2012 Around Australia: Day 35 - 40 19th March

Day 35 Monday 19^th March 2012

We awoke not so early today as we only need to catch the ferry to Kangaroo Island at 15:00. I updated the blog today as I was quite a few days behind. We left Kath and Mark’s at approximately 11:00 and headed down to Cape Jervis. The drive down was pleasant and took approximately 2 hours

We had a light lunch and a drink at the terminal whilst we waited for our ferry to arrive. We left at 15:00 promptly and the trip across took us 45mins. We had a number of campsites marked off to view but didn’t need to go to any other than the first one we arrived at. American River Campgrounds was situated right next to the water. It was lovely site. We set up camp, this time it was not setting up the van but instead we need to setup the tent. This took as much time to setup as it does when we setup the van on arrival at any of our campsites.

We made a light dinner and then settled in for the night. During the night the wind picked up and I was in a state of panic. Really thought we were about to lose our home with us in it. We took down the poles and shut up the annex. The wind must have passed by fairly quickly as the next thing I knew it was morning.

Ferry to Kangaroo island

Oscar's Baby Loaded and onboard

Home setup

The view from our Lounge

Day 36 Tuesday 20^th March 2012

We rose fairly early considering the interruption to our sleep. Had a good shower in the facilities of the campground, and then set off to the Finders Chase National park. Our first port of call was the Remarkable Rocks. Thereafter we went to the Admirals Arch, one of the many places on Kangaroo Island that you can view seals. I was so excited at Pelican Point, Narrung, when we saw four seals, here there were dozens of them, playing, fighting, swimming or just lazing around.

The weather started to turn chilly but we still needed to go through to Cape Borda. We drove up to this the most North Western Point on the Island. By the time we reached the Cape the weather had set in. It was raining and so cold it could have passed for a winter’s day in Melbourne. We walked up to the lighthouse into the museum and then decided it was time to head back to camp.

On the way back we stopped off at Kingscote Hotel for a Shandy and a beer. We drove back to camp made steak, veggies and salad for dinner using the campgrounds facilities. Oscar spotted dolphins in the bay. Went into tent after dinner and played cards. When the rain set in with some earnest, we were forced to go to bed as the annex of the tent started leaking. I slept rather pleasantly that night.

Oscar's first catch in the Opera House - Catfish

Putting the catch back

Remarkable Rocks

Seals at Admirals Arch

Admirals Arch

Cape Borda Lighthouse

Day 37 Wednesday 21^st March 2012

After breakfast as normal we had our showers and then set off for Flour Cask Bay, Seal Bay and Vivonne Bay.

Flour Cask bay was not much however we did stumble across something rather amazing. The top of the hill overlooking the ocean that we found ourselves on had a lot of fossilized branches. Oscar took a piece with as a sample. Also driving along the road I noticed some mounds alongside the road and asked Oscar to stop. I had seen this once before somewhere in Australia and not sure where but at the time I saw them I thought that I needed to stop and investigate to find out what they were. Oscar got out of the car as he was not sure what I was going on about and when I pointed them out to him he still thought I had lost my marbles as they did look like stones. He decided to humour me and went to pick one up. He discovered they were a certain type of fungus. What an odd place to grow alongside the road in gravel. He opened one up and it smelt like a mushroom of sorts but had a very strange texture on the inside. They had little yellow like seeds in a black base, really hard to describe. See photo for more details. Have subsequently googled and found that they are Pisolithus (truffle like fungus).

We then drove to Seal Bay. The boardwalks around the attractions on Kangaroo Island are really good. A safe environment to walk considering the warning signs “WARNING – SNAKES LIVE HERE”. Great!!!!! It was extremely cold from the chilly wind that was blowing. Watched the seals on the beach for a while and then drove off to Vivonne beach which is supposedly the “BEST” beach in Australia. I think not. Whoever wrote that clearly has not been to any beaches in Australia, besides that one. We finally left the beach and drove back to American River where we changed and decided to go out to the All Seasons Lodge for dinner and drinks. It was a pleasant evening out.

Talking about big girl panties, I have been getting better at getting up in the middle of the night and making my way to the loo by myself in the dark. If you are ever in the vicinity however you will know that I am just about wetting myself as that torch does the entire scan of the area including the trees above (drop bears) maybe. Who knows?

Anyhow this particular night I got up at about 2:00am and needed to go. The loo is approximately 200metres from the tent. So I do the normal scan the tent before I unzip the bedroom area to ensure there are no snakes in the annex area. All clear!!! Unzip the bedroom area; knock runners out to ensure no spiders bedding down there for the evening, and head off to the loo. Scanning as I go to ensure I am safe, all the while ready to scream at anything that moves.

