An Alphabetical Stroll Through Bali and Australia-A is for: A BIG, FAT FINALE!! Link to new Africa TR (4/5)

[Steppesister]

What a fantastic time you’ve had in Bali. I have loved reading about your adventures and feel I’ve learnt some cool stuff along the way. Your photography is outstanding as always.
Very much looking forward to your Australian adventures.
Now I’m off to read about the various ceremonies and celebrations of life and death. Thanks for the link

I really did! I fell in love with it and maybe someday will get to go back. Get ready for moving onto Australia where I get some more fun photos of roos and birds.

Some of those celebrations in Bali really are quite fascinating!

 

[Steppesister]

Good luck with the exam prep ( and the actual exams too obviously ). Take care of yourself and sure we will all be here when you’ve had a chance to rest up a wee bit.
Btw I think I found the fungus fairy if you mean that lazy looking mushroom type thing on your plate and eh no I don’t think I’d be taking a bath in that tub either

I've plotted out a road map for my break and if I tackle 2 topics each day, I'll get through all 22 of them and still have some time to spare. It's the final push until December!

We giggled way too long at the Fungus Fairy! LOL!

Yeah.... no public bathtubs, thanks very much!

 

[Steppesister]

Of course I can... and it's quite simple.
V is for Vadelaide!

See? Easy.

Has a certain ring to it!

Betting it was the excitement of going to a new place combined with the fear of oversleeping and missing your flight.

I think that's probably pretty accurate. Travel is fun for sure, but can be kind of exhausting too.

Except at the market...

Correct!

It looks... semi-adequate. Was it free?

No, I did end up having to pay about $5 for that. Worth it since all I'd have between then and dinner was a bag of chips.

Quite the send off!

Very colorful and exotic. They really have the art thing down.

Whoa!! Impressive! And... just... wow!

A lifelong hobby for them! Full of adventure for certain!

What?!?!?!?
That's... I mean...

There better not have been any vending machines there, then!

It was just so absolutely weird!! Everywhere in the entire world even has signs saying "Dump your water here, you can refill beyond security." I literally just didn't get this one.

Colourful tail!

I think it's one of the more pretty ones I've seen.

Ah yes. Not good... but not the first time that's happened either...

A quick Google will find a few other instances. I knew of at least two already, and found a few more.

You'd think with sleeping berths and a relief crew onboard you wouldn't have this nonsense.

It may not be able to kill you... but it's still trying.

See it's hungry eyes and ferocious claws?!

Kinda wonder if it's a response to Dingo attacks on roos?
No idea, but... seems plausible?

Certainly could be plausible. This is my favorite clip; it just never gets old. The way he sing-songs "your f... ing head in...."

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=361359096244914

I've done something similar at a cave tour. Something about protecting the bats.

I've heard about that fungus, "White-nose fungus". We have it here in the MANY caves of Kentucky. I know Mammoth is pretty aggressive about it.

Not too happy about that, huh?

no

Being able to fit a bag under a seat isn't the issue... It has to fit in that contraption many airports have either at the check in desk or at the gate.

I'm aware of those and surprisingly, my bag EASILY fits in this. So...? Totally stupid.

Nothing better than full blown panic to wake you up in the morning!

Coffee's got nothing on something like that.

I was kinda confused by that statement.
Who doesn't take a bath in their hotel room (of those who enjoy baths... not everyone does, I suppose.)

Nope, not in a skeevy public one.

You weren't kidding when you said "Basic"!

I suppose a bed is all you'd need. And it was big enough to not have to cozy up so was adequate.

Such an oddly specific number for an approximation.

An approximation. Close enough.

Usually a good sign.
Surprised the food wasn't better.

Yeah, but in the end, I think we just simply (Anara I should say) mis-ordered.

I note Anara is wearing a long-sleeved top.
My first thought was "Mustn't be that warm"...

It was actually a teensy on the chilly side, but then again, I'm a mostly cold-blooded sort, and usually wear a sweater even when it's like 80F out.

Did he grant you a wish? Or was he just reclining and on a break?

Taking a break from the hard work of swimming in soy sauce and granting wishes.

Would you happen to have noted the temperature?
I'm curious if it was actually warm... but felt cool after all the heat you'd experienced.

I didn't, but if I were to guess, maybe like 70?

Ah yes. This is what I think of when I think of Australia.

