Blogs from South Australia, Australia, Oceania - page 235

The ferry to Kangaroo island from Cape Jervis was a delight, slighty rocky but with red wine out of a cheap box to steady me it was fine. Discovered on arrival just how big the island is, so the plan to tour it for a day on a bike had to go, so booked a car. First evening included the penguins waddling down for their nightspot, then picked up the car with me driving for a day (cheaper to hire for day on island then take car over on ferry) an unremarkable Toyota Echo which was the first autmatic I've ever driven, so a few sudden stops as I forgot there is not a clutch and whacked the break full on. Has some stunning scenery but you have to keep the speed DOWN as lizards adorn ... read more

A quick flight later and we were in Adelaide. Time to recharge the batteries before another early start to catch a bus from the city centre down to Cape Jervis to catch the Sealink ferry to Kangaroo Island. We'd booked a car at Penneshaw to drive round the island as there are no local public transport services. Now to look at the island on a map it appears very small in comparison to Australia, however is about 120Km long. Only the main roads are sealed, the rest being dirt tracks cut through the bush which makes pretty hairy driving, especially when the roads become ridged like corrogated iron and driving at any less than 50Km/hour feels like you're in a car suspension test centre. Our first stop of the day was to the information centre to ... read more

Introduction This was another short summer walk, which made the Hikers happy as we were able to get out, find some serenity as well as able to tick off a new portion of the Heysen trail. Mylor always brings back memories of school camps - so it was nice to go back as a grown-up and have a look at this area again. The Parks Web has some information about the park How to get there ... From the city take Glen Osmond Road to the freeway and take the Stirling/Aldgate exit and follow this road to Mylor. As you approach the town you will see a road to your left that is signposted to the park. There is a small car park adjacent to the entrance. What happened ... This walk only took only an ... read more

A big reunion and the Flinders Ranges In September 2005 we travelled through South Africa. 3 weeks we were together with the great Patterson family ( Jon, Rosalie and daughter Bronte) from Australia. At that time I was planning my world tour and they said that if I was in Oz, I had to visit them and we would 'go bush'. Everything was planned for our visit in July when I ended up in the hospital and had to cancel all our plans. However this time we did make it to Adelaide and it was great to see them again. Marijke and I were surprised that it was a 2.5 hr drive to Port Broughton where Jon and Rose live. They told us they live 'near Adelaide' but in a country like Australia 200 km is ... read more

My new years resolution is a quest to find more on my family history... So off I trot from Nelson, New Zealand to see my Papa, wife Heidi, and half brother Paul. They pick me up from the airport and drive me half hour into the adelaide hills to a cute 'hick' town full of history itself; Kanmantoo. The original streets are dirt roads, dry stack wall fences, and some of the locals still live in the first Bluestone and limestone houses from the early settlers (1840). They are so old they look like they're about to fall over... the houses, not the locals! The bright blue skies are filled with the squarking sounds and colours from the flocks of pink and grey Galas, and they nesstle in the tall gum trees. Down the road they're ... read more