(1st anecdote)
Well my 2.5 months in Africa is over:-( It was a fantastic journey and I'm going through thoughts of what's been great, what hasn't and what I'd still like to do (LOADS!). The highlight of the trip was getting to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro with the added bonus of having no altitude sickness, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience particularly seeing the world from 5,895m high! I've been really very lucky by what I've seen and experienced and there are only 3 slight downers that I can come up with:-
1. I lost my diary (but recovered it and had it sent home)
2. I ran over a sheep (which didn't recover!)
3. I thought I'd freeze to death trekking up Kili (and it took 3 hot showers to recover!!)
Aside from these small things the trip was fairly uneventful in terms of anything bad, it was one incredible view or experience after another and has left me with many wonderful memories of both places and people I've met along the way... in particular my flexible, fun and patient travelling companion, Rob. For two people who thought they could only successfully travel alone in the past we did really well in changing that view and shared some great times.
I also have to mention a few others who really helped in making it a memorable trip:
Shane and Asanthi in Dubai who picked up the pieces as I got off the flight after leaving my friends and life in Sri Lanka.
Paul and Squeaks in Kenya who were wonderful hosts and generously lent us their car so we could have a week exploring the national parks and getting our first glimpse of real Africa
Brandon and Tanya for giving me such a great time in Cape Town, showing me around your beautiful city, taking me to some fantastic places (still salivating over the food!) and for making me giggle a lot!
When I lost my diary I lost my notes on Kenya and Tanzania so the first thing I wrote was in South Africa – it's not up to the usual standard but to quieten all of you asking for something here's a little anecdote from the Wild Coast:
Return from Africa
Africa: the Wild Coast Safari
There's a puffed up, chatty chicken sitting next to me, pruning herself before she sleeps perched atop of the chair. There's a big black soppy dog pawing at my back to get my attention, and there's me temporarily distracted by whales breaching in the distant sea (sigh!) enjoying every moment of South Africa. I'm in a guest house on a hill overlooking the sea relaxing and recovering from a four day horse safari with Ambadiba Adventures... and it certainly was an adventure. Travelling for me is about meeting the locals, enjoying new cultural experiences, stumbling across spectacular scenery and dealing with the unexpected along the way - all of which were catered for on our Wild Coast trip in the Transkei.
Our safari started with the kind of hanging around I am used to – the promised ten minute wait for our horses stretched to two hours but it didn't worry me as Africa time is much like Sri Lanka time, i.e. never on time!, and who cares when hanging around on a beach in the sun? The first real surprise of the adventure came from the initial sighting of the somewhat mangy mutts that were to be our transport for the next four days. A slightly unfair description of horses perhaps? Maybe, but I am used to riding gorgeous well kept Irish horses which was not the case with the Pondo Ponies - so small and scrawny that I felt my legs would touch the ground half the time! But it was all part of the experience, and they certainly weren't petted bored stable ponies. They were local horses that hadn't been ridden for some time and weren't really up for a few days of beautiful coast - they just wanted to be home, running around in the wild rather than entertaining foreigners.
So the reluctant horses with their slightly disappointed riders headed off, though the riders at least got over the mismatch as we travelled through the distraction of incredible scenery. Afterall, the whole idea of the safari was to see the Wild Coast of South Africa and to meet the local community which is what we got and something we will never forget. The riding itself was fairly uneventful except when my horse nearly broke her leg by getting stuck in the rocks and being particularly stupid about placing her feet, even with me on foot guiding the way, and when Rob's horse threw him off every time we waded waist deep through a river! We had three nights and four days riding along beaches, over sand dunes, up and down hills, through rivers, and learning a little about the people along the way.
The local community in this part of the Wild Coast are Pondo, indigenous to the area we travelled through. They live in the classic African round huts which have peaked thatch roofs shaped like asian hats, with outer walls painted white, pale blue, or turquoise. You see small clusters of them dotted across the green folding hills, often accompanied by squares of tree enclosures sheltering vegetable gardens and livestock - the ubiquitous goats, cows, chickens and dogs. Inside, the huts are slightly dark and damp with a musty smell of animal manure as the walls and floors are made of mud, straw and dung. Strangely cosy and comforting once you get used to it.
