We explored one of many giant sinkholes that have been turned into gardens...
And were absolutely amazed inside Tantanoola cave. This cave was randomly discovered years ago by a young boy chasing a rabbit down a hole. A walkway was built but the cave has otherwise been left completely untouched and remains in its most natural state. The large pillars are formed as a result of the stalactites and the stalagmites growing into each other from the ceiling and the cave floor. Really cool.
We then proceeded on to the Coonawarra wine valley, one of the top wine regions in Australia, for some afternoon tastings. We chose a few off the mark vineyards, tasted some really great wines and stocked up for the rest of the trip and made our way to Robe. The next day we drove a pretty solid 5 hours to Cape Jervis to catch the ferry to Kangaroo Island. We drove through farmland, beautiful countryside, mountains, and even rainforest, while passing through small town after small town, some which literally took 30 seconds to drive thru. We took the car ferry across the Murray River into Wellington, which runs all day and all night as there is no other way to get to Wellington from the highway.
We arrived at Cape Jervis and took the 45 minute ferry ride across the ocean to Kangaroo Island. KI is a story in itself. The island is HUGE and takes you ruggedly back to nature with a population of 4200 and three main towns. The main highway stretches from the ferry to each main town so that there is one solid road around the whole island. The rest of the roads were unsealed, meaning lots of dirt and rocks. Once the sun begins to set, the roads are full of kangaroos (native to KI these roos are smaller than the usual roos you see on the mainland), possums, koalas, and all sorts of other wildlife. Jaime had a good eye and spotted each roo from far away so he could slow down in case they wanted to jump into the road. He also spotted a Goanna, which looks like an iguana but is native to KI and rarely ever seen!
Being the third largest island in Australia, it takes a few hours to drive from east to west coast, but it took us the whole day with all the things to see along the way. We started at a honey farm where we tried all sorts of honey and learned all about the bees. I knew bees were smart, but I guess I didn't know how smart...they are pretty amazing! Next we visited seal beach where we walked down to the beach and watched the local sea colony bask in the sun. Our traveling has been extra special since most animals have their babies in Spring and so we have seen a lot of little ones, including a rambunctious seal pup jumping all over his mum.
We drove on and rented a sandboard to take on the dunes of Little Sahara. Jaime was an immediate pro and headed right up to the largest dune, which I must say was quite a surprising climb! Cait and I had a few tumbles but made it down a few of the smaller dunes. We drove even further to Flinders Chase National Park where we walked along the remarkable rocks, remarkably formed by wind and water over time, and checked out Admirals Arch, a natural bridge made from rock, beautiful at sunset, and will eventually collapse into the sea.
We planned on continuing on the highway to head back to the east coast so we could see the whole island and eat dinner in the smallest of the three towns. About 20 minutes away from Parndana and dinner, driving in the darkness, I had just mentioned that because KI is so big, it always feels like we are the only people on the island, and one minute later, the car starts slowing down. Cait and I asked Jaime what he was doing, but he wasn't doing it...the car was stopping all by itself and we pulled over onto the side. The car wouldn't start and we were officially broken down! We figured we probably wouldn't see another car for awhile, but one came along eventually and stopped. Luckily, Jaime signed us up for RACV, which is Australia's version of AAA, and although we were in the middle of nowhere, they were able to locate us and send help! The town where help was coming from was the town we were staying in about an hour away. So we climbed back into our car and waited, Cait and I giggled and played games on our cell phones to lighten the mood as we were going to be fine, and the best part...no predators on this island! So even though it was completely pitch black outside in the middle of nowhere, we didn't have to worry, there were no bears, wolves, or lions on this island, just kangaroos and koalas roaring at our windows.
So we made it back to our hotel safe and sound. The next day we found out it was the fuel pump and they would have to fly one in from Adelaide and it wouldn't arrive until the next day. We were supposed to catch the ferry that afternoon but changed our plans to stay for one possibly two nights depending on when the car could be fixed. So we rented a car for the day, one with 4WD drive so we could explore some of the hidden beaches on the unsealed roads. We visited a lavender farm, ate fish and chips at a tiny little restaurant on the northern coast with nothing else for miles. We checked out Stokes Bay, which ranks as one of my most favorite beaches (and as you can tell, I've seen alot of beaches!). We had to walk along a little path that weaved in and out of rocks and caves and just when you think you are getting anywhere, you emerge onto a beautiful beach. The best part about this beach is the natural rock pool that is so shallow you can see all the marine life and wade and swim in warm water heated by the sun. It was definitely worth the long, bumpy drive to get there.
We worked our way back to Parndana to check out the places we didn't get to see the night before. As we were walking into the only bar/restaurant, Cait heard what sounded like a baby crying. She and Jaime looked in a car and sure enough there was a baby, crying in his car seat with window cracked. We went inside and Cait and I told the bartender about the crying baby and she said ok and immediately walked outside to get the mom (she knew who it was right away). Then a stocky, rugged woman came in with her drink and asked the bartender in a deep voice "Who told!" and the bartender immediately pointed to Cait and I. We just looked at her, wide-eyed, but the woman proceeded to smile, chug her drink, slam the empty glass on the bar and walk out. !!! speechless. But still able to whip Jaime's butt in a game of pool. (He was thoroughly suprised I could play). Because I won the first game we had to play best 2 out of 3 for championship rights, and on the third game we were both down to the eight ball and I fudged so Jaime became champion, for now. :)
We spent the night at a little family-run motel, where we made friends with the owner and felt very welcomed. They were able to fix the car quickly in the am and we headed to the port to try to catch an early ferry back to the mainland. We missed a stop in Murray River due to the extended stay on KI so we drove 5 hours directly to Dunalan Cottage a farmstay in Bordertown, named for its location on the border of South Australia and Victoria. We stayed in a sweet little cottage and in the am we made breakfast with farm fresh eggs and milk. We made friends with farm dog and even fed the chooks our breakfast scraps! Although I thought it was a little weird that chickens eat eggshells. The next day we drove the rest of the way home along the inland route, passing through the Grampian mountains and small towns all with their own character and reason that they were put on the map.
We saw so much stuff in just one week...nature at its best, wild animals, smart bees, remarkable rocks, a baby left in a car, a broken down car, lots of pizza, new and old wine, and eggshell eating chooks. We had a great trip and an even better time, just being together, on the road.