I guess something I really didn't anticipate or realize was the proximity to the Far and South East. There is a LOT more Asian presence there (like say Vancouver, BC and Seattle) than I'm used to living in the South US. Just I guess while it totally makes sense, it took me by surprise. (In a good way)

Good for you! You're really progressing along. One more rotation to go!

I'll take the next few weeks to make my way through one of my review courses (this one included with my Program) which will knock out a HUGE chunk of what's required for my next term in addition to the clinical hours and case studies. September should fly by and then it will truly be crunch time.

I bet. Hopefully you'll get a good rest over the next two weeks, despite the studying.

I think so! It was sure nice to sleep in this morning.

 

[Steppesister]

You could have had V is for Victoria, Australia, umm yup not going there, lol or did you?

Nope, Tasmania is just south of that, but, if I understand correctly, it's it's own territory.

I was in Australia many years ago but we started in Melbourne and traveled through Sydney, the Gold Coast, to Cairns loved it so much. If I was a beach bum this is where I would live!

We just didn't have time to do all the places we'd have liked to including Melbourne and Perth. Sydney was only a transit city for us, but we did spend one day in Cairns which we really liked a lot!

I love all your pictures and information on your travels, you are a wealth of knowledge on everything! Love it!

Heh, on a few things... mostly, I just wanna get the story down as I remember it and hope that folks enjoy it along the way.

 

[Steppesister]

You had some very strange airport experiences this time. At least you didn't have any travel delays. And you found Anara. And the weather was a huge improvement.

Your dinner must have been a huge downgrade from the delicious food you had in Bali.

We really did!!! So odd! The one later in Fiji is almost as weird. But that's not until the very end of this report. It was definitely drier for sure, BUT, there is one part where the heat was like surface-of-the-sun hot.

The food.... yeah, this meal was really a bummer. We did have some really fantastic meals, but overall, the food kinda went downhill from Bali.

 

[Steppesister]

Ooh, I will ALWAYS choose to walk if I can! I have an aversion to buses...

This was just a big van and I think there were like 6 of us or so. Was a super easy 5 minute ride.

I once nearly missed a flight from LA to San Francisco and that was bad enough! We only managed to sneak through because the flight was delayed

My ex was notorious for cutting things WAY too close and we almost missed A LOT of flights. I think I have a little PTSD from that.

Definitely life goals I also plan to still be dancing and hiking

YES!!!

Yeah... Batik Airlines do NOT have a very good rep. No way I would fly with them!

So... pretty planes, but pretty BAD track record. Gotcha!

Very unlike Jetstar to not offer overpriced snacks and beverages!

They did, but they all had to be PRE-purchased. Nothing was offered at all for those who hadn't, at least on that flight. Sucks for those like me who want to decide IF I'm hungry or not in the moment.

I also miss the days of the passport stamp! HK and Singapore no longer offer this either. Definitely NOT going to fill up my passport pages at this rate!

Seems like they should have a little kiosk or window for those of us that just want that little souvenir. Could even be do-it-yourself!

Jetstar are well known for being the luggage police lol!

Yeah, they were REALLY checking out the bags as people boarded. Money grabbers.

I wouldn't have had a problem with that. Sounds like the room had everything you needed, was in a great location close to food and transport, and that balcony is beautiful! At least when you come to Australia you get a currency exchange benefit... when we go to the US we're paying about 40% more for everything, which makes it REALLY expensive!

It did, the bed was plenty big enough for sure and it was quiet enough for the most part. Sometimes for a quick layover, all you need is a close place to eat and one that's close enough to where you need to go without breaking the bank in Ubers.

I hadn't thought of the exchange rate being bad! I never did add it all up or anything, but I think the whole trip ended up costing what I'd budgeted which was about $9,000. All 12? flights, lodging, food, transports, sightseeing tix and entrance fees, etc... For a month of a semi-luxury vacation, not bad.

Good luck! Always annoying when that pesky adulting stuff gets in the way of a good TR!

2/22 Review topics down. Have 2 weeks to get 'er done.... 2 a day oughtta do it and each one takes about 2- 2 1/2 hours. Little by little.

 

[zanzibar138]

My ex was notorious for cutting things WAY too close and we almost missed A LOT of flights. I think I have a little PTSD from that.

Haha my close call was my ex's fault too.