The Pondos live in one of the most beautiful places I have ever encountered (as most of you know I have travelled somewhat extensively so that's quite a statement coming from me). It's a place that around every corner, over every hill, and beyond every bay the view literally takes your breath away. A cliché but there's no other way to describe the beauty of this place. Frothy blue surf meets dark black rock bordering pale white sand. A sight of endless unspoilt, untouched beach with miles of spectacular scenery spreading inland - sand dunes of pale white and deep orange with green hills folding into the distance patched and parted by rivers, gorges, and swimming holes. On top of that you have the place to yourself - even on a public holiday there was no one in sight. It's a wonderful feeling to stand on the beach listening to the sea with the wind and sun on your face knowing that you've stumbled upon somewhere so special - though for how much longer it will exist this way no-one is sure.
Pondering the Pondo Problem
Sadly, like many really special places in the world this one also has a problem hanging over it – TITANIUM. Those stupendously beautiful sand dunes are tragically also full of titanium and there's an Australian mining company just itching to get their hands on it.
The Pondo community is incredibly welcoming, lives to it's traditional ways and means, is safe, friendly and unique BUT is small so it is hard for them to get their voice heard. They are trying to revamp community based tourism that started a few years ago, and a large majority of them hope that tourism can beat mining. If they get the right marketing and the right people helping them they may just manage it – the place is eco-tourism's dream and would tick many boxes for South Africa: saving one of the most beautiful remote spots in the world; supporting a small and possibly dying out community and offering tourists something really unique.
Sadly I reckon the mining boys and the dollar will win out, but the locals we met were not interested in money they just wanted to keep their land, their traditions and their language. So the power of money and natural beauty in the world battle it out again... This issue dominated the trip and all the Pondo people we met so I had to share it with you (I didn't meet any of the pro-mining locals).
Home stay
Having spent two weeks in small tents in Tanzania, and having experienced the toilets on Kilimanjaro we were quite used to roughing it so fortunately had learnt to take things as they come. We stayed in a local hut on the first and third nights of the safari with a family that had never entertained foreigners or tourists before. The hut belonged to a man who had two wives, and we stayed within the cluster of huts overseen by his first wife. He had about fifteen children of all ages who were either intrigued by us and stared (the younger ones), or shyly interested and cautious (the kids in their teens). The family looked after us very well and cleared one of the huts for us to stay in with two mattresses on the floor and plenty of big cosy, colourful fleece blankets to keep us warm. They were pleased that we wanted to eat the local food and we had delicious rice and chicken for dinner, though the breakfast was less desirable - a form of semolina type porridge which stuck to the bowl even when turned upside down!
Toilet humour
As with many of these places there was a toilet issue - in that there wasn't one! No drop hole, no secret tree to hide behind, no out-building. To go to the toilet I was told the best place was in a big open field in front of the huts, next to the pig coral, overlooking a wonderful view of fields and hills stretching out to the ocean. Sound idyllic? Possibly not?! It certainly caused a panicky dilemma in me - how could I, the only white lady around, drop my knickers and pee in the middle of a field without creating local giggles and intrigue? In my mind I was imagining all the kids and locals watching how this blonde chick would pee. What made it worse (sorry boys, but ladies you will empathise) is that I had my period. This added the extra dimension of having to fumble around with toilet paper, tampons and plastic rubbish bags as well as trying to fight through layers of clothing to pee as quickly as possible. My only solution was to cross my legs and go after dark, and in the morning set my alarm to just before daylight so I could pee before any of the family awoke. Aside from these slight complications it really was a spectacular view shared with the horses, pigs, goats and dogs but as far as I was aware none of the people!!
The second night of the trip was spent in a fairly well established camp which had beds in permanent green canvas tents raised on wooden decking. The camp site was situated on a cliff top with a wiggly path down to the river mouth and sea – very beautiful. We were well catered for by local ladies who even boiled up water over a huge log fire for us to have a bag shower overlooking the river.
