Kangaroo Island

Well here we are again and this time we would like to tell you about our trip to Kangaroo Island. As its name suggests there are a lot of kangaroos on the island and we were able to spot lots along with wallabies. The house (pictured) where we stayed was very isolated and the garden would swarm with roos and wallabies in the evening but also during the day. They did not seem phased by our presence and would just hop off into the scrub until we had gone away. We watched many of them feeding by the side of the road which can of course be a problem for both the animals and the drivers. Enough said.

We were delighted to be able to spot a number of koalas as well and this was a real treat as these animals can be very elusive and difficult to spot. They sit up in the gums sometimes on the thinnest of branches and seem to be asleep. They sometimes deign to look at you with their charming little faces and then turn back to sleep. They can be quite nimble clawing their way up and down the trunks and we saw a number of signs warning that they might be crossing the road. They were introduced to KI and now number some 27,000.
Apart from the wildlife I have been delighted by the trees and have taken a particular liking to
these Yacca or grass trees. They are either male or female depending on their 'skirts' and you should be able to see a flower rising up to attract pollinators. There were dreadful bush fires on the island last year which devastated 21% of the island's National Park. It was amazing to see how quickly regeneration was taking place and as it was raining a lot while we were there the process should continue. But my favourites remain the gums whose trunks are beautifully coloured and whose branches create the most amazing shapes. Many of them line the roads forming wonderful arches spanning the space. We were very lucky to be staying in a truly delightful house set up in the
hills with outlooks over the sea.

Over to Fogg now. Best wishes from Phileas

We went to Kangaroo Island with our Oz friends Doug and Mary. On our second night there Doug spotted about 50 Roos partying outside the front of the house and even the next morning there were plenty still jumping around. Probably celebrating the incredible downpour we had the night before. We collected wood from the land and in the evening sat round a blazing fire sipping local wine.
We of course explored a great deal too and two
places are of particular note. The 'Remarkable Rocks' and 'Admirals Arch'. The latter is illustrated here. It was pouring with rain when we visited. I imagined constructing a stage across this opening and using the natural proscenium arch it would make a wonderful setting for 'The Tempest' or some such. It began to blow very hard as we were leaving and the sea became very dramatic. Nearby here was a massive colony of New Zealand Seals. The best yet and very smelly!!
So a wonderful time was had on this beautiful Island. We crossed back to the mainland on a night time ferry. Very best wishes to you all. Fogg