Seriously? #16

It’s been awhile and I have a couple of contenders tucked away for this segment, but this one of Nessy had us both laughing.

South Australia is very dry at the moment, and as we drove through the small town of Locheil I said to Derek “not much chance of seeing a Loch Ness monster here”, then around the next bend this is what we saw in the salt pan.  We are glad our van is able to do a u-turn - no problem.

House Sit - Strathalbyn

Hana was a gorgeous Collie X Coolie who needed heaps of love and attention whilst mum and dad were away for a week, it was our pleasure to help out and we got to explore this beautiful part of South Australia just 1 hour south east of Adelaide.  She was so much like our TicTac to look at, but just enough subtle differences that we were able to get to know Hana for her own personality.

The mighty Murray and Victor Harbor, SA

Back on the main land we stayed for 3 nights in Victor Harbor, a beautiful section of the coast. It is evident as you walk around the quaint and historic town centre that it is ideal for retirees and visitors.  

Looking back to Victor Harbor

The walk over to Granite Island from the main street was spectacular, the water remained shallow and heaps of easy tracks on the island and things to see. 

Here is a few Quirky sculptures that were dotted around the island.

Our curiousity was piqued when we saw this magnificent home towering over suburbia, we thought it was a monastery, convent or school maybe, but were delighted to read its history on Wikipedia.  It is called Mt Breckan, built by the Hay family in 1881 and originally on 160 acres, has been a Country Club, and then owned by an Irish Count who has totally restored it, and now it is up for sale and redevelopment.

We didn’t have time to climb the Bluff or bike ride to nearby Port Elliott.  We really are trying to slow things down.  We will have to come back!

We drove over to Goolwa 25 min away, to see where the mighty Murray River spills into the ocean.  For most of the Murray River’s journey it defines the border between the states of NSW and Victoria.  It was a special moment, as we have been as far east as we can near where it starts in the Snowy Mtns, have followed it west to Echuca near Finley, have now been to the mouth, and next month will follow it back east to Echuca.

Dredging has been continuous since 2004!

We learnt about barrages, there are 5 of them along the mouth, and they stop sea water flowing up stream from the mouth.  We could walk along this one at Goolwa.

Looking back from the centre of the river where the lock is.

The lock in the centre of the river.

The Pelicans don’t have to work too hard for their meals, they sit and wait for fish to come through the release gate which controls the Murray’s fresh water pouring into the sea.

Boat coming through the lock gate with at least 15 seals greeting the passerbys.

Kangaroo Island (part 3)

Well, its a wrap, we have completed our adventures on Kangaroo Island by staying on the edge of Flinders Chase NP, and Brown Beach, with the final night back at Penneshaw ready for the ferry back next day. Thanks go out to some wonderful neighbours we met whilst camping, a fun bbq and chit chats. So interesting how people come and go in your life, but whilst you are with them you feel like you have known them forever. 

Best bay was Hanson Beach

Best natural sculptures were Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase NP

Arches was best vantage point for spending hours watching fur seals in Flinders Chase NP

Huge Black Boys in the region near Flinders Chase NP - this was in our campground

Best beach between Brown Bch and Island Bch, looking across to American River

We walked Brown beach as far as we could, up to these white cliffs covered in comorants

Best campground view, Penneshaw

Overall the Island is a great place to see a huge variety of wildlife all in one place.

Best unusual find was Weir Cove with remnants of an old home and storeroom and this is where they unloaded ships and winched up the materials to build and maintain the nearby lighthouse and keep the keepers with supplies from 1909 onward

 Not our best hike but a nice round trip walk from Arches to Cape du Couedic Lighthouse and back again to Arches carpark

Best rock was at American River

Best cliffs which are KI’s best kept secret, at the end of a 15km dirt road out of American River - Redbanks

Kangaroo Island (part 2)

We moved on to Emu Bay on the north part of the island and took the Landcruiser across the top, west, on unsealed roads to Stokes Bay and Hidden Beach. We enjoyed a primitive campground at Emu Bay, only because it was beach front and the views were great. The campground had been moved across the road, but they had left all the facilities behind, but that was okay, because it meant that if we needed the facilities after dark we got to see the most glorious night sky we have ever seen.

Hidden Beach, so called as you walk through a fascinating 100m of rock tunnel to then be greated with this view.

Emu Bay, great little fishing jetty and  headland walk, love the orange on the rocks

We saw dolphins in the bay here at Emu Bay

George’s Place...a castle even with high turrents we could climb. 16 years in the making and quite in the middle of nowhere, at night if you phone ahead they will turn on the 52,000 lights.

Old Wisanger school, free to enter, jusy bolt the door and close the gate behind you

Kingscote was next for 2 nights so we could attend Church. We rode our bikes all day Saturday, the Caravan Pk is 4km south of the town centre, but still on the beach, and there is a great bike path all the way to Reeves Point, the site of the first South Australian settlement in 1836. We spent hours exploring the historical precinct, lots of interesting stories about the first settlers,  walking jetties, and geocaching.

This mullberry tree was planted in 1836

Kangaroo Island (part 1)

We are enjoying taking 12 days to see the island, and are getting a good feel for the raw nature the island has to offer. It is uncommercialised and uncrowded at the moment. We have seen wallabies, Western Grey kangaroos and koalas in our camp sites, the black cockatoo, superb fairy wren, parrots, black swans and tons of pelicans, as well as other sea birds such as pied oyster catchers and commorants, and dolphins. The highlight was the Sea Lion colony. The beaches are beautiful white sand and clear water.

We are spending every day out exploring, walking miles, and riding our bikes when we can, dodging rain showers all though we did get thoroughly soaked one day.

Castle Rock, Vivonne Bay

Derek did a bit of scrambling for this geocache

Loading a small boat into the water.....no boat ramp Vivonne Bay

Sea Lion Colony

Snoozing in the warm sand next to boardwalk

Little Sahara