Looking back on the whole trip both East Africa and South Africa provided us with the most amazing spots of beauty for going to the toilet or having a shower - not something either of us had thought of before we set off and another happy surprise!
Local gathering
Along the way, as we tried our hardest to get Sally-4-left-feet and Spot-the-sure-footed-horse to actually move more than snail pace, we were invited into a cluster of huts where the family were having a small celebration. In the Pondo community when they celebrate they invite everyone in the local area to join them so we felt quite privileged to be included. The party was going on in one of their larger huts. The women sat on the ground on one side with their backs leaning against the circular walls, legs stretched in front of them and either food or babies in their laps. The men sat on the other side on low down stools and benches smoking and drinking. They giggled at Rob and I initially grabbing floor space next to each other, before we realised Rob should be sitting up with the men.
The story of the separation of men and women was not so much a religious or cultural gender division, like in the Muslim or rural gatherings I was used to in Sri Lanka, the reason was different. Traditionally the women sit in view of the open doorway so any enemy approaching will only see the women therefore assuming it easy to attack with the men away; the men sit hidden behind the door opening so they have the element of surprise and can attack when anyone enters. I thought this slightly flawed seeing as it's a tradition that everyone (including the enemy) would know about!
Anyway, Rob sat up with the group of 'protective' men to sample the home brew and I sat chatting to the women who were drinking the traditional coffee – which consists of a mix of hot milk and water poured out of a big old metal kettle into a mug of coffee powder and a LARGE amount of sugar, accompanied by the ubiquitous cake. The men were drinking their home made concoction (vaguely described as beer) and a cherished bottle of Smirnoff vodka. The celebration was due to the father giving land away to his daughter who was soon to be married. It was a fun, giggly and close insight into how this gentle and friendly community live.
Flying surprise
Our second invitation of local hospitality was of a very different nature and totally unexpected. On our last day as we were riding along the beach a microlite appeared out of the sky, followed us along the beach for a bit (by this time we had actually got the nags to canter which was an achievement!) then landed ahead of us. The 2 guys flying it waited for us to catch up with them and, after laughing at our horses(!), offered to give each of us a flight. The microlite was owned by Dan who had built it himself and was quite an expert / champ / internationally renowned microlite star – so I felt safe enough to jump at the chance. I'd never been on one before and aside from the noise it was absolutely awesome. Looking at the land we had been riding across from the air felt very special and I enjoyed the bumps and being pulled around by the thermals. Most of all I loved being high in the sky looking down over the endless wild coast beaches and the Indian Ocean with its patchy blues lining the white sand.
As we landed back on the beach I felt quite privileged and thought it an appropriate way to end an eventful and memorable few days and thought that perhaps next time the Wild Coast by air, or by foot might be a better option than four days of reluctant Pondo ponies!
Click here to check out the photos.
All creatures - great and small
This small island has so much to offer that even after four years of living here there are so many more things to discover in terms of wildlife and beautiful scenes. This month I thought it time to pack up the search for the large creatures and head in search of the small. Previous trips to national parks and nature reserves have been for the more obvious wildlife – capturing big cats on camera, watching for whales, enjoying close proximity to elephants at play, smiling at awkward-antlered dancing deer, clicking away at crocs, bears, birds and boars, and returning home with thousands of shots to edit, upload and share. So the small creatures for me were a new experience and it took a little time and patience to get attuned, or, rather, focussed.
I was lucky to manage two trips - to Talangama and Bodhinagala with the folk from Jetwings Eco Holidays, which for me were a way to both grab more wildlife photography opportunities in Sri Lanka and to understand and learn more about the indigenous species, the rain forest and wetland life, the migration patterns, and the breeding plumages, amidst two very different yet beautiful areas of the island.
