Ginger Without Borders

After two mornings of rising early for travel, today we finally had an opportunity for a little “lie in” as the Australians call it. But my body clock had me up minutes before my cellphone alarm clock rang. Our Exceptional tour operators arrived five minutes early (like the other transportation folks we have experienced here). Then we were off to the southern (French named) coast of the Island and a visit to Vivonne Bay.

I took this picture of Vivonne Bay on a pier where the locals used to bring in “crayfish,” Australian spiny lobsters, their first pair of legs being only slightly larger than the other four pair, unlike the large claws of the Maine lobsters with which we are familiar. We had hot tea and delicious lamingtons (an Australian sponge cake coated in chocolate sauce and desiccated coconut).

With warm tea against the cool morning, we continued to the western end of Kangaroo Island and saw three echnidas along the roadside. Echnidas move so fast we could get no pictures before they disappeared into the bush. [Side note: We always thought that “going in the bush” meant going into the desert of western Australia, but it means going into any natural area, much as we say “I am going to the woods.” Of course, most of the natural area of Australia is covered in bushy trees, so it makes sense.] When we stopped at a carpark (parking lot) overlooking the Pacific, our tour guides directed us down the wooden footpath (pathway) through limestone cliffs to the home of the fur seals.

This time we heard the bark of the seals as the juvenile seals chased each other in the pools created among the rocks by the crashing waves. Our next surprise was the location of our lunch:

And sitting atop the far end of the beach cliffs we are overlooking is one of nature’s most amazing granite dome creations (and one of the most advertised images of Australia), the Remarkable Rocks:

After walking among the labyrinth of granite sculptures, we loaded up the tour truck and made a quick visit through a recently abandoned farm that is the newest addition to the Flinders National Park (that covers approximately 28% of the Island). We saw dozens of kangaroos and one juvenile making (probably) his first investigation of an echidna (his jump upon touching the quills created laughs all around the truck). Then we got the sight that all tourists crave in Australia, the mom and her joey looking directly at you.

PS, Lena, we saw another echnida on the way to the hotel and the Welsh couple told us that spending your kids inheritance is called SKIN in Wales. Your Mom and I toasted each other at dinner to the fact that like that we are SKIN and we don’t want to kill each other, yet.