Once again, both of us made it through to 5am – me with meditation, sans the Aleve. Hotel wifi still not working so after the shower etc I went down to the lobby, got into the business center and finished yesterday’s blog. Also, settled the bill and gave them the tracking info for the iPad. Desk clerks seemed efficient and genuinely concerned.
The buffet opened and we went in. Looked good…
but was mediocre, except for the scrambled eggs. Heard later from a reliable source that although the Mayfair once was excellent it had declined to the point that tourist agencies were no longer sending people there.
I went outside to get a pic of the Mayfair street facade…
and saw a limo with a uniformed driver in the hotel’s little courtesy parking area to the right in the photo. It was ours – arrived earlier than expected. So we connected with the driver Mati (from New Delhi), went up, got our stuff, came down and took off for the airport.
We got quickly to the Quantas desks which was using kiosks (must be the new thing); with the help of an attendant checked our bags, got through security and made our way to our gate. After a half hour or so we boarded and then had a short flight to Kingscote.
Rick, of Exceptional Kangaroo Island, was waiting for us, and after getting our bags we got in his company SUV and we took off for our tour of the day. Rick turned out to be an excellent guide, knowledgeable, articulate (even with the Aussie accent), talkative, with calm, focused energy and a pleasant demeanor – and an excellent driver. Good – because he’s our guide for the three days here.
Quick entry to canopied roads…
and then, depending on elevation and other factors, roads lined on both sides by mallee, a lowish-growing eucalyptus variety. Rick gave us a quick eucalyptus primer. There are many varieties, commonly referred to here as gum trees for the sap they emit.
We stopped in a gum tree grove…
…at a little bush camp his company had set up, and he got out gear to make good coffee for us.
A koala was snoozing near the top of one of the gum trees…
in one of the akimbo poses they often wind up with during their umpteen hours of daytime sleep, necessitated by their diet of low-nutrient, hard-to-digest gum tree leaves. A few beautiful colored crimson rosellas flitted by too quickly for a photo (we’re likely to see more), and Rick heard a glossy black cockatoo, which we also hope to see.
We moved on to Vivonne Bay for some nice beach scenes…
a lot of cuttlebone, the bones of cuttlefish – mineral rich, used for toothpaste and anti-acid, today for pet bird diet supplement…
and a picturesque pier used for unloading rock lobster fishing boats.
We moved on to Finders Chase NP – along the way seeing these Cape Barren Geese who were in a usually-grassy patch that is now truly barren due to a prolonged drought plaguing the island.
We stopped at a neat little picnic spot, where Rick got out a whole bunch more gear (had to use a wheelbarrow at the site to haul it from the SUV) and fixed a gourmet lunch.
Two FCNP highlights were: 1) Admirals Arch, with its convenient approach…
surprising (beneath these steps), spectacular presence…
populated by a thriving New Zealand Fur Seal colony …
featuring this pup playground…
and 2) Remarkable Rocks…
fractured granite boulders resting on a dome and covered with orange lichen.
From there, since it was getting late in the afternoon, Rick drove us to the Southern Ocean Lodge, a posh place where, on checking in, we discovered that we were not booked. I looked at my itinerary, which said we were supposed to be at the Providence Guest House – Rick’s office had given him the wrong info.
He notified the lodge and we set out on a mad 1 1/2 hour dash in the dark to the north side of the island, during which we learned why rental car agencies disallow driving at night on kangaroo island. Kangaroos, wallabies, feral cats, and other creatures crowd onto the roads, drawn by the standing water that runs to the sides of the tarmac. Thankfully, Rick knew the drill and with his sharp eyes, driving skill, and experience, was able to avoid mishaps despite numerous encounters, in one of them having to swerve severely to avoid hitting a large male kangaroo that darted into the path of the car.
We made it safely, and were impressed with the place, Spanish hacienda style. Our host Tony greeted us, showed us to the best room (we were the only guests), and we settled in and joined him for dinner, literally, that he cooked himself. The food was excellent, 4 courses, during which we conversed constantly, covering everything, including agreeing about Trump and co. I fell asleep trying to blog.
Dana and Roger Travels 
Pleased that Rick was such a fine guide and adept driver. Love those rock formations. The photo with Dana on one with the orange lichen requires framing. Kangaroos always have seemed to be such improbable creatures and particularly must be startling while driving at night! And on the left side.
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Thanks, Janet. It indeed does seem strange to see the roos grazing normally in the fields. Seems like they should only be in photos. Also, the size of some of the males with their odd shapes and dark fur can seem a little ominous.
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