On the first trip (to Talangama) we stopped the car to much excitement and I was wondering what it was we were looking at, until our guide Wicky pointed out a red dot perched on a twig beside the track. It was the aptly named Variable Flutterer dragonfly, such a vibrant red - a marvel of nature and its incredible ability to continually surprise. It stayed close for quite some time, this scarlet spec darting from twig to leaf. I took a while to work out what camera setting, what lens and what patience was needed to photograph this tiny compact creature with its glorious colouring. Whilst attempting to focus I was also wondering just how did Wicky spot it? I realised it would have been a futile attempt at photography on my behalf without someone there to point out where to look, how to look, and to explain what things were.
After the encounter with the VF I had now become hooked on the small. It was easy to appreciate these tiny, delicate net-winged creatures which became fun to seek out and photograph. So much so that I almost forgot about the plentiful birdlife, alongside my favourite buffalo herds, as they went about their business pecking, munching and wading through the Talangama wetlands or gathering in groups enjoying evening baths of mud - scenes illuminated by the golden light of dusk.
Talangama and Bodhinagala have different scenes to offer - wetlands and rainforest, both worthy of photography in their own right but for me the dragonfly had become my new interest. This could be found in both, so I was pleased to find more of these miniscule flights of colour whilst strolling beneath the forest canopy.
Bodhinagala was as impressive as Talangama in what we saw despite the odds being against us with the weather - we spent an afternoon seeking out dragonflies, butterflies, moths and birds. This time the guide was Sam whose excellent mimic of birdcalls alerted us to the huge variety of birdlife in the rainforest area. However, it was not the birds I was there for.
On arriving, after donning our fashionable leech socks (!), we set off up the hill to see what we could find having been warned that the light was not quite right for dragonflies or butterflies. Almost immediately our luck proved good as a Common Birdwing butterfly flew in front of us and perched for a few minutes on a branch just above our heads. It seemed to glow through its feathered markings of black, grey, white and yellow. The name is a great description of an incredibly impressive feat of nature - a butterfly’s wings mimicking those of a bird. We were privileged as the Birdwing, not normally known to stay around too long, settled on the branch for a few minutes giving us photographers the chance to happily click away.
The next impressive sighting for me was the Dark Forestdamsel dragonfly, which also proved a great challenge due to the patience needed to photograph this minute, compact and colourful insect. It had a long thin black abdomen, which kinked at the end with a small strip of electric blue, topped with fine net wings with a delicate patch of brown at their tip. Another dragonfly we managed to photograph, equally impressive and almost an insect caricature to an amateur such as me, was one yet to be identified but the experts amongst us thought it could be of the Drepanosticta species. This had a rustic red body dotted with six small blobs of turquoise along the back, the biggest being on the tip on the tail, and its tiny head was topped with two huge white eyes and mouth. Magnificent! For those of us that are not experts in the field and simply appreciate learning more about nature, these delicate and vibrant creatures were like cartoon characters – A Bugs Life coming to life. You don’t need TV when you have it here for real - natural, incredible and true. These three sightings were the highlights for me but we also encountered moths, lizards, geckos, caterpillars, millipedes, frogs, beetles, and Sri Lanka’s ever present monkeys which threw things down at us from the tops of the trees!
So, another successful couple of trips and yet more knowledge gained from the helpful and informative Jetwings team about this wonderful land and its incredible diversity of life. For me, it is time to get out the photography books and learn for next time how better to capture of the beauty of the miniscule, in focus and in glory, to share with those not fortunate enough to travel here to see for themselves.
Spotting Leopards
What do we commonly wish for from a safari trip? Wildlife, birds, scenery, sounds, smells, open spaces, remoteness, and often something unique to the particular park that we are visiting? On a safari trip to Yala surely everyone’s ultimate goal is to spot a leopard? Ours certainly was. Unfair though this is on the rest of the wildlife and the spectacular scenery in the park, it is the possible sighting of the legendary leopard that gets the binoculars out, the lenses at the ready, and the adrenaline pumping.
My last trip to Yala, and my first, in January 2007 involved two highly satisfactory safaris. We saw bears with cubs, elephants (including tuskers), jackals, crocodiles, hoopoes, black storks, eagles, bee eaters, owls, wild boar, buffalo galore, and a whole lot more plus some amazing photo opportunities. But we didn’t come across the elusive leopard.
