of our 'what to see list', the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse. This was the first lighthouse built in South Australia and is most photogenic, as can be seen by the number of photos below. 
After unloading the suitcases we headed of to American River (lucky enough to see the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo there) and on the way stopping to climb the 512 steps to the top of the 85 metre (279 feet) high sand hill which is Prospect Hill. It was then just around the corner to the surf beach in Pennington Bay before driving onto American River and then back to our room at Penneshaw. 

Weather: warm in the sun with a cool breeze, rain during the night.




Lookout overlooking Victor Harbor.

Victor Harbor and Granite Island.

Ferry heading for Cape Jervis terminal, with Kangaroo Island in the background.

The  Sealink ferry 'Spirit of Kangaroo Island'.

The  Sealink ferry 'Spirit of Kangaroo Island'.
.


Vehicles disembarking at Cape Jervis before we go on.




Driving 'Zorro' onto the ferry.

The deck had been hosed after the truck with the sheep had gone.

On our way.   (we had no problems with pirates)

$1400 to ship the semi across to the island.

A driver checking to make sure his truck is OK. He was going to take a load of seed-potatoes back to the main land.

A sly selfie on the seas.

It was only a Gannet.

A girl from the Nederlands. One of many over-seas visitors we met.

In 1983 (when the ferry went from Adelaide to Kingscote) there were 3 crossings a week in summer and 2 a week in winter. Now there are 3 to 8 crossing a day, things have picked up in the last 31 years.
Waiting for the ramp to lower.
Disembarking at Penneshaw.





Disembarking at Penneshaw.



Well as least I wasn't last.

Tates Grass Tree or Yacca (Xanthorrhoea tateana) kept trimmed in a paddock.

A female White-fronted Chat.

Saw this Rosenberg's Goanna  ( Heath Monitor) beside the road nearing the lighthouse.

Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Colouful lichen covered rocks at the Devil's Kitchen.

Colouful rocks at the Devil's Kitchen.

Just one more of Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

Just a step and a couple of bricks from an old dwelling.

The last one of Cape Willoughby Lighhouse.

I believe this was a Tiger Snake.
An early settler's cottage.

A great 'water-wise' garden.

The view from the park opposite the hotel towards the mainland.

Wind farms on the mainland.

Not a good place to try and land by boat.

Approaching Prospect Hill.

Only 492 steps to go.

Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to make the seat a clourful place to rest.

Looking towards Pennington Bay.

A good view over Pelican Lagoon on left, and across to Sander's Reef, right.

Who's the 'king of the (sand) castle'?

Contemplating the walk down.

It was easier coming up.   Who stole the car!!!!!!

I think someone had it in for Captain Matthew Flinders. Not a bad grouping though.

In big seas the waves from Pennington Bay can be heard 9 kls away at American River.

Sea Spurge (Euphorbia paralias) was colourful growing on the sand dune, but unfortunately it's a weed.



Day's end at American River.

Our little cabin was cosy.

Working out tomorrow's programme.





Scroll to bottom of page, Click on 'Older Posts' to go to Day 3 (next day).

Cameras:  Canon PowerShot SX10 IS and Sony DSC-W690.