Sadly this will be the last Captain's Log entry from Kangaroo Island. We've had a very early start indeed. Our flight leaves Kingscote airport - a word I use in its loosest sense - at 8:00 am. The drive from the lodge to the airport is about 55 minutes, but not first thing in the morning. At 6:00am when we leave it is still dark, which means that the island's nocturnal creatures are very active. Drive at more than 40 MPH and you WILL write off your car when it meets a high speed kangaroo.
Southern Ocean Lodge has excelled itself again, however, and a member of staff and wildlife guide is there to meet us in reception. We are the only guests leaving this morning so we have our private dawn safari along the dust road and out towards Kingscote. Within a mile, we have seen our first and only LIVE possum. We have seen possums before this, but only after they have been enhanced with rubber and other random car parts and rearranged as road kill! This one is very much alive and no doubt off to bed after a night hunting insects. The diminutive Tamar Wallabies are everywhere and we are forced to stop a couple of times as quite large groups hop across the road.
No sooner has Jen, our guide and driver said that there is a high chance that we will have to brake hard at some stage for kangaroos than a group of three very large ones just bounce out of the bush in front of the car. Four-wheel drive Mercs have very good brakes indeed and Jen has lightning fast reactions.
I may once have left my heart in San Francisco, but my stomach is about 30 miles from Kingscote airport on Kangaroo Island. The 'kangas' carry on quite unconcerned and Jen chalks up another success. She is quite proud of the fact that she has yet to contribute to KI's road kill count.
We've had a fantastic time here. It has been everything and more than we had expected. Once at their airport we bump into Rob, our guide on Sunday's exploration of Flinders Chase. He greets us warmly and remembers both our names, as did all the staff the whole time we were at the lodge.
We arrive at the airport after a wonderful drive through the bush as dawn comes up and we join the small handful of people waiting in Kingscote's Airport Terminal, a room about the size of our lounge. The check-in process cannot be described as tricky. Luggage is weighed by hand on old manual modified speak-your-weight machine before being tagged and carried out to the plane. The lengthy and very thorough security screen consists of saying good morning to the pilot as we stroll across the tarmac and board the plane for Adelaide.
By the time we've climbed to 9.000ft it's time to descend. Adelaide airport and we're off to Alice Springs. Should be there in time for lunch.
Southern Ocean Lodge has excelled itself again, however, and a member of staff and wildlife guide is there to meet us in reception. We are the only guests leaving this morning so we have our private dawn safari along the dust road and out towards Kingscote. Within a mile, we have seen our first and only LIVE possum. We have seen possums before this, but only after they have been enhanced with rubber and other random car parts and rearranged as road kill! This one is very much alive and no doubt off to bed after a night hunting insects. The diminutive Tamar Wallabies are everywhere and we are forced to stop a couple of times as quite large groups hop across the road.
No sooner has Jen, our guide and driver said that there is a high chance that we will have to brake hard at some stage for kangaroos than a group of three very large ones just bounce out of the bush in front of the car. Four-wheel drive Mercs have very good brakes indeed and Jen has lightning fast reactions.
I may once have left my heart in San Francisco, but my stomach is about 30 miles from Kingscote airport on Kangaroo Island. The 'kangas' carry on quite unconcerned and Jen chalks up another success. She is quite proud of the fact that she has yet to contribute to KI's road kill count.
We've had a fantastic time here. It has been everything and more than we had expected. Once at their airport we bump into Rob, our guide on Sunday's exploration of Flinders Chase. He greets us warmly and remembers both our names, as did all the staff the whole time we were at the lodge.
We arrive at the airport after a wonderful drive through the bush as dawn comes up and we join the small handful of people waiting in Kingscote's Airport Terminal, a room about the size of our lounge. The check-in process cannot be described as tricky. Luggage is weighed by hand on old manual modified speak-your-weight machine before being tagged and carried out to the plane. The lengthy and very thorough security screen consists of saying good morning to the pilot as we stroll across the tarmac and board the plane for Adelaide.
By the time we've climbed to 9.000ft it's time to descend. Adelaide airport and we're off to Alice Springs. Should be there in time for lunch.
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