This time around the Yala trip was with my mother (on a short visit from the UK), Jetwing Eco Holidays guide Sam, and our ever so patient and excellent driver Thiranga. We had already agreed that Yala had enough to offer for our safari trip to be excited about and that seeing the star of the park would simply be an added bonus (this so as not to get our hopes up too high). And we got more bonus that we bargained for! In our two safaris we sighted not one, not two, but three leopards. Up close and personal.
First sighting was of a male, excellently spotted by a tracker in another vehicle. He was well camouflaged sleeping under a bush just off the road, getting shade and cool after feeding on his buffalo kill. Several jeeps were crammed onto the road with many heads poking out to watch this magnificent creature. He was oblivious to the clicking of the cameras as we focussed in on his ribs heaving up and down in the heat, eyes closed with the occasional lifting of his head, and not a care in the world. We left him to it and decided to return at the end of our safari at dusk.
On our return he had vanished from his den, but instead of driving off on another round of the park we decided to patiently sit and wait. Patience is often rewarded. After ten or so minutes he strolled back through the scrub to his bed in the shade where we watched him playfully swipe at the flies with his massive paws and snap at them with his huge head. He was a big cat. He soon got bored with this game and to our delight decided to come out into the open. So we had the privilege to watch this magnificent male cat meander into the grassland; he was muscular, with clear markings, bright eyes, and all-in-all looking incredibly healthy. He walked around, lay down, rolled in the grass, watched us, watched the distant deer, yawned, rose up again and moved off as something made him decide to leave the area and his kill. He walked towards us, stopped in front of the jeep, took one long look and disappeared into the scrub with our eyes following in wonder at the time we had just spent with him.
As we headed off, thrilled with our close cat sighting, another male leopard walked into the road in front of us. Quite a contrast to the first. This cat was skinny, almost scrawny, and nervous – not the confident creature we had just been with, but none-the-less impressive. Our guide Sam thought this may be the brother of the first leopard going to feast on the buffalo kill. We quietly sat as he squeezed past the jeep, darting a look up at us before he trotted along the road behind. If I had stretched my arm out even slightly I would have touched him, he was so close. We quietly drove off all hoping he would get his clearly much needed feed.
As if this wasn’t enough, our third leopard sighting was two days later, although not so exclusive this time as others on safari shared the spectacular view. Again it was patience that got our rewards. The first sight of the cat was in the distance on some rocks – even far away has was an impressive animal, as large and healthy as the first we saw, confidently slinking his way over the top of the rock, standing and looking over the land before disappearing from our binoculared eyes. Most of the other vehicles hung around for about five minutes and then gave up, only a few of us played the patience game, heads anxiously turning 360 degrees for him to emerge from one of the bushes close by. Again we were rewarded as he came out onto the shallow rocks close to the jeep. He slowly sauntered through the open area towards us, then onto the road and into the scrub passing the rear of our vehicle and taking a look at us all staring back at him before he continued on his way.
A thrilling and exciting three sightings.
Not to do discredit to the other wildlife in Yala that day, as we also spent a wonderful 45 minutes watching an elephant family munching on trees before having the time of their lives in a shallow mud bath. Three mums with varying ages of babies – one about a month old, the other two were toddlers, one a young tusker. It felt very special to watch these huge and gentle creatures enjoying their bath time with smiles on their faces and snorts of satisfaction. The baby was well protected by long and bossy trunks pushing it this way and that. The toddlers were a little more exposed delighting in the mud and needing a bit of assistance in getting up. They were clearly being trained to face their fears as one was forced to cross the road in front of us without the protection of mum who had already gone on ahead and was waiting on the other side for him to reach her. He skipped, grunted and darted across the road. Two minutes later he was slotted in next to mum, sleeping in the shade waiting for the rest of the family to catch up.
We happily left them to their peaceful morning and headed back to our own for a much needed cup of tea and downloading of some memorable shots.
Check Mum's trip report on Bundala Birds.
