Yesterday I drove to Fraser Chase National Parkwith a couple of Roadie mates. It is a 90 minute trip to get to the western end of the island. We dove through areas affected by the bushfire, but saw a lot more fire ravaged area in the park. At the makeshift gate we had to show our entry pass and registration number previously purchased online. All visitors are checked out as well to make sure no-one stays in the park overnight.
From the checkpoint it was still a 19km drive at 60kph down to Cape du Couedic lighthouse and Admirals Arch where we saw dozens of fur seals. There is an impressive boardwalk and several sets of steps leading down to Admirals Arch. The timber is disintegrating where it is constantly subjected to wind and waves. I wouldn't want to go down too far during a storm.
Near the top a defibrillator is available should your heart stop beating due to the stress of climbing back up those steps. Of course you would need to be accompanied by someone who first tries to revive you with CPR, and if that fails know how to use a defibrillator. Be choosy about your travelling companions.
Since I won't lug around a heavy telescopic lens, you might find it hard to spot the seals in the photos. Come to Kangaroo Island and you will be able to see them for yourself. We could have spent hours watching the seals, but wanted to see the Remarkable Rocks, and they are remarkable. These are hard rocks that have survived weathering. So many of them look like works of art.
On our drive out of the park we saw a number of geese, including young ones. Further along the road we stopped to allow a blonde echidna to cross the road - called blonde because its spines were blonde. We stopped at the gin distillery for the others to taste four different flavoured gins. They can't have been great because no bottles we purchased.
All the fires that started in December and January were caused by lightning strikes. Some behaved in an unpredictable manner, resulting in two men being killed. Fifty percent of the island was burnt, 90 homes destroyed along with several businesses. The loss of native animals and livestock was horrendous. Some vegetation is regenerating, especially the grass trees which we saw in large numbers, some with multiple tall flowers.
Back at camp Blue was beside himself for one minute because I had been out of sight for so long. Hopefully he will grow out of this and get to the stage where he barely notices I have been gone. We share him around trying to get him used to spending time with other people. We packed up as much as possible before enjoying our group seafood meal arranged by Beccy and Libby then our final concert on Kangaroo Island.
