Earlier this week we got back from a great road trip through South Australia. South Australia (if you didnt know) is one of the 6 states in Australia. They only got creative on half of the states names, the other half are named after their location, South Australia, Western Australian and Northern Territory... but enough about that...
We left on Thursday afternoon, Brian, myself and the dog! Along the way (while still in Victoria) we stopped at a National Park. We walked up to the rim of where a volcano was many many years ago and it was a great view. More importantly (to me!) as we were walking back to the car we spotted a koala up in a tree! They are so cute and this one is so cuddly hugging the tree! Shortly after we saw emus walking around! They are NOT so cuddly! Brody was not a fan either and was barking away at them from the car!
A few hours later and we were in Mt Gambier SA. Since we didnt have much time at each destination we did some sight seeing straight away. This region of the state is known as the limestone coast. Apparently, limestone makes caves and sinkholes. There were many in the area so we stopped by some! The first one was a sinkhole which was turned into a garden. It was really beautiful and a great way to display a giant hole in the ground :)
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| Brody barking at caves... |
That evening we went for a pizza and the got settled in to watch the Australian Open! The next morning we got up to go see another sinkhole, Blue Lake (which is a volcanic crater) and get out to the coast for the rest of our journey.
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| Beautiful Blue Lake |
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| Bubs and I a little windblown :) |
Along the limestone coast are some really pretty beaches! We stopped at a few along the way. Oh and this is very exciting... we got to see the BIG LOBSTER! Not totally sure why but in Australia they have about 150 of these "big" items and its become somewhat of a cult phenomenon, so naturally we had to stop to get a picture!
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| Brodys 1st ferry ride |
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| seals lounging on seal cove |
After lots of hours driving we arrived in a small town where we can get the ferry to Kangaroo Island, our next destination! I was pretty excited about going here but for some reason had not realized it was necessary to pre-purchase ferry tickets! When we pulled up the next morning they said they were all booked and had no room for us! OH NO! It was a holiday- Australia day- and were busier than normal. On top of that we found out that you are not even allowed to go in the National Parks (which is a majority of the island) with a dog. I was really bummed but Brian went in and saved the day! He sorted us all out and once we got there we even went by the dog kennel place (which I had previously called and they said were booked) and they at the last minute said they would let Brody stay there! So it all worked out in the end, we got to go and see all the wonderful sights of Kangaroo Island on Australia day! (Brian- my hero, lol !) We first went to Seal cove where they have, you guessed it-- SEALS-- lying all over the beach! They were honestly not that excited because they were mostly all just sleeping... but still cool to see!
Next we went to Flinders Chase National park to see some of the sights, Admirals Arch and the Remarkable Rocks. When we got there we realized there were actually tons of seals playing in the water, on the rocks, all over the place! (well actually the previous ones were "sea lions and these were "fur seals" but they all look the same to me!)
More seals playing in the water!
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| @ Admirals Arch |
The Remarkable Rocks were actually pretty remarkable. From pictures I didnt think they would be but really just the size and randomness of these boulders is amazing. The granite rocks were formed into these crazy formations from sand blowing on them from the beaches...
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| Remarkable Rocks |
the rocks also got a pretty nice view of the beach below :)
Sydney University ranked Vivonne beach on KI as the best beach in Australia, so we had to pay it a visit! I dont know if I would rank it #1 but it was gorgeous! After spending a few hours there we went to pick up the puppy and take him to a dog friendly beach! He was so excited to see us and even more excited to run around and play on the beach and in the water! He LOVES it! It is so fun to watch him and he will now even go chase a stick in the water if we throw it out for him! (He must have gotten used to being in the water from all the time in my parents pool!)
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| Vivonne beach |
On the way back to Melbourne there was one more exciting stop! Another "big" thing. This time is was the Giant Koala!!!! Its a little creepy but we still had to get a photo!
We made it back safe and sound shortly after and have been back at work getting into our normal routine ever since. We are enjoying relaxing and will probably continue to do that for awhile!
After lots of hours driving we arrived in a small town where we can get the ferry to Kangaroo Island, our next destination! I was pretty excited about going here but for some reason had not realized it was necessary to pre-purchase ferry tickets! When we pulled up the next morning they said they were all booked and had no room for us! OH NO! It was a holiday- Australia day- and were busier than normal. On top of that we found out that you are not even allowed to go in the National Parks (which is a majority of the island) with a dog. I was really bummed but Brian went in and saved the day! He sorted us all out and once we got there we even went by the dog kennel place (which I had previously called and they said were booked) and they at the last minute said they would let Brody stay there! So it all worked out in the end, we got to go and see all the wonderful sights of Kangaroo Island on Australia day! (Brian- my hero, lol !) We first went to Seal cove where they have, you guessed it-- SEALS-- lying all over the beach! They were honestly not that excited because they were mostly all just sleeping... but still cool to see!
After a long evenings drive we arrived at our next location Barrosa Valley. We woke up to the beautiful wine region of South Australia. We went to several wineries and they were all wonderful! Gotta love Australia and all its wineries, it sure makes our stay here even better! We spent half the day in the valley before we went on down the road to have dinner in a town called Hahndorf. It is a really cute little town with lots of German culture. We stopped at the German Arms Hotel and got a MASSIVE lunch --the German feast for 2. It was full of schnitzel and wursts and kraut and pretzels! While at our table we had two different sets of strangers sit down with us. The people there must just be extra friendly, not that we minded! 
On the way back to Melbourne there was one more exciting stop! Another "big" thing. This time is was the Giant Koala!!!! Its a little creepy but we still had to get a photo! 