The waiting game… watching for whales
On Sunday 29th March after months of talking to Gehan (friend, wildlife expert, photographer, businessman and someone who knows anything about everything including whales!) about checking out the whale watching I finally got to make the trip as I headed south with Lisa and Di for a weekend. It was a bleary-eyed early morning start as we journeyed the picturesque route from Hikkaduwa to Marissa, which after turning the corner in Galle becomes a constant reminder of how beautiful this coast is – pale blue seas pushing gently at the land as the coast road opens up to glimpses of sea in between houses, fishing huts, villas and hotels. As well as trying not to nod off, there was a feeling of excitement that finally I will be seeing SL from the ocean rather than the land and looking for the marine life I had heard so much about. Last year Gehan highlighted the fact that SL is one of the best spots in the world to see blue whales, also sperm whales, as they pass by the south coast between January and April.
We headed out at 7.15am on the pretty wooden ‘Spirit of Dondra’ fishing boat, with its friendly and helpful crew. A neat little boat with striped wooden deck, and comfy seats to lie in drifting off as she headed out to sea. The passengers were relaxed and soaking up the morning atmosphere as we set our sails towards the horizon slowly moving away from the misty shores, watching the shrinking outline of the hills inland. It was a calm morning with a gentle swell and we all hoped this meant some good whale sightings. We passed a wonderfully busy community of fishing boats - reds, blues and greens, darting in and out towards harbour or sea, and we eyed huge domineering cargo ships in the distance. Whilst all good fun by 10.30am we had still seen no whales!
Then one of the crew spotted some splashing in the distance, and although not the huge creature we had all anticipated we had come across a pod of playful spinner dolphins. I’m not sure how many there were, possibly between 10 and 15 giving us a wonderful display of acrobatics as they leapt out of the water twisting into the air than splashing back into the depths. A few came to check out the boat swimming alongside the bow before curiosity was over and they disappeared back to the seas. Sadly not many good photo opportunities but sometimes it’s nice to just put the camera down and enjoy the moment.
The Marissa Sports crew tried their hardest to find us some whales, but after travelling almost 20 nautical miles we thought it was time we gave up and headed back to land. Although some obvious disappointment dwelled amongst us we had had a calm and relaxing 6.5 hours out to sea - a rare and enjoyable time away from the hassles and pressures of life on land. Apparently there were whales the few days following, but nature cannot be put to a time table and the trip only entices me to try again! Besides, the dolphins were fun, the trip smooth and oh so relaxing, we were all well looked after …and you can’t ask better than that!
Australia Adventures Christmas 2008
As many of you know Australia is like a second home to me and I am devastated by the awful fires, the destruction and the loss of life. There's little I can do to help except keep in touch with those I know that are close to it, and perhaps update my blog to remind people of what a beautiful place Oz is.
At the end of 2007 Kangaroo Island suffered some terrible bushfires and we saw the extent of these on our trip to Oz this time around. However, although only a year ago, nature has been incredible at fighting back and growing again, and the island has very much come back to life in a short period of time. Perhaps this can offer a little hope to the hopeless situation of the bushfires in Vic right now?
(I started writing this blog update a month ago so have quickly finished it to show those in Oz I'm thinking of you all…)
Usually I find it easy to write a blog update as latterly it's been to places new to me which I always find exciting and words spill over themselves trying to get out (Japan:-)), or its been to places still not explored in Lanka that will constantly have a 'wow' factor for me. However, this Christmas the trip was to Australia, and it must be at least trip number 10 there for me, so how to describe anything new is difficult as it's like writing about home…. mmm….
Well the highlight of this trip was Kangaroo Island,
to which all of us privileged to have gone there, lived there, visited there often, it has a large place in our hearts as it really is a very special spot. An island full of old favourites including friends, food and familiar sites. It's been 17 years since I last properly saw the island, but not that much has changed particularly in the nooks and crannies off the beaten track. Although KI as a whole has quite a tourist trade now, with tarmac roads circling the island and monstrous wooden platforms dominating naturally beautiful sites like Admirals Arch, Remarkable Rocks and Seal Bay (which as a result are not so natural or remarkable !), it is still very peaceful and unspoilt.
