Kangaroo Island part2 of Day 2 and day 3

Standing looking down the 90metre (295.3 ft) drop on the cliff face I thought about all the people that were hauled up there. What their lives would have been like and how strong they were making a home in such an unforgiving place. Most of the island is cliffs so access would have been difficult. How hard it would have been for the first ones to scramble up the cliffs un assisted.
Anyway back to the last part of day 2 and I still have not seen a single live roo.
I decided to wander off and head back toward Kingscote and the motel hell. Even though I took lunch with me and had plenty to eat with all the walking I was starving. I stopped on the side of the road and took this pic to show the road and what remains after the fires I also needed to try and remove the white sticker from the car window that we had to have there as my rental contract said Nothing to be attached to windows.


I decided that I would have dinner again at the pub. I stopped in a little town called Parndana on the way back for a leg stretch and a drink. Also wanted to see what the town was like as it is where the airport is. As I was sitting enjoying the silence that surrounded me I realised that in all my travels I had not seen a school. Plenty of school bus stops but no school. The little Morris pulled up and my 5 minute rest stop turned into an hour or so. We exchanged email addresses as you do now instead of phone numbers. They were stayingin Penneshaw and I was in Kingscote so we didnt expect to see one another again until we realised we were on the same ferry heading back to the mainland the next day. We agreed to have lunch together on the ferry and I left for my hotel hell. On the way back I saw a few places I wanted to visit and out came my notebook and I noted them down for last minute visits before heading to the ferry the next day.

Dinner was wonderful and as everything closes early I headed back to the motel for some much needed rest and some tv. A long hot shower and a cup of tea I laid on the bed ready to watch a movie. Dont remember anyting else until I woke at 5am again and sat on the balcony watching the sunrise with a steaming hot cup of tea. A shower some breakfast and I was off to the Eucalyptus farm. Still no kangaroo's except dead ones. By this time I was getting quite annoyed that everyone I had spoken to had seen heaps of live roos, tamars and wallaby's and yet I had spotted none.
I arrived at Emu Ridge Distillery and there behind a fence were several wonderful Emu's sitting in the shade. I pondered the Emu's awhile wondering how they fitted into the scheme of things considering they aren't native to the Island. Looking around I marvelled at the silence considering I was standing in front of a distillery. Taking myself inside I was greeted by the owners children a young boy of about 16 and his little sister who was around 12. Beautiful well mannered kids. The boy decided he was going to be my guide and promptly sat me in front of a TV explaining that this was the history of the distillery. I wasn't particularly interested but I sat and watched anyway and ended up fascinated by the process. He then popped in just as the movie finished and offered me the opportunity for a self guided tour at a fee of course. He then explained the Mus were bought in by them as they are pictured on all of their labels. So they are the mascots. I paid the $4 and off I went. Everything is still done the same as it was in the early 1900's with the exception of the us of a chain saw. I did the walk around the DIstillery and returned back to the shop. I decided that still not having seen a kangaroo I would ask the young lad about them. I was told that there were hundreds on the Island and he was surprised I had not seen any. He then said to me shhhhhhhhhh come here for a minute and walked me over to a quiet corner of the store and pointed down to a basket laying on the floor.

Nikki the Orphaned roo was 11 months old and had ben hand reared by the young lad after he rescued her from the pouch of her mother who was killed by a truck passing through. She was so comfortable and warm in her little basket but i couldnt resist I had to reach down and give her a pat. With that the young lad picked her up and placed her in my arms. It was obvious she was well used to cuddles as she snuggled in close and quickly went off to sleep. I may not have seen a roo hopping along the side of the road or across the land but I feel I got the best sighting combined with a cuddle. Thanking the lad and buying some of their Eucalyptus oil I was on my way back to the ferry and the airport home. Three days just wasnt long enough. Next year I am going back for a week. Hopefully Nikki will still be with her carer and maybe just maybe I will see some hopping along the road.
Back on the Mainland