Australia 2 - Flinders Range / Kangaroo Island

Flinders Range

After a lot of driving yesterday I arrived in the dark with no time to explore my new surroundings.

When I awoke the next morning and went across the grounds to find reception I new I was in Australia !

These guys are not tame and if you get too close they will quickly remind you !

I was  staying at a place called Wilpena Pound station for two days.  The one tarmac road  (they call it sealed)  goes North right through the Flinders area,  but if you want to get into the hills and explore you need  4WD on the unmade roads.

I teamed up with Ron and Della from the Gold Coast (the only other residents !) and on Monday we hired Amy (Park Ranger) for a guided tour.

We soon found out that most of these "roads" are actually dried out river beds, gullys and creeks.  When it rains apparently these fill into raging torrents within a couple of days and then dry out again just as quickly.  The whole area is so vast that a camera cannot do justice to it I'm afraid.

Then, a lovely bonus ...

The guide books all mention the "yellow footed rock wallaby " as an endangered species surviving in the Brachina Gorge.

We were told not to get too excited because sightings are rare but ...
there he was,  waiting patiently to reward the Old Geezer with a photograph.


I christened him  "Bruce"  (of course !)  but immediately changed it to  "Sheila"  when Amy pointed out that  "he"  was a girl  !!

Later I went off into the bush for a walk on my own.

I don't want to get all "spiritual"  but I think being alone out here in this vast emptiness and silence is one of the most enlightening and humbling experiences anybody could ever have.

The wildlife is well concealed and easily spooked.

I couldn't get anywhere near the Emu's.

I had to be really patient and when I eventually did see them, I had to film them from quite a distance !

Kangaroo Island :

The next day I left Wilpena very early in the morning for the 700km drive back down to the Fleurieu Peninsular.
Then,  on to Cape Jervis for the 3pm ferry to Kangaroo Island.

I had to be very careful driving down in the dark because kangaroos and wallabies suddenly bound across the road in front of you.  They seem attracted to headlights just like rabbits only they're a lot bigger ...  and I've got a rented car to worry about !!

The final leg of the drive down to the coast was beautiful and I was once again blessed with good weather.


When I turned up at the ferry most of my fellow passengers had arrived earlier and were looking a bit sheepish !!  but they all seemed comfortable enough for the 45 minute crossing.

Because of its' name, Kangaroo Island sounds very touristy, like a giant theme park.   But it most definitely is not.  It was named by the British explorer Matthew Flinders and is actually Australias' third largest island after Tasmania and Melville.

It has a population of just 4000 and the main industry is agriculture but ...  and the real reason I've come here ... the Flinders Chase National Park on the western tip of the island is renowned for its' wildlife.

In keeping with these adventures, I've booked in at the Youth Hostel at Penneshaw next to where the ferry lands.

I haven't stayed in a Youth Hostel for over 50 years and never before in Australia !

This was a good decision bringing back loads of memories and it doesn't seem that much has changed.

Make your own bed up, share washroom and kitchen, beans and sausages for supper ... nice and easy  !

That night the heavens opened and the noise of the rain on the tin roof was deafening.
But in the morning I was rewarded with a beautiful sunny day as I drove up to Flinders Chase.

Once more I was treated to some great walks and rewarded with some of the wildlife I had hoped to see.






At last,   a Koala in the wild  !
I'd seen them  (and held one ) at a wildlife park in Adelaide
whilst staying with my sister Carole
but I really wanted to find one in its' natural habitat.

They are so hard to spot, I had spent ages walking around looking up in the trees until my neck hurt !

There were 2 or 3 others here but so well concealed I couldn't get any decent photos of them.  And they just don't move.
Apparently, they are active for only 6 minutes in every day !

Something to do with being "high" on eucalyptus leaves I think !!

There are loads of Kangaroos and Wallabies here and in open spaces it's ok because you can see them but ...  ... when you are walking through fairly dense bush and they suddenly leap out and surprise you it's a different matter !!







Unfortunately I have to get back to catch the evening ferry because I'm flying from Adelaide up to Cairns in the morning.

So,  just time to catch the "New Zealand Fur Seals" on the rocks below Admirals Arch and a lone Pelican off shore near Kingscote.

Goodbye to Kangaroo Island
The Youth Hostel is on the left of the picture

As I took this last shot of the southern horizon from the ferry I realised that this was as far south as I had ever traveled.
And as far south as I might ever be likely to travel again !

If you follow the sunlit path on the water to the horizon and beyond, there is nothing between here and Antarctica !!

Tomorrow,  I'm heading north for Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.