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.
Australia Adventures Christmas 2008
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