On the road again........

But not anywhere we have been before.  After a very warm end to autumn we decided that a new adventure was needed and Bill chose Kangaroo Island as the destination.  I was happy with that idea until his next words were ' we'll take the camper'.  I did remind him that this time last year we were on another island and really felt the cold but he was not to be deterred. So the following Sunday morning the van was packed and we were on the road bright and early.

Our first day saw us driving through to Bordertown stopping along the way only for coffee, lunch and fuel.  We arrived around 4.00 pm, found a powered site, (I was happy to camp but wanted my heating!).  Once settled we walked into the little town to have a look around.  Being Sunday evening not much was open but we enjoyed a wander through Tolmer Park before a quick stop at the supermarket to buy supplies for dinner that night. We also discovered that Bordertown was the birthplace of former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and is the home of the White Kangaroo.  Both were featured on flags in the main street but that was as close as we got to the real thing.   Returning to the van we put the heater on, cooked dinner and watched a movie before climbing into bed after a big day on the road.

The next morning we had breakfast and packed up, setting off fairly early, first stopping in town to shop for the next few days, before continuing on our way towards Cape Jervis.  Our next stop was at Keith where we had a look at the 'Land Rover on a Pole'.  This landmark is in a lovely little park and is a Memorial to the land scheme provided by the Australian Mutual Provident Society (AMP), which in 1950, funded the development of vast areas of bushland into farmland, resulting in a large growth period for Keith.  It must count as one of the more unusual tourist attractions I have seen!

Back on the road we continued again stopping next at Tailem Bend, first for the view of the Murray River and then into town where we had a quick look at the rail museum in the old railway station building.  It was fascinating and full of history but we didn't stay too long as we still had a long way to go.

We drove back to the ferry crossing at Tailem Bend and were soon on our way again driving through some very unusual farmland right beside the flood plains of the Murray River.  

We stopped for lunch at a little park on the banks of the Murray River before continuing our drive through the beautiful vineyards of the Fleurieu Peninsula.  Shame we had no time to stop along the way but 'places to go, Islands to explore' was the motto for these two days.

We arrived at Cape Jervis Station where we were booked into a powered site and found an amazing place with views across the water to Kangaroo Island.  Just one problem here, the weather had closed in and as we arrived so did the rain and we couldn't see a thing until the next morning.  It didn't stop Bill snapping the Galahs and Corellas as they descended on the trees at dusk.  The heavy rain continued overnight and it was a very soggy camper we packed down the next morning but it was only for a few hours and it would be up and drying again soon.  

The views the next morning were worth all the rain and the station itself was a great place to camp.  Settled in the 1840's it was and still is a working sheep station now doubling as a campground as well.  With some powered sites and lots of room for tents, shearers bunkhouses and the old shower blocks complete the rustic feel of the place and it is a perfect spot to overnight before catching the ferry to the island.

That night we got a little damp setting up in the rain but were soon inside again, warm and dry with dinner cooking and a movie to keep us entertained.  We went to bed with the sound of rain on the roof and were soon in the land of nod after a long day of wonderful new places.  Hope the rain stops in time for us to pack up in the morning.

until then.........