| Kangaroo Island Tour 2003 |
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| Kangaroo Island Get-a-way 5 days - Sunday 26th - 30th October, 2003 Day 1, Sunday: Departs Festival Theatre at 6.30 am to travel to Cape Jervis and catch the SeaLink ferry across Backstairs Passage to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. Here we stop at the park for morning tea, have a look at Frenchman’s Rock which bears the inscription about Baudin’s landing in 1803, before exploring Dudley Peninsula around to Cape Willoughby lighthouse, the oldest in the state, then across the farmlands to Eastern Cove and around picturesque Pelican Lagoon to the neck of the island. Mt. Thisby on the left of the road was climbed by Matthew Flinders 200 years previously to give him magnificent views of the island and the Southern ocean. A year after his discovery of the island, the crew of an American brig camped on the shores for 4 months and built a vessel from local timbers, hence the name American River. We have lunch at the park here today, overlooking the swans and pelicans in the lagoon. An introduction to Kingscote and a visit to Reeves Point, site of the first official colony in South Australia, before we arrive at the Island Resort Motel, and time to unload and have a rest after an early morning, and freshen up before dinner here tonight. There is always pelican feeding at the wharf just down the road at 5.00pm each evening (gold coin donation), for anyone who is interested. Day 2, Monday: After breakfast, board the coach for a visit to Clifford’s Honey Farm, famous for their pure strain of Ligurian bees, have some honey tasting, and see the bees at work in the glass bee-hive! Across the farmlands to the Parndana Wildlife Park, exhibiting a large collection of rare and protected birds and animals, where you can feed the kangaroos, and we’ll enjoy a BBQ in their new picnic area. This afternoon we’re going to learn how sheep are milked at the Island Pure dairy, with tasting of cheeses and yogurts. On the way home we should call into Duck Lagoon, where there are usually a large variety of birds, and look for koalas in the trees. Dinner again at the motel. Day 3, Tuesday: Departing at 9.00 am, we spend some time at Emu Ridge, S.A.’s only commercial Eucalyptus Oil Distillery, for a fascinating talk and tour about the oil processing from cutting the leaves to the bottled product, all on this property. We visit Seal Bay for a wonderful guided tour among the seals and sea lions on the beach. Or alternatively view them from a boardwalk if you wish. Our lunch today will be at the Kiawarra Food Barn, a rustic licensed restaurant near the Seal Bay road, and to finish the afternoon, a look at the beautiful Vivonne Bay, safe harbor for the Cray and fishing boats, and some fantastic views from the lookout here. We should arrive back in Kingscote with time for some shopping or exploring the town before dinner, and with some entertainment for you tonight as well. Day 4, Wednesday: Make sure you pack you camera today as we take a longer ride down the South Coast Road to Flinders Chase National Park, mallee always predominant along the roadsides on the island, and lining most of the fields extending into the countryside. We’ll have morning tea at the Rocky River Park Headquarters, and give you some time in the new information centre here before we continue down to Cape du Couedic and the spectacular Admiral’s Arch. View the New Zealand fur seals from the boardwalk above the rocks, the lighthouse on the cape and the keeper’s cottages, the splendid views from Weirs Cove, and the old flying fox that once brought supplies up the rugged cliff sides from the jetty below. Further around there are Remarkable Rocks, those wonderful granite boulders, weirdly shaped by eons of weathering. And when you’ve had enough of this fantastic scenery, board the coach for a return trip to the ranger headquarters and have lunch in the picnic area, all prepared while you’ve been exploring the coastline! Touring northwards again through the National park we travel across the central Playford Highway and take in a tour of the island’s central town of Parndana, a soldier settlement-farming scheme starting here in 1948 from harsh beginnings, and now a successful agricultural community. Dinner at the motel tonight. Day 5, Thursday: After breakfast, bags packed, we bid farewell to Kingscote and head for Penneshaw. With some time before the ferry departs, we can have a walk around Penneshaw, check the shops or information centre, where the original Frenchman’s Rock resides, then board the ferry for the ride back to Cape Jervis, always on the lookout for those friendly dolphins who love to skim along in front of the bow waves. On the mainland once again, we take the Main South Road into Yankalilla, where we stop for a delicious lunch at the hotel, and continue our travels back to Adelaide afterwards, arriving at approximately 3.30 pm, a nice early afternoon to give you time to unwind and unpack before nightfall. We hope you have enjoyed your Kangaroo Island tour! Tour Cost $610.00 per person Single Supplementary $149.60 extra Tour Cost Includes: 4 nights accommodation at the Island Resort Motel Ph: 8553 2100 4 breakfasts, 4 three-course dinners, (one with entertainment) Return ferry fares, 5 lunches (two BBQ, two picnic) morning teas, Entry fees to Honey Farm, Eucalyptus Distillery, Island Sheep Dairy National Parks including Seal Bay and Flinders Chase Cape du Couedic/Admirals Arch/Remarkable Rocks. All Bookings through Eureka Coach Tours Phone:- 8265 5911 Passengers will change seats daily Please advise of any special medical or dietary needs when booking Tour prices and itinerary are subject to change without notice. Full Report and photos |
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