They did, but they all had to be PRE-purchased. Nothing was offered at all for those who hadn't, at least on that flight. Sucks for those like me who want to decide IF I'm hungry or not in the moment.

Oh, that explains it then. Yeah that wouldn't work for me either.

Seems like they should have a little kiosk or window for those of us that just want that little souvenir. Could even be do-it-yourself!

Great idea! Who can we run that by?

I hadn't thought of the exchange rate being bad! I never did add it all up or anything, but I think the whole trip ended up costing what I'd budgeted which was about $9,000. All 12? flights, lodging, food, transports, sightseeing tix and entrance fees, etc... For a month of a semi-luxury vacation, not bad.

OMG I'm not going to say how much our trip to the US is costing us It is our honeymoon though, and does include 2 weeks at WDW.

2/22 Review topics down. Have 2 weeks to get 'er done.... 2 a day oughtta do it and each one takes about 2- 2 1/2 hours. Little by little.

I like that planning!

 

[pkondz]

I do like them and they add a nice different option in fruit salads.

Oh! Hadn't thought of that. Must keep it in mind.

I'm willing to bet that if you have a nice Asian import store they'd have it there.

We do, so they most likely do, then.

I was thinking the same thing! YIKES!! But, like foot binding, neck stretching, and female mutilation, those unhealthy traditions are fading out. I'm all for keeping with long-held tradition, but have a hard time when it comes to interfering with actual health.

Yeah... Nope to all of those.
I remember they took an X-ray of one of the women with the long necks...
It wasn't so much that the neck was longer, but the weight of the rings caused the shoulders to sink lower.

I think that's probably pretty accurate. Travel is fun for sure, but can be kind of exhausting too.

No, I did end up having to pay about $5 for that. Worth it since all I'd have between then and dinner was a bag of chips

Fair deal.

It was just so absolutely weird!! Everywhere in the entire world even has signs saying "Dump your water here, you can refill beyond security." I literally just didn't get this one.

I've never seen anything like that. I guess you just have to be dehydrated until you get to your destination.

You'd think with sleeping berths and a relief crew onboard you wouldn't have this nonsense.

They don't have those on shorter legs.

See it's hungry eyes and ferocious claws?!

Certainly could be plausible. This is my favorite clip; it just never gets old. The way he sing-songs "your f... ing head in...."

Sorry, can't see the video. Probably restricted in Canada.

I'm aware of those and surprisingly, my bag EASILY fits in this. So...? Totally stupid.

In that case... very odd.

I suppose a bed is all you'd need. And it was big enough to not have to cozy up so was adequate.

Then that works.

Yeah, but in the end, I think we just simply (Anara I should say) mis-ordered.

Ditch the kid and head back to Bali.

I didn't, but if I were to guess, maybe like 70?

Big difference if it was near or in the 100s in Bali.

 

[Steppesister]

Haha my close call was my ex's fault too.

I will never understand people who consistently cut it too close to call!

Oh, that explains it then. Yeah that wouldn't work for me either.

I mean what if you spend $350 on a bag of chips and a pop ahead of time and then you’re not hungry?

Great idea! Who can we run that by?

I’ll write a sternly worded memo!

OMG I'm not going to say how much our trip to the US is costing us It is our honeymoon though, and does include 2 weeks at WDW.

Oh dear!!! That’ll sure add up quick!!!

I like that planning!

Little by little!!

 

[Steppesister]

Oh! Hadn't thought of that. Must keep it in mind.

And the top that you cut off, makes a really nice crown for the top of the fruit salad.

Yeah... Nope to all of those.
I remember they took an X-ray of one of the women with the long necks...
It wasn't so much that the neck was longer, but the weight of the rings caused the shoulders to sink lower.

That’s interesting. I can’t even imagine how horrific their backaches must’ve been all the time.

I've never seen anything like that. I guess you just have to be dehydrated until you get to your destination.

Nor have I! Definitely not a good scenario!

They don't have those on shorter legs.

That is true, true and to be fair I didn’t look at how long that flight that they did that on was.

Sorry, can't see the video. Probably restricted in Canada.

Just Google kangaroo drowning a dog. I think both Facebook and YouTube have it.

In that case... very odd.

Yeah, I sure thought so. I think the bottom line is that it’s just a money grab.

Ditch the kid and head back to Bali.

Hey, you might be onto something!

