Kangaroo Island: UK News Profile, More Details!!

In Australia, Sydney, Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne, Tasmania, etc., tend to get most of the attention. But, below is more on Kangaroo Island and why we loved it so much. Plus, a few of my highlight pictures below from this area to prove its wonder and glory.

From the travel section of the Daily Mail in London this past weekend, they have this headline: "Wish 'roo were here! Australia's incredible Kangaroo Island is home to more than 60,000 marsupials (but only 4,500 humans)".

Here are some of the story highlights: "Explorer Matthew Flinders did not beat about the bush when naming the island off the coast of southern Australia where he washed up in 1802. He found a place devoid of humans but bouncing with marsupials yet to learn about guns and sailors' taste for 'roo meat. The sheer size of Kangaroo Island was my first surprise. Maps show KI (as it is known) as a speck in the Southern Ocean, but it's larger than Cornwall, though the population is just 4,500. Roos and their joeys in overwhelming numbers were foraging in scrub or bounding in mobs as far as the eye could see. This is what I had come to see: Aussie wildlife in profusion on the island dubbed the 'Australian Galapagos' because of the way creatures evolved into distinct species after rising sea levels left KI adrift from the mainland 10,000 years ago."

With this profile, there were lots of wonderful pictures and other details that brought back nice memories from our two-day visit last year to this unique island a few miles south of Adelaide. Loved KI so very much. It was one of the "best of the best" highlights from our visit to Australia and New Zealand.

Here is another key highlight noted in this article that we enjoyed so much: "Then there were the Australian sea lions. The climax of our day's safari was to leave our jeep and walk over the sand dunes to Seal Bay, where rumbustious bulls in their hundreds were blustering about on their flippered feet and butting potential rivals 'cos they herded females into protesting harems."

Full story at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-3206885/Wish-roo-Australia-s-incredible-Kangaroo-Island-home-60-000-marsupials-4-500-humans.html

More pictures and details on KI, Australia and NZ on the full live/blog connected below.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 117,038 views for this posting.

Here are just two views from my many pictures from amazing Kangaroo Island, 70 miles south of Adelaide in South Australia. We had a great gourmet dinner and breakfast while staying at a charming family B&B on a historic sheep ranch there. First is an overall coastal/beach view within Flinders Chase National Park. Second is one view of the many angles and perspectives for what is correctly called Remarkable Rocks.:

With Craig Wickham, the operator of Exceptional Kangaroo Island on this famed Australian island near Adelaide, he took us on a "hunt", successfully, to find more Koalas out in the wild. Here is just one example of these Koala finds that we enjoyed so much. Aren't they cute? So lovable?:

Here is the amazing view through that famed stone at Admiral's Arch arch outward towards sea/rock/coastal scenery:

Here is a sampling from my many pictures of these interesting and playful Australian Sea Lions at Kangaroo Island's Seal Bay. Fun!!:

KI is fantastic, yet to cruise there, but. Great place to visit.

Thanks Terry,

For such an interesting post. I learned some things from reading it and loved your photos especially the one looking out from the cave. There are a few cruises each year that call in here I think I had better have a second look at these or take a drive down to South Australia.

I am almost ashamed to say I live so close to KI, and yet I have not yet visited. Hubby is keen to take us over there some day, so it is only a matter of time.

Thanks for posting this. It is great to see some more Australian ports being shown to the world.

KI is amazing! We spent a week there and still didn't get to see everything. If you get the chance to go, even for a day, you gotta go! So it being a cruise destination...wowsers!

Thanks for these great photos.

Now we are looking forward even more to our visit there on the Pacific Eden next February. This is an interesting cruise, calling at Eden, Portland and Kangaroo Island instead of the usual capital cities.

Amazing photos. Thank you so much for posting. We were there in March but most of the excursions were cancelled due to a late arrival as a result of bad weather. These are real coffee-table-book photos. Thanks again.

Amazing photos. Thank you so much for posting. We were there in March but most of the excursions were cancelled due to a late arrival as a result of bad weather. These are real coffee-table-book photos. Thanks again.

hematocrit: Thanks for these great photos. Now we are looking forward even more to our visit there on the Pacific Eden next February. This is an interesting cruise' date=' calling at Eden, Portland and Kangaroo Island instead of the usual capital cities. [/quote']

 

sewgood: Thanks Terry' date=' For such an interesting post. I learned some things from reading it and [b']loved your photos especially the one looking out from the cave[/b]. There are a few cruises each year that call in here I think I had better have a second look at these or take a drive down to South Australia.

 

Appreciate so much these kind and wonderful comments on my pictures. BUT, however, the credit and glory goes to Kangaroo Island and Australia. These are amazing parts of the world that make the photographer looked skilled and talented.