To get to KI you either drive down from Adelaide and take your car on the ferry braving one of the worst sea crossings I've ever encountered (except perhaps a close-to-death experience on a hovercraft from France when even the ferries weren't stupid enough to cross), or you wimp out and fly, which also can have its moments! This time we took the cheats' way and flew from Adelaide to Kingscote in a compact little 10 seater plane which was a little like a fair ground ride - a cross between the one where you sit in an umbrella and whirl through the air as the machine judders up, down and around, and the ghost train where you're not sure what will loom up in front of you. For our trip what loomed in front of us was an impenetrable density of dark, dark grey and as we got closer to this wall of weather mum's face got whiter and I should have told her that we were about to land before having to enter this curtain of uncertainty. The feeling of relief was clear with a knowing silence as we touched down on the little runway - a smooth and perfect landing. Once on the ground the storm was spectacular with forks of lighting guiding our way as we drove across the island towards and through it in the little hire car, feeling safe in our rubber-wheeled red-painted cart. This is the best way to describe the most inappropriate car for driving around KI - very small, very low, and not even 4WD! Having said that though, it did us proud.
What to see on KI? The most beautiful, rugged beaches in the world. Our first stop was Bales Beach - the picture postcard of white sand, shrouded in sea mist, with multiple blues dappling the scene in front of you as you walk towards the sea, down sand hills scattered with lilac green scrub, and onto the beach. The grey storm clouds lingered like a ceiling full of mobiles made up of misshapen cotton wool balls, suspended in the sky with invisible string. Come rain or shine, all the KI beaches are spectacularly beautiful in their unique way - Vivonne Bay, Seal Bay, Snake Lagoon, Snelling and Stokes to name a few, but the two best for me are: Hanson Bay, and Kangaroo Beach. Hanson Bay is one of those places with a wow factor - the extremes of colour with blues, greens and whites in the sea and sand are Australia at its very best.
I drove to Hanson to pick up Mum and John who I'd sent off on a looonnnggg walk. I parked up the cart, zipped up my top and headed towards the scrub and the sound of the ocean. When I emerged through the hedges, towards the view of the bay and the coast beyond, I was hit by the breathtaking beauty of the place. I am hard to please and rarely get stopped in my tracks by anything much unless it really is very special - and this was. It was one of those "nature is incredible" moments: standing on a sand hill wrapped in my fleece with the winds rolling off the sea, tasting the salt in the air, gazing through the spray and feeling very alive, very happy and wondering how to stay longer!
Kangaroo Beach is the other side of the island (well, other side being north as opposed to south) and our visit there a day or two later was very hot with greatly improved weather. This is a private beach in the midst of farm land reached via a steep, almost vertical decent through folding hills of brown-green fields, with bemused cows watching you creep down the slope in your 4WD (Graham's, not ours - the hire care wouldn't have made it!). This is different to the south - the beach is calmer, the sea clearer, more transparent shades of blue, lined with fields and cliffs with scattered rocks below falling into the sea. As we waded in the (c-c-c-chilly) sea a seal lifted its nose through the surface but on realising s/he was no longer alone in this little piece of paradise it shimmied off, a shiny black head occasionally popping up to check our movements before disappearing into the depths below.
Aside from the spectacular beauty of the place, the wildlife is another reason to visit KI. From the seals in Seal Bay who lounge on the beach slowly raising their heads to gaze and growl at the groups of tourists - controlled in clusters by strict wildlife wardens, to the seal nursery at Admirals Arch where you watch them play on the rocks, diving in and out of the sea, to the lizards, the birds and the roos. As you know from previous posts my knowledge of bird life can be somewhat improved upon. But I still appreciate driving along with dashes of red, green, pink, grey and white diving in front of my eyes as the parrots ride the airs above and in front of the car; and I enjoy watching the bright coloured blue wrens and red breasted robins pecking at the grass while I'm sitting having a morning coffee or an early evening beer. Something we very much enjoyed doing at Graham's place.