Big difference if it was near or in the 100s in Bali.

True enough!!

 

[pkondz]

And the top that you cut off, makes a really nice crown for the top of the fruit salad.

And as a he-man kinda man, this is the most important thing.

That is true, true and to be fair I didn’t look at how long that flight that they did that on was.

Not sure what the rules are but probably only for flights longer than 6-8 hours.

Just Google kangaroo drowning a dog. I think both Facebook and YouTube have it.

I did!
Now it’s your turn to Google man punches kangaroo. I think it’s hilarious.

 

[missjackiemcg]

“Indonesia's Batik Air faces probe after pilots fall asleep mid-flight” YIKES!

Holy moly! That's terrifying.

NO PASSPORT STAMP?!?!

REALLY?! C'mon now!

we roughed it most of the time affording us a few TR-worthy stories to pass along to you. Buckle up.

You have THE best TR stories on the places you find to stay during your travels. I particularly enjoyed some on the road trip adventure with your son. Can't wait to hear these!!

 

[Steppesister]

B is for: Bound For Baudin Beach (Adelaide to Kangaroo Island)
​

The dawn of Day 12 would come much later than when our alarms woke us up. In the stillness that the Metropolitan held in her halls and small rooms, we showered, dressed, and gathered our bags. Quietly slipping into the corridor at 6:15, we headed out onto the dark streets of Adelaide and arrived at the bus station just a few minutes later. When I’d booked that hotel, I didn’t know it’d be so conveniently located near the station; perhaps the Fungus Fairy bestowed a parting gift after all.

Destination, Kangaroo Island: A 1,700 square mile landmass, just off the south coast of Australia, a quick 45-minute ferry from Cape Jervis, which is a 2.5-hour bus ride away from Adelaide. It’s basically a giant national park save a few VERY small towns. The population is only around 2,000 permanent residents and the main draw is the landscape, hiking, and of course, the animals!! Follow us!!

We sat in silence with a dozen other travelers sharing the same pre-coffee stupor, none of us sure of the process of boarding. Luckily, I had printed off all of my hard copies of tickets, confirmations, pertinent emails, etc… so that on just such occasions as this, proof of my purchase would be at my fingertips. There is little as frustrating as not being able to find a travel document when needed under stress, especially when it comes to transportation.

​

The bus was a nice, and very comfortable, coach with windows plenty big enough to watch the gorgeous rolling hills pass by. Fields, not yet planted, and dotted with flocks of sheep, alternated with the crisp, neat rows of grapes, a testament to the thriving viticulture industry of the area. The warm glow of morning saturated the rich landscape, and it wasn’t long before the driver enthusiastically pointed out the first of several mobs of kangaroo lazily munching on the stubble of last year’s crop. Sorry for the blurry "bus-window photos"!

​

About halfway to Port Jervis where the ferry to Kangaroo Island (KI) leaves from, the bus stopped at a small, local bakery that supplies all the baked goodies for the SeaLink Ferry. A stop is made each morning for a pickup of sweets and savories. We were told this wasn’t a passenger stop and it’d be a very quick one at that. True to the word, we were off again within just a few minutes. We did manage to stave off starvation however with the few Chinese snacks we’d picked up the night before as we walked home from dinner. I dunno about y’all, but a stroll through a foreign grocery, especially Asian, usually provides a nice little bit of fun. We ended up with a soy-based milk-like drink, a yogurt-based drink (both in small boxes) and some sort of small sandwich thing which was gross and promptly tossed. Gambling in any context is usually a 50-50, or so I’m told.

​

Continuing on our way, groves of eucalyptus stood tall and proud with an amazing variety of shapes and colored bark- white, red, silver, variegated. They lined the highways and filled in the valleys between the rounded hills leading to small waterholes where cattle congregated. To be sure, we were fortunate to enjoy the quality of Australian beef during our visit.

​

The 2.5-hour trip went by quickly and the scent of the seaside welcomed us to Cape Jervis. The terminal building had a restroom that we used with the few minutes we had until our ferry came. We hopped in line to receive our paper boarding passes and then sat in the super comfy chairs until boarding was called.