 

Below are a few more samples of the excitement that can be had down there on K.I. and in these Australia/New Zealand areas. Many more on the full live/blog. Plus, on other live/blogs that feature Norway, Europe, Amazon River, Caribbean, etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 184,754 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

From amazing Kangaroo Island, 70 miles south of Adelaide in South Australia, here is a picture of two kangaroos doing what they do best on the open plains of this island while we observed at a distance.:

 

 

 

At the location of the famed Admiral's Arch, here is one of the many seals here enjoying the sun and waterside views.:

 

 

 

As we walked/explored a nature preserve area, our guide for two days, Jamie, was explaining how some of the natural items produced by trees would have been used used by natives in this region. Jamie had retired a couple years back as a farmer on this island. His family grew up here and his insights, sharing added so much to the experience on K.I. James also had great cooking skills, too, in preparing our wonderful lunches out in the wilderness!:

 

 

 

Here is a wallaby that we saw out in the wild of Kangaroo Island. They blend in their natural backgrounds and are very shy. Had to be very quiet and patience to capture these sights. Second is lizard we saw near a beach area on K.I.:

 

 

 

Here is what appears to be a Galah. Second are a pair of Australian Ibis. Right?:

 

 

 

Here just a few more of my many visuals from Kangaroo Island early last year. From the Daily Mail in London, they had an interesting article on Kangaroo Island earlier last year. You can find it at:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2555266/Australia-holidays-Kangaroos-cuisine-South-Australia.html

Among the story highlights are: "There's nothing like running on a beach. And if that beach is on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, with its pristine sands and turquoise waters, then it's a truly wonderful sensation. KI is roughly the size of Kent, and a microcosm of different Australian landscapes. It's the place to see the best of Australia if you don't have time to see the whole country. Even on our short trip from the airport, we glimpsed bushland, eucalyptus woods, white sandy dunes and spectacular seascapes."

Here is more that this writer shared: "The guided tours in 4WD comfort with Exceptional Kangaroo Island were superb. A third of the island is a national park, with stunning natural features such as the wind-sculpted Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase. There, we watched seals being hurled against the rocks before swimming back to do it all again. Then we went to Seal Bay and found ourselves within touching distance of these wonderful mammals. It's one of the rare places on Earth where you can actually walk with sea lions on the sands. No wonder they call this area the Galapagos of Australia. Ogling animals in a zoo is simply not the same as viewing them in the wild. We saw koalas munching away in eucalyptus trees, dolphins frolicking and seal pups learning to swim."

Nice to know this UK writer used the same tour folks as we did, plus visited many of the same wonderful locations on this island.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From our Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo sailing over 26 days that started in Barbados, here is the link below to that live/blog. Lots of great visuals from this amazing Brazil river and these various Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, etc.) that we experienced. Check it out at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157696

Now at 27,412 views for these postings.

Our Kangaroo Island guide, Jamie, prepared two great lunches in natural, nature-focused areas. Below is from our second day there when he cooked a mild, white fish out on a grill in a wildlife area. First, our two guides are preparing the fish and other items. Notice the various, unique plants in the background. Second is the completed meal with salad, fresh roll, etc.:

Another bird? It's an Australian Magpie, a medium-sized black and white bird native to this country. Described as one of Australia's most accomplished songbirds, there's an old TV series related to these birds. It was Heckle and Jeckle, a couple of animated cartoon characters! Remember? Lots of these birds were seen around in Australia.:

Below shows the narrow passage of rocks where we needed to squeeze through in order to reach the wonderful section of beach where Amy, Milt and my wife are pictured at this scenic location. Much better place to be than winter in Ohio. Was not sure that I was going to make it through this narrow passage, but fortunately I did. And, back out again, later.:

Finally, here is another cute bird example from Kangaroo Island, but a type where I cannot remember the exact name. Any help or suggestions?:

 

Finally, here is another cute bird example from Kangaroo Island, but a type where I cannot remember the exact name. Any help or suggestions?:

 

I believe that's a rainbow lorikeet.

I believe that's a rainbow lorikeet.

That it am if my eyes don't lie.

G'day Terry

You posted one bird and said seems to be a Galah, 'cause it is one, I love Galahs especially when you see a few acres if them take off at once, but I had one as a pet most of my life, even dad was cautious around him as he bit, no one else would put their hand near his cage, me not once. He was also a talking fool, would repeat whole conversations.

The old lady next door didn't have the phone on so her calls would come to our house, we'd yell out and she'd toddle down, until Cocky started calling her and she would come down only to find there was no call.

When DW and I were just starting to go out together we learnt to be very cautious what we discussed in the back porch because as soon as we left the darn bird would repeat the whole conversation word for word, changing his voice for who was talking.

And the Magpie is also pretty fair talker when trained, though many mistake him for his cousin the oee-wee.

Keckle and Jekle were crows (all black) not magpies.

You will see plenty of crows, often eating dead insects and animals along the road side, or even in the middle of the road.

