Southern Ocean Lodge - more

This picture taken from the very private terrace outside our lounge area highlights some of the differences between Australia and New Zealand. So much of New Zealand was covered in lush green forest, even the mountainsides. Here in Australia it is more rugged. The landscape is harder, harsher, hotter and a great deal flatter. The flight from Melbourne to Adelaide was only short and the plane didn't get to much above 14,000ft. The land below was brown and barren, almost featureless from above.

There is, however, a sense of space. This is a vast country. Even here on Kangaroo Island, you feel that this is an empty place where you could go for miles without seeing another soul - and you certainly can. We walked along the cliff top this afternoon to a sheltered headland some 3kms away. Within a few yards of leaving the lodge, the building itself was no longer visible and the only sounds were a few sea birds and the crashing of the waves on the rocks and soft white sand beaches 500ft below us. This was a wonderful way to spend a relaxing couple of hours after lunch and we didn't see another soul.

This morning we joined six of our fellow guests for a trip out to Seal Bay, a pristine and unspoilt white sand beach that is home to a colony of Australian Fur Seals. We were escorted down to a corner of the beach where we just watched these amazing creatures.

Swimming off shore here is strongly discouraged. Not only are the southern oceans rather cold - between here and Antarctica is just 2,500 miles of open water - but it is home to relatively large numbers of Great White Sharks. We're here to do the eating, not become some other animal's meal!

Talking of food.....seriously good here! The literature about the lodge makes a big thing about the standard of their cuisine. They have the right to boast. Our room has yummy nibbly snacks in it all the time. There are canapés and other bits and pieces available before the main meals and the main meals themselves are excellent. I'm afraid Australian wines have a long way to go to match the French, but there is a tolerable fizz available all the time, so we're just about coping.

We'll be off for a close encounter with Kangaroos shortly, probably with the local bush-rats, otherwise known as possums and we're hoping we might also see an Echidna or two. Oh yes...and I am assured that there will be cocktails and canapés. I know it's hard, but we have try and do our best.

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