​

One thing that surprised me very much was how they loaded the vehicles. I’ve seen many, many ferries over the years, and have never seen one in which they BACK some of the cars and trucks on (not all as you can see from this shot) I’ve always seen it that the ferries dock faced out, and cars drive on and off forward, but this process had them backing in, and then apparently the ferry had to have turned around and went into dock backend first. Suffice to say, I am exceptionally glad I wasn’t having to back a car (with a righthand steering wheel) onto a ferry with a sloped ramp. YEESH!

​

Before the ferry was even close to shoving off, the snack bar was open with those fresh, lovely pastries we’d picked up from the Yankalilla Bakery. The coffee smelled absolutely heavenly, and it wasn’t just any crap coffee either; it was wonderfully, rich, foamy lattes being espressed to order. HELLO!

Realizing it was open for business, I sallied right on up to the counter and was one of the first in line. (No children were harmed in the process.) No one has to invite me twice for a hot morning coffee. I got a hot cocoa for Anara, a latte for myself, and 2 pastries to share, both of which were fairly novel to our Australian-cuisine naïve palates. Meanwhile, Anara held down the fort in our corner spot which I strategically chose next to a window. The ferry revved up and shoved off gliding over the dark blue waters of the Great Australian Bight. Yeah, I had to look that up. No, I’ve never heard of it before. We were both pretty hungry so we dug into our morning meal- a sausage wrapped in a super flaky croissant and a pastry with cheese and root vegetables. The driver had told us that the Yankalilla Bakery had won many awards for their pastries, and we could certainly see why; these were delicious and fit the breakfast-bill perfectly.

It wasn’t too long into our 45-minute journey before the seas became really rough. White caps swelled up and, to both our amusement and horror, an announcement came overhead: “Will the driver of the orange-gold Ford Ranger return to your car IMMEDIATELY and set your handbrake!!!”

Oh my.

I took some video of the smash hit, Swivel Chair Ballet, just for you!!! The KI Ferry is a perfect venue for this and a feature film called Lost Horizons. Enjoy!!

​

Just as we approached the coastline, we had a WONDERFUL treat! I was just a tad too late with fiddling around with my phone to get better video, but you can see our little welcoming committee which Anara thought was pretty amazing. I love her enthusiasm and pleasure in seeing this little pod of dolphin guiding the ferry on into the terminal area.

​

Luckily, I don’t get seasick too easily and this was NOTHING like that ferry from hell coming back to Mykonos from Delos Island, but I’m not sure Anara was altogether spared from feeling crummy. Nevertheless, we made it safely to KI although, the rental car lady told us the ferry was quite late arriving due to the wind. It had to go WAY out of it’s way apparently to avoid a bad current and fight against the wind at the same time.

Once we arrived, we tried to get our bearings. I miscalculated or was simply not directionally savvy in this moment and didn’t know where the car rental office was. We grabbed our bags and started walking uphill away from the terminal to “town” thinking it was on that road…. Hmmm, no that didn’t seem to be right. I google mapped it and, oh for crying out loud. It was right there INSIDE the stupid terminal…. Back down the hill to the office and derp, there it was. It didn’t matter if we’d just futzed around for 20 minutes anyway. Let me back up…. WAYYYY up. Like 6 months up.

Back when I had been planning this trip, I had done a thousand hours of research and figuring things out but, with only a couple of months to go, the company that runs the buses to and from Adelaide changed and with that change came a massive schedule change. Now they only offer a shuttle to Cape Jervis at that 6:45AM time slot so it makes sense to take the 9:30AM ferry. Before, when I’d been planning months earlier, there were a couple of other options of shuttles that were later. All that to say, I’d thought we’d be arriving to KI quite a bit later in the afternoon so had rented my car for a 5:00 pick-up. Clear as mud?

So, I sidle on up to the rental counter and the lady tells me that she doesn’t have me on the list. HUH?! I have the confirmation right here!

“Hmmmm… let me check…”

<waits with growing angst>

“Ohhhh, I see the problem, we didn’t have you arriving and picking up until 5:00! It should be okay though; I just have to drive over to our other lot and go get it. It won’t take me long at all.”

Jenn, my new best friend, finished up with the folks who didn’t screw up their reservations and went to get our car. Sure enough, she was back in a jiffy (ok, it was longer than that; one fermi is 10−15 m, so a jiffy is about 3×10−24 s) and got us all checked in. This woman is simply AMAZING at her job. She clearly LOVES it and welcoming folks to her island home. She talked me through driving in Australia, gave us tons of maps and hints, restaurant recommendations, touring hints, and was super excited about where we’d chosen to spend our time. (You will be too!) And with that, and GREAT trepidation, we headed to the car and out onto the roads.

