It's all in the game: Around the World (Again), Kangaroo Island and return to Port Elliot

Kangaroo Island the last ~~two~~ three days and back to Port Elliot

A wonderful sunrise above the Ironstone Hill, I sat for a while before breakfast, me and the rather vocal bird in the tree,

as she rose above the tree line on the hill, a new day was dawning.

I

then needed to make contact with Germany, that was after I had finished my breakfast. Breakfast finished and dishes done, good backers always clean up after themselves (I do wish there were more good backpackers) I was then free to have my natter with Linda. By the time I had finished the Sun was burning bright and hot, well over 30°, it had been promising this for a couple of days, I decided to slap on some screen, slip on a T-Shirt and top it off with a hat (all be it not my proper one). I went down to the beach and there was the “Crew”, swinging in a hammock as he was trying to hire Kayaks, they had brought them down to the beach as now the Christmas Summer Holidays had started in earnest (Still takes a bit to get my head around this fact but I do like it). We chatted a bit and then I said I am going to have a bit of a wander along the beach in the direction of Frenchies Rock (the imitation one). I went for a good old fashioned “plodge”, is this word used anywhere other than in the Geordie dialect? The cooling waters of the Great Southern Ocean were not at all unpleasant, in fact the opposite; they soothed my red legs rather nicely. I had my thongs in my hands, Now before you go red in the face, thongs are Aussi flip-flops and not as you lot think a piece of ladies underwear all be it a small piece.

I clambered up onto the rocks that mark the end of the beach and sat on a flat one and looked out to sea and watched a ferry leaving and another arriving, it was hot and even though I had put plenty of sun screen on and covered my shoulders, I could feel the heat getting at my exposed skin. I thought, enough of this Tom Foolery, time to head for a bit of shade, I walked back through the foam, knee deep and arrived back at the beach shelter just as Tony arrived. We chatted a bit and then some customers came along and before you could say Jack Robinson, all of the kayaks were hired out.

(you will be wondering why no photographs, well no camera, it was back in the room)

Though in the shade, the beach shelter didn’t give any relief from the heat, I thought only place I know where, I can get a bit of relief is the Penneshaw Hotel and as it was midday a bite to eat wouldn’t go amiss either, I popped into the YHA to get my camera. So it was a pepper steak pie and chips and a couple of Hahn beers (ice cold). I chatted with the barmaid, over the past few days she had come to know the POM that popped in for lunch and in fact just picked up the ice cold glass (pint that isn’t a pint) and poured me an Ice cold Hahn. I can’t remember what the exact conversation was about, but then you never do, do you? I believe it was about the Christmas decorations that had been put up.

She said well you’ve got to make the effort at this time of year, at which we both curled up with laughter.
Lunch over, I decided that it really was too hot to be out and about in this heat and headed back to the YHA via the long way, this is along the top of the rocks through the real Penguin Colony, I was able to see that the conservationists had been busy and had covered the nesting burrows with netting to keep out the heat, they had even put up a sun umbrella over a one.

The landing beaches, any thing but the Paparazzi

I walked down to the terminal and then watched the ferry leave, I then took to my bunk for a siesta, it was only about an hour and I heard someone come in, it was Viet leu a happy chappy, who had been out on a tour, we talked a bit about what he was doing here, He had a degree in Law and was just finishing his Master’s Degree in Business studies at Melbourne, in fact he was catching the late ferry, so that the next day so that he could to catch the bus from Adelaide to Melbourne, which would arrive at 08:00 Saturday morning, in time for the ceremony at 10:00. Now that is what I call timing!

Libby had been out crabbing and had brought me 2 fine blue swimmers (also called sand crabs), these wonderful sweet crabs really are delectable, those I decided to have for evening meal, I do love a nice crab. I had these with just a dash of soy,oil,chilli mixture (dipping sauce), sometimes the simple thingsin life are the best.

I went out later to watch the last ferry docking, it was still, too still, I know this type of feeling, the still before the storm , Bob Dylan wrote about it as well, "that stillness in the wind before the hurricane begins".

Helen who had been working in the morning, had actually said make the best of this as there is bad weather on the way (she and her husband have a farm), at about midnight, the winds started and it blew all through the night, it was a funny one as it came from the West so actually blew right across the Island.

