A three-day excursion to Kangaroo Island (and yes, a place called Kanagroo Island does exist!)

Day One

After our Tasmania adventure and a daylong "respite" sampling wine in South Australia's Barossa Valley, we embarked on a three-day excursion to Kangaroo Island. It was an early morning wakeup on Anzac Day (in Australia similar to US Memorial Day), we went to Adelaid's airport to catch a short flight to Kingscote on Kangaroo Island.

As soon as we landed, we grabbed our bags and immediately met our guide who was waiting in a 4WD van ready to take us and a few other guests on day one of our adventure. We left the airport and were on our tour! Only 15 minutes in, we made our first stop when we spotted an echidna! (These creatures are a type of mammal called a monotreme meaning they're mammals that lay eggs. Echidna is the closest relative to duckbilled platypus).

Echidnas are very elusive and like most all other wildlife really does not want to be bothered. When they hear human sounds, they anchor themselves in the ground and ball themselves up into a spiky ball. They remain until you go away and then they go on their merry way.

We got back in the van and started down a dirt road to our next locations. All the while, keeping a lookout for wildlife. In just a few minutes, we spotted a furry blob in a eucalyptus tree and backed up for our first koala encounter! Have a look at this photo shoot - a large koala and he put on a show for us. Strike a pose!

Back into the van for a thorough tour of northern Kangaroo Island with stops at beaches, a morning tea underneath eucalyptus tree with view of more koalas and some napping kangaroos in a nearby field. And we visited some wallabies as well!

After a picnic lunch at a farm (the van dodged a herd of sheep), we went to Seal Bay. Here, you guessed it - we got to spend some quality time with a colony of seals.

And a video of some of the "shenanigans":

Lots of seal activity - we had to keep "our head on a swivel" so we didn't get trampled by seals as they charged each other.

After our seals visit, it was time to head back to the towns. On the way, we had to stop where we spotted koalas to make sure we spent as much time with these adorable creatures as possible:

Short clip of finding a koala.

After an action-packed day of getting to and exploring Kangaroo Island, time to head to dinner. On the way, we enjoyed a phenomenal sunset. Something we would become accustomed to in our Australian odyssey.

Sunset over Kangaroo Island

Day 2

Saturday began by waking up to a beautiful Kangaroo Island sunrise.

If you couldn't tell by now, sunrises and sunsets were unbeatable in Australia...

We would get picked up in the tour van bright and early and target day 2 to the southwest part of the island, Flinders Chase National Park and make stops at several beaches along the way. Below are shots from Vivonne Bay en route to Flinders Chase.

Once at Flinders Chase, we learned a tremendous amount about the region and its recovery from catastrophic wildfires several years ago. The Kangaroo Island habitat has evolved over time to heal from wildfire. The Park was very lush, and we were pleasantly surprised about the rapid recovery of the area. Even gum trees still black from having burned in the fire, spurned new growth.

A gum tree growing strong after having been burned six years ago.

After traversing the forests of Flinders Chase, we went along the coast to see two unforgettable scenes. The Remarkable Rocks and Admiral's Arch. Near Admiral's Arch was another seal colony that we enjoyed watching.

Enjoy the view through Admiral's Arch!

What an absolutely stunning Saturday! After all day exploring the beaches, scenery and National Park, it was time to head back to the B&B for a relaxing dinner. Always great to spend an evening with our hosts and their wonderful dogs!

We made fast friends with George and Charlie!

Day 3

Our Sunday on Kangaroo Island also had a jam-packed itinerary! Here's what we had in store for us:

• A leisurely hike along a coast near American River (which is also not a river)

• Local wine tasting

• Trying fresh oysters for the first time in our lives - (at the docks of an oyster farm!)

• A visit to a honey farm - home to Ligurian bees

• And a local gin tasting

First, here are some highlights from our hike near American River:

A few shots of our first ever fresh oyster sampling. Afterward we had morning coffee on the pier next to a fur seal.

A little footage from our stop at the bee farm:

Having a look at the Ligurian bees on display on our visit to the bee farm. They had the best honey ice cream ever made!

And yes, gin is much better in Australia - we enjoyed our tasting!

After an action-packed three-day adventure in Kangaroo Island, it was now time to head back to Kingscote airport. What a wonderful visit and a wonderful place. We leave you with a photo of Beth with a baby koala nearby.

This photo is not AI generated - proof that we spent time with koalas!