On the lefthand side.

Wish me luck.

(And everyone else on the road too.)

KI has a bit of a funky layout. “Civilization” is almost entirely on the west end of the island and once you get approximately 30 minutes east of that clump of little towns along the western coast, there just ain’t much out there in terms of services. And while the majority of the sights that most people go to KI to see are, admittedly, in the EAST, there are still some noteworthy things I had scoped out to see nearer to the ferry. Back to my original planning… since back when I’d made all of my reservations for accommodations, I thought we’d be arriving closer to evening, and I’d been warned multiple, multiple times NOT to drive after dusk basically anywhere in Australia. So, since there were a few things I wanted to see in the west before driving the long way out to the east AND because we originally thought we’d be getting in later and I didn’t want to drive in the dark I chose a little Airbnb in a neighborhood called Baudin Beach. Baudin Beach is a short and incredibly scenic 10-minute drive from Penneshaw where the ferry lands. We easily made it in no time oohing and aahhing at this surreal landscape which is so vastly different than either of us were used to seeing. The overwhelming variety and sheer number of eucalyptus trees alone were stunning. The blue of the waters side-by-side with white sand beaches and the rolling grassy hills were really quite something to admire.

​

Right about 11:45 we pulled into our Airbnb and were greeted by a very friendly middle-aged mom of several kids that we could hear playing in the yard. It was honestly nothing fancy, but was certainly clean, and perfect for our stay. It was truly like staying in someone’s home, but with our own suite and private entrance. She gave us a little tour and got us oriented, gave us the key, and told us to make ourselves at home. Had we not had a very full day ahead of us of sight-seeing we certainly would have....

​

Coming up: C is for Capes and Conservation Parks

 

[Steppesister]

And as a he-man kinda man, this is the most important thing.

He-man, huh?

Not sure what the rules are but probably only for flights longer than 6-8 hours.

Possibly?

I did!
Now it’s your turn to Google man punches kangaroo. I think it’s hilarious.

I did!!! So funny!!! Never gets old. I'd seen that one before and I'm not sure which one makes me laugh more.

 

[Steppesister]

Holy moly! That's terrifying.

I sure thought so!

REALLY?! C'mon now!

So silly!! Just set up a little kiosk for a do-it-yourself jobbie.

You have THE best TR stories on the places you find to stay during your travels. I particularly enjoyed some on the road trip adventure with your son. Can't wait to hear these!!

Aw, thanks!! I've certainly had some fun adventures along the way. Lots and lots more coming.

 

[zanzibar138]

It all looks so familiar to me, starting with the style of the coach lol! But I'm absolutely loving hearing it all from your perspective. And you did an amazing job getting photos through the bus window

The coffee smelled absolutely heavenly, and it wasn’t just any crap coffee either; it was wonderfully, rich, foamy lattes being espressed to order. HELLO!

There is basically nowhere you can go in Australia that doesn't serve 'proper' barista-made coffee

I got a hot cocoa for Anara, a latte for myself, and 2 pastries to share, both of which were fairly novel to our Australian-cuisine naïve palates.

Haha I didn't realise there were Australian-specific pastries lol!

The ferry revved up and shoved off gliding over the dark blue waters of the Great Australian Bight. Yeah, I had to look that up. No, I’ve never heard of it before.

The Great Australian Bight is pretty much the first geographical feature we learn about it in school. I finally got to see it a couple of years ago on a road trip from Melbourne to Perth (I am in fact not wearing a puffer jacket - it was just particularly windy lol!).

We were both pretty hungry so we dug into our morning meal- a sausage wrapped in a super flaky croissant and a pastry with cheese and root vegetables.

Otherwise known as a sausage roll and a pastie (pronounced pah-stee, not to be confused with pay-stee lol!)?

“Will the driver of the orange-gold Ford Ranger return to your car IMMEDIATELY and set your handbrake!!!”

Just as we approached the coastline, we had a WONDERFUL treat! I was just a tad too late with fiddling around with my phone to get better video, but you can see our little welcoming committee which Anara thought was pretty amazing. I love her enthusiasm and pleasure in seeing this little pod of dolphin guiding the ferry on into the terminal area.

Amazing!