Next morning quite a few were leaving that day most in the afternoon or like myself on the last ferry (I had to do this as the only transport to my next destination was Port Elliot only ran once a day and that was to connect to the ferry). It blew a hooley all day, at midday Sealink stopped sailing at about 15:00 I went to the office and made inquiries, they offered me a ferry at 05:30 (this was the ferry that should have been at Cape Jervis) but then she said oh! you can’t, you will have to get the last one (the bus to Port Elliot), I said actually I am not much bothered as I don’t have to be in Perth until the 12 Jan (when I catch the flight to Bangkok), she laughed and said well the ferries should be sailing by then.

I returned to the YMCA to tell them that I had just rebooked for the next day, after Helen returned and we all got our bunks reissued, there were quite a few people stranded on the Island and were searching for accommodation, but we had no problem as we had our bed for the night. Helen even phoned to Port Elliot and Adelaide to move all of my bookings forward one day, nothing was a bother to those girls.

So now what was it going to be tonight go shopping or eat out, I decided I would go out for something to eat, the local fish and chip shop has a very good name, it does all local produce and has the famous King George Whiting, sounded good to me alas when I arrived it was shuttered and bared, a notice on the door telling ll who would listen that they are closed today as the host had a catering event to take care of so therefore couldn’t open the shop.

Next door was a Pizza place, it also sold Island products and other foods stuffs, a bit like a Schnell Imbiß back home (Germany home that is), the Pizza wasn’t at all bad, a nice thin base and plenty of meat and feta cheese, I had ordered a herb lamb, not very Italian I know, but then we were not in Italy or at my mate Marino’s Pizzeria.

I then went back to the YHA and we all discussed the problems that missing the ferry had caused, but not for me, the only deadline I had to keep was January 14^th at Perth to catch my flight to Bangkok. It was still blowing quite a bit, but seemed to have changed direction, a good sign or a bad sign, well I haven’t a clue I left that sort of wise stuff to the Mates, it was there job to steer the ship mines was to make sure they had the power to be able to do it. I went to bed and slept very well, but was awake to hear the hear the ferry leave as promised at 05:30, during the night the wind had dropped and there was just a little swell running and that was it, nowt.

Nothing exciting happened during the day, so I just hung around and waited for my ferry. By late afternoon the Backdoor Passage was like a mill pond, so after all the hoo-hah, it was no problem and the crossing was smooth. The Cape Jervis (named after one of the RN Admirals) appeared and the wind turbines on the hills were hardly turning, I bet that they had to shut them off last night!

At the other side the minibus was waiting, I was joined by a German family who were going to Goolwa, then onto Melbourne.

The Journey from the Cape to Port Elliot went without mishap; hit no Kangaroos, though we saw plenty grazing near to the road. We also had a fantastic sunset, so that brought out plenty of Oos and Ahhs from the passengers. But it didn't matter how many Oos and Ahhs they made the driver was not stopping or even slowing down.

I thought that they may have shut up shop,

but no, Anthea and Richard the owners, were still up and about,

we had a chat and then as it had been a long day it was time for bed.

Next day being Sunday and the day that the historical train runs between Goolwa and Victor Harbor, and seeing as I had arranged to meet Sonya and her Husband John for coffee, that was what I would be doing.

I also wanted to do a bit of shopping and Victor Harbor has a large shopping precinct, I caught an early train and had lunch as well.

The weather was lousy, quite cold considering it was summer; we did sit outside though behind glass screens, we chatted a bit about Kangaroo Island and me next move as I was getting the early bus back to Adelaide as I was spending Christmas there. It was time to head back to the railways station and jump on the train back to Port Elliot. (I will not bother you with a set of Photographs of the train in reverse)

I had bought Lamb chops to BBQ so these needed a bit of a dry rub, this done wrapped in cling rap and into the fridge for a couple of hours. I walked into town and had a cup flat white (now my favourite drink), then went back to the YHA and done a bit of nothing.

I stoked up the BBQ, well switched on the gas; I also had some vegetables on the boil so with no further ado I slapped the chops onto the Barbie.

They did taste very nice, especially when washed down with a glass or two of Wolf Blass.

I was sitting in the reception chatting with Richard (and finishing off the bottle) when I looked out of the window, the sky was taking on a very nice colour, we said it could well be a very nice sunset, it was! It looked as if the sky was on fire! Lots of well deserved Oooooos and Aaaaaahs for this one!