We had a neighbour when I was a child, who would call out, "Are you there, Mary?" to my mum as she was coming through the gate. Of course, cocky on the other side copied it and mum was forever calling back, "Come in, Alice." It drove mum nuts. So funny.

We had a neighbour when I was a child, who would call out, "Are you there, Mary?" to my mum as she was coming through the gate. Of course, cocky on the other side copied it and mum was forever calling back, "Come in, Alice." It drove mum nuts. So funny.

A galah?

As a slight aside, an old bushy's tale.

How to cook a Galah.

Take the Galah and a few rocks the size of the Galanh, put them in a pot and cook and cook and Cook, until the ricks are nice and soft, eat the rocks and toss the Galah it'll still be too tough.

No Kookaburra photos Terry?

I will try and get some when they start laughing at aboutv4:30 in the morning.

Love kooks but please 4:30.

White cockatoo. He lived to a very ripe old age. Bald, cantankerous and was always very interested in taking a bit of your finger off if you tried to scratch his comb. Which was another thing he said - 'scratch cocky's comb' - ad nauseum!

fe

Sorry, 2407. This is fire eater.

I am not using my ipad, but the 'mother ship' and so the comment came up under my other half's 'name'.

Whoops.

And now it will again, because I am too darned lazy to log in. I have been cutting back the hydrangeas and need a cuppa.

White cockatoo. He lived to a very ripe old age. Bald, cantankerous and was always very interested in taking a bit of your finger off if you tried to scratch his comb. Which was another thing he said - 'scratch cocky's comb' - ad nauseum!

fe

"Scratch cicky's comb" was a trap, he really just wanted to taste blood.

Very few people know that cockatoos and Galahs are rally carnivores.

Sorry, 2407. This is fire eater.

I am not using my ipad, but the 'mother ship' and so the comment came up under my other half's 'name'.

Whoops.

And now it will again, because I am too darned lazy to log in. I have been cutting back the hydrangeas and need a cuppa.

Yeah I figured it was you.

Enjoy the cuppa, maybe time for a nanna nap.

From the Travel+Leisure magazine three days ago, their top editor visited this famed island and they have this headline: "Exploring Kangaroo Island, Off the Southern Coast of Australia".

Here are some of with the story highlights, including calling this unique area: "a hotspot for international travelers" and "an important environmental success story in Australia". Here was a key story summary: "Today K.I. is known throughout Australia for its produce: delicate, floral honey from the famed Ligurian bees; sustainably raised chicken, lamb, beef; sheep’s milk cheeses; wine."

The T+L editor hooked up with and used Craig Wickham of the touring company Exceptional Kangaroo Island. We used this company for our two days there and had a chance to spend some great, interesting time with Craig. The author noted that he "is an expert on all things K.I. (as everyone calls it), with an encyclopedic knowledge that does not prevent him from also being a highly entertaining guide." Yes, Craig and his company were wonderful!! He related this background about this island: "Craig explained to me that, after the Second World War, the Australian government gave land grants on the island to returning soldiers, who came here to raise sheep for wool. Although it took them a while to figure out how to get sheep to thrive on the island, eventually they succeeded, and sheep farming became the dominant industry."

He also noted: "when you stand on the island’s southern shore, there’s nothing between you and Antarctica except the waters of the Southern Ocean. As you might expect, the breezes are bracing."

This article brings back wonderful memories from our time on Kangaroo Island. Below are three pictures in connection with our time with super guide Craig.

Full story at:

http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/exploring-australia-kangaroo-island

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 24,471 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.

This is Craig Wickham, the operator of Exceptional Kangaroo Island, who picked us up on our second day and took us on a "hunt", successfully, to find more Koalas out in the wild. Then, here are a a couple more of my Koala pictures that we enjoyed so much. Aren't they cute? So lovable?:

Cheers Terry, Happy holidays to you and yours.:D

Just to be a Christmas spoilsport, I'll note that koalas are not native to Kangaroo Island, they were introduced from Victoria in the 1920s.

Since then they've been populating and chomping though the native vegetation so efficiently that they are now a threat to the island's forests.

Being a lazy traveller and only doing Melbourne to Melbourne trips I have found myself on KI 4 times in the last 18 months. Was on the first P&O cruise ship visit and the locals welcomed us with open arms and still do.

It is a brilliant place to visit and anyone going must do the "KI in a day" trip which takes you to all the places Terry mentions, It's a 9 hour trip and is well worth the cost with the guides extremely knowledgable.

There is nothing like walking on the white sand amongst the Australian fur seals and listening to the rangers talk about them. Unbelievable. As for the scenery - well -------

I worry if tourism gets too much if there may come a time when getting amongst the seals and walking all over the Remarkable Rocks will be curtailed. For the moment however it is there to enjoy. I know I will go back again and again to see the white sands and aquamarine water. Brilliant.

Great to see it getting some publicity. Thanks Terry in Ohio