Luckily, I don’t get seasick too easily and this was NOTHING like that ferry from hell coming back to Mykonos from Delos Island, but I’m not sure Anara was altogether spared from feeling crummy. Nevertheless, we made it safely to KI although, the rental car lady told us the ferry was quite late arriving due to the wind. It had to go WAY out of it’s way apparently to avoid a bad current and fight against the wind at the same time.

Ugh. Sounds like I would have struggled. I basically never go near a boat without my kwells!

And with that, and GREAT trepidation, we headed to the car and out onto the roads.

On the lefthand side.

Wish me luck.

(And everyone else on the road too.)

Haha sounds like me when I pick up a hire car in the US!

We easily made it in no time oohing and aahhing at this surreal landscape which is so vastly different than either of us were used to seeing. The overwhelming variety and sheer number of eucalyptus trees alone were stunning. The blue of the waters side-by-side with white sand beaches and the rolling grassy hills were really quite something to admire.

Once again, a very familiar looking landscape to me. I always love to see the natural beauty around me, but your description makes me realise I probably have been taking it for granted!

 

[luvpoohandcompany]

Otherwise known as a sausage roll and a pastie (pronounced pah-stee, not to be confused with pay-stee lol!)?

Both available in every Belfast bakery/chippie too but @Steppesister you described them much more eloquently than us. Nothing quite like a sausage roll to start the day (especially if you’ve had a “big” night out the night before ).

 

[missjackiemcg]

Even through a bus window, SO stunning!!

“Will the driver of the orange-gold Ford Ranger return to your car IMMEDIATELY and set your handbrake!!!”

OH MY indeed!!!!!!

I remember our first family trip to Ireland and my Dad driving on the wrong side of the car AND wrong side of the road...and a stick shift! It was terrifying!!! LOL I'm hoping you faired better!

 

[Wood Nymph]

Baudin Beach is a short and incredibly scenic 10-minute drive from Penneshaw where the ferry lands. We easily made it in no time oohing and aahhing at this surreal landscape which is so vastly different than either of us were used to seeing. The overwhelming variety and sheer number of eucalyptus trees alone were stunning. The blue of the waters side-by-side with white sand beaches and the rolling grassy hills were really quite something to admire.

Your trip to Kangaroo Island was such a different experience from your tropical island adventures. The landscape is very arid. But it is beautiful. You have a very nice room at Baudin Beach. It is funny though that the main areas of interest are east while the town is west.

 

[pkondz]

The dawn of Day 12

Day 12 already! Doesn't seem possible. And yet... considering how much you've seen/done... it also feels like it should be day 30!

we showered, dressed, and gathered our bags.

Off we go!!

I didn’t know it’d be so conveniently located near the station; perhaps the Fungus Fairy bestowed a parting gift after all.

The Fungus Fairy will be a new thing, I think.

Destination, Kangaroo Island

So cool! I don't know anyone (well..... except for you, now) who's been there.

The population is only around 2,000 permanent residents

I did a quick and dirty measurement. It's about 85x35 miles. Pretty small. Not surprised it's that small of a population.

Follow us!!

Roos!!!

A stop is made each morning for a pickup of sweets and savories. We were told this wasn’t a passenger stop and it’d be a very quick one at that. True to the word, we were off again within just a few minutes.

How badly did you want to get off?

I dunno about y’all, but a stroll through a foreign grocery, especially Asian, usually provides a nice little bit of fun.

I love when I (not often enough) pop into the Chinese grocery store here in town.

and some sort of small sandwich thing which was gross and promptly tossed

Ah well... you can't win 'em all.

groves of eucalyptus stood tall and proud with an amazing variety of shapes and colored bark- white, red, silver, variegated.

I couldn't tell a eucalyptus tree from just about any other kind of tree.
In my dictionary, there are two kinds of trees. "Pine" and "The other kind that isn't pine".

To be sure, we were fortunate to enjoy the quality of Australian beef during our visit.

I'll wait to comment until you get to that part.

Enjoying all your shots, but this one is really good!

Gorgeous!

I’ve seen many, many ferries over the years, and have never seen one in which they BACK some of the cars and trucks on

Um... what? Are they trying to make it difficult?
"Oh, yeah? Well here in Oz, we back onto ferries! That's right! We're rough and tumble!"