When I got back to the tent, I opened the flap and scanned the floor area again and you won’t believe it. Right there in the centre of the floor is a huge, ginormous spider waiting for me. Well I don’t have to tell you what came out of my mouth right there and then but I flew right back out that tent. Oscar who cannot hear me at the best of times due to all his ear troubles couldn’t help hearing the commotion. He asked me what was wrong and I told him about the spider he asked where it was and I opened the flap to show and yes you guessed it was gone. Well that did not make me feel any better. Just because I can’t see him does not mean he is not in that tent. I start scanning the entire annex area and finally there he is sitting on the leg of Oscar’s chair. Oscar got out of bed and killed it for me. (Sorry all you guys that love spiders I can’t cope with them.) Finally back to bed and sleep.

Fossilised Branches

Fossilised Branch

Seal Bay Seals

Vivonne Bay

Fungi growing on the Side of the Road

Jetty at Vivonne

Rocks at Vivonne

Houdini still having a great time.

One dead Spider

Day38 Thursday 22^nd March 2012

This is our final day on the Island. We have left the South Eastern corner for last. On our way to Penshaw we headed up Prospect Hill – “Bocskay’s Bootcamp” had been slipping for a few days. We needed to do the 510 steps up this hill. The view from up there was pretty good once you had caught back your breath. After the climb down again, we went into Penshaw which is where the ferry lands when you arrive. We arrived pretty late on Monday and needed to find a place to call home so didn’t stop off at all to see the little town. Penshaw is like most of the other little towns that we have come across in Australia during our travels. We headed out of Penshaw and decided we would head for Cape Willoughby. During the drive there we found a place called Antechamber Bay. We stopped off there and what a beautiful place. This beach was absolutely fantastic, what with the fine powder like sea sand and the colour of the water, absolutely awesome. Now that is what I call a beach.

We did quite a long walk along the beach and then back along the river which runs alongside the beach and which probably does meet the sea when they have enough rain for the river to flow that far out.

We drove on further to Cape Willoughby and went to see the lighthouse. The bay views are spectacular but there is nothing much else up there. We drove back to Penshaw and on the way drove past a snake on the side of the road. I yelled snake and Oscar stopped and did an about turn. We drove back and there it was on the side of the road still not moving. We figured it must be dead. Oscar got out of the car armed himself with a stick and went over to check it out. It did not move when he prodded it so he came back for his camera and started taking happy snaps of the snake, all the while I’m cringing in the car.

We took a drive through to Island Beach which again was supposed to be so spectacular but nothing to write home about. Went back to camp made a light dinner, it was really cold and Oscar decided to take a walk. I jumped into bed and fell asleep. I don’t think it was even seven. I just couldn’t handle the cold any longer. The wind picked up again over night and it rained again.

Ferries Crossing the Backstairs Passage

The road on the way to Cape Willoughby

Now this is what I call a beautiful beach - Antechamber Bay

Oscar Planking again

The biggest fish to go with the biggest smile

Cape Willoughby in the distant

The Snake

Cape Willoughby Lighthouse

Even the trees have them

Day 39 Friday 23^rd March 2012

Well woke at seven this morning and started packing up we were headed back to Adelaide. The packing up went rather smoothly. It started to drizzle so there was a mad rush to get the tent down before the rain set in. We were all packed up and showered by nine and we headed on over to Penshaw. We were an hour early for the ferry so we went in the standby line. Fortunately for us we made the earlier ferry over. We were back in Cape Jervis an hour earlier than expected and decided to go to Myponga Reservoir as we had seen a video on board the ferry and I said to Oscar I didn’t remember seeing that on the Peninsula and he said he remembered passing the turnoff.

The rest of the trip back to Mawson Lakes was rather uneventful. We arrived back at Kath and Mark’s about 4:00. Kath and Kate arrived not much later. We had stacks of laundry to do. So we stayed in did laundry had pizza for dinner and went to bed.

Loaded and ready to go back to Adelaide

Myponga Reservoir

Day 40 Saturday 24^th March 2012

Today I have decided to update the blog and just basically catch up on all the outstanding items. I have to send Houdini’s family a letter and some photo’s so they can see that he is enjoying his trip as much as we are.

?? Lipton Drive
Frankston
3199

Hi Family,

I am sorry I have not written earlier, but I have been terribly busy enjoying my trip around Australia. We have not gone very far from home as yet but we have been to a lot of places. Many places I have never been to, and not so sure that you have been there either.

I have included a few pictures just to let you know that O & V are looking after me and I am doing great.

I will probably only get around to writing you monthly, but do not stress as you know what they say, bad news travels fast. Also please remember not to move as I really do want to come back home. If you do move please leave a forwarding address with the new owners of the house so they can send me home to you when I return.

Remember I love you heaps and I will see you in approximately 10 and a half months.

Look after yourselves.

Lots of Love and kisses

Houdini

Tonight Kath has made a roast for dinner. Mark is his usual loving self, teaching Oscar as much as he can on how to be as nice to me as possible. We are spending another night in, still no Rock and Roll dancing.

Well I think I am very much up to date with all of the shananigans. Until later