We were lucky that while we were on KI Gaia - the impressive wooden house built by Graham on the block next to his, was free and not only for the 2 days we booked it but for the following few days as well. So we took advantage, changed our flights back to town and snuck in an extra few days to continue exploring, reminiscing and simply enjoying the pace of life on the island. Walks, wine, BBQs, beers, and Roos! Yes, the wildlife highlight was Graham's adopted family of Roos - Bella, Bugsy, Liz, Frank, Sam, etc. They were great fun. Most mornings …mmm, 5.00am!... you'd be woken by the THUD, THUMP, THUD of their long feet slowly hopping around the wooden deck outside the house hoping to wake you so they could get a feed. Early morning and early evening (and, err… mid-morning, lunch time, tea time….) plates of grain were much enjoyed by them all. It didn't stop there - eating breakfast was a challenge with Bella around as this little nose would suddenly appear close to yours just as you were trying to pop a piece of toast in your mouth, followed by two strong paws pulling at your hand trying to grab the bread away before you munched it all down! Possums and wallabies were also frequent visitors. And for the first time no spider sightings for me which was quite a pleasant change!
Graham was a great host and nothing was too much trouble for him so we were royally treated and very much enjoyed it. I cannot depart from the delights of KI without mentioning Graham's Michelin starred cooking - the most AMAZING marron dish to rival any 5 star restaurant in town. My mouth is watering just thinking about the succulent flesh of the marron soaked in a tangy champagne sauce accompanied by freshly baked bread - yummmm. (Marron is a sort-of fresh water cray fish to those of you that don't know). So we left the island sad and tearful but content after having had a wonderful and unforgettable week.
What about the rest of the trip? Well it was hectic and fun and great to see so many family members all at one time - it was Christmas chaos, but good! The food was a delight - BBQs, sea food, roast lamb, (drinkable - whoopee!) coffee, chocolate and cheeeeese… all the things I really miss from living in Asia. And of course how could I mention my trip to Oz without bringing up WINE. Yes, as usual I indulged, and with mum and John that's not hard. So I took them to visit one of my favourite wine regions - the Clare Valley.
I booked a cute old settlers cottage in Mintaro which as we arrived was lit up like rough pale gold in the evening sun. It was positioned in the midst of farm country at the bottom of a hill with nothing close by. We were overlooking yellow fields of stubble full of pink and grey galas, and watching the farmers working on a dusty hill behind us moving their tractors through the hazy evening light in front of a deep blue sky. Very picturesque. Also very noisy with hundreds of galas squawking and fighting for their place on the branches of the gum trees which surrounded the cottage and lined the fields. A wonderful scene whilst drinking a cool glass of Riesling on the patio. It was an amazing deal - a small 3 bedroom cottage with breakfast provisions included at AUS$75 pp/pn and more surprisingly included was a very pleasant decanter of port sitting enticingly on the sideboard - deep burgundy coloured liquid calling out to be slowly sipped and enjoyed. Which we did as the sun disappeared, the temperature dropped, and the warm fleeces came out along with the cheese, Maggie Beers pates and nibbles.
I have blogged about Clare before so I won't go on but it's a beautiful part of South Australia and the wineries are a delight - Skillogalee, Mitchell, Knappstein, Annies Lane, Tim Adams, Chapel Hill... to name a few. Plus a diversion home through the Barossa is always a treat particularly visiting my old favourite Henschke and my new favourite Two Hands - where a most delicious autumn brown coloured Muscat, in its a coffin shaped cool and trendy bottle lying in my fridge, comes from! (My luggage was 10 kilos over weight due to the wine, books and chocolate I brought back to Lanka with me - but I managed to charm my way through and not pay any extra - phew!)
A big thanks to Sue, Andy, Liz at no 25 and to Mary, Richard, and especially David for the Adelaide hospitality and the wonderful supply of drinks and chat at Hart Street.
So Australia still and always will have a place in my heart and I expect I will be back again soon! May try to sneak it into a round-the-world trip when I leave SL this year, though it might not be quite on route to Africa or South America which are potential places to explore as I take some time out after my 4 years in SL.
At the risk of repeating myself - watch this space!!
Oz photos on Flickr.