Suffice to say, I am exceptionally glad I wasn’t having to back a car (with a righthand steering wheel) onto a ferry with a sloped ramp. YEESH!

Meh.
I wouldn't worry. Since Australia is over the dateline and in the southern hemisphere, if you drove on the right and straight, you'd wind up on the left and backwards.

Before the ferry was even close to shoving off, the snack bar was open with those fresh, lovely pastries we’d picked up from the Yankalilla Bakery.

Uh, huh... you were dreaming of those for how long now??

The coffee smelled absolutely heavenly, and it wasn’t just any crap coffee either; it was wonderfully, rich, foamy lattes being espressed to order. HELLO!

Okay... I'm not a coffee drinker, but even I know that sounds like it would be pretty good.

Realizing it was open for business, I sallied right on up to the counter and was one of the first in line. (No children were harmed in the process.)

However a couple of teens had bruises and one adult was sent to the hospital...

I got a hot cocoa for Anara

Did she say how it was?

2 pastries to share, both of which were fairly novel to our Australian-cuisine naïve palates.

I didn't know they wrote novels about Australian pastries...

"The Star-Crossed Croissant"
"The Roll that Rocked"
"The Self-Inflated Ego of the Puff Pastry"

I'll stop now.

The ferry revved up and shoved off gliding over the dark blue waters of the Great Australian Bight. Yeah, I had to look that up. No, I’ve never heard of it before.

It's well known. I've heard it's Bark is worse than it's Bight, though.

a sausage wrapped in a super flaky croissant and a pastry with cheese and root vegetables.

I saw the photos from @zanzibar138
Interesting! A bit different from the pasty that I had (in Michigan), but otherwise both recognizable.

It wasn’t too long into our 45-minute journey before the seas became really rough.

both our amusement and horror, an announcement came overhead: “Will the driver of the orange-gold Ford Ranger return to your car IMMEDIATELY and set your handbrake!!!”

I've never seen a Ford Ranger submarine before. Huh.

a feature film called Lost Horizons.

That second video... oy!
"There's the horizon.... andddddd... there it goes... Oh, it's back again. Nope... gone."

you can see our little welcoming committee which Anara thought was pretty amazing.

I just caught it at the beginning of the video.
I absolutely love the "Well spotted" at the end of it!

I love her enthusiasm and pleasure in seeing this little pod of dolphin guiding the ferry on into the terminal area.

I noted that as well.

We grabbed our bags and started walking uphill away from the terminal to “town” thinking it was on that road…. Hmmm, no that didn’t seem to be right. I google mapped it and, oh for crying out loud. It was right there INSIDE the stupid terminal…

I'm not laughing at you... I'm laughing with you.



Okay, I'm laughing at you.

“Ohhhh, I see the problem, we didn’t have you arriving and picking up until 5:00! It should be okay though; I just have to drive over to our other lot and go get it. It won’t take me long at all.”

Wow! Nice of her.

Jenn, my new best friend, finished up with the folks who didn’t screw up their reservations

She talked me through driving in Australia, gave us tons of maps and hints, restaurant recommendations, touring hints, and was super excited about where we’d chosen to spend our time.

Really great service.

(You will be too!)

And with that, and GREAT trepidation, we headed to the car and out onto the roads.

On the lefthand side.

Wish me luck.

(And everyone else on the road too.)

Reminds me of the scene in A Fish Called Wanda where Kevin Kliine kept driving on the wrong side of the road...
or...


National Lampoon's European Vacation where they kept running over Eric Idle.

. We easily made it in no time oohing and aahhing at this surreal landscape which is so vastly different than either of us were used to seeing.

I can totally see that!

The blue of the waters side-by-side with white sand beaches and the rolling grassy hills were really quite something to admire.

Sounds heavenly.

It was honestly nothing fancy, but was certainly clean, and perfect for our stay.

Looks perfectly fine.

He-man, huh?

Bit of a typo there. It was supposed to be "Hey, man... I need a really nice crown for the top of the fruit salad."

Possibly?

I did a tiny bit of research. At least according to the FAA, (Rules may differ in different countries):

Flight times within the duty periods are restricted to a maximum of 8 hours for flight crews consisting of one pilot and 10 hours for flight crews consisting of two pilots.

Otherwise known as a sausage roll and a pastie (pronounced pah-stee, not to be confused with pay-stee lol!)?

Thanks! That's really helpful.