Exploring on foot.......

Another early morning compliments of our alarm geese saw us up and about while it was still quite chilly outside.  Today we were going to check out a couple of the walking tracks within the National Park.  So with breakfast sorted we walked to the cafe for a coffee to start the day.  

The visitors centre is a lovely building set amongst the trees and a walk through here will teach you about Kangaroo Islands natural and cultural history.  Of course there is the inevitable gift shop filled with 'made in China' Australian Souvenirs.  We didn't buy any!

Outside there is Fossil Pit for kids where they can dig up bones of long extinct creatures.  I loved the poster telling me what animals, birds and reptiles we might see throughout the park.  We could tick off the birds, Tamar wallabies, Kangaroo Island Kangaroos and possums but we still had not seen the koalas (here in the park), echidna, platypus, snakes or the Rosenberg Heath goannas. The echidna and platypus were our mission today!

Our first walk track was the Black Swamp walk which left from the back of the cafe and meandered around behind the camp grounds.  Walking along with eyes checking out the undergrowth we didn't find any echidnas but did find a sign telling us all about the koalas and right above us was a little fellow just hanging about.

We continued our walk as far as the Black Swamp Lookout shelter overlooking the Black Swamp Grasslands.  Lots of kangaroos and Cape Barren Geese here and we continued on back to camp to pick up the car to drive to the next walk.

The Platypus Waterholes walk starts 4 Kms along Shackle Rd.  As we were getting quite used too, we were the only car in the car park here and so we gathered our gear and started off on the track.  This walk is a 4.5 km track meandering around five waterholes where platypus live and play.

Being the middle of the day by now we didn't see any but really enjoyed the wonderful walk, the birds and the many different plants and colourful Fungi along the way.

Returning to the car after a couple of hours we were still alone and returned home for lunch. A little later we jumped back in the car and drove to Snake Lagoon camping area where we had been told we would find lots of birds around the car park there. Bill took a walk around the lagoon, now a dry dent in the land, and I spent a little while at a picnic table watching the world go by.  Lots of friendly little Purple Gaped Honey Eater came to play keeping Bill very happy here.

We returned home as the afternoon grew cool for our last night in FCNP.  Tomorrow we had to pack up and leave the island to begin our journey home.  We had enjoyed every moment of our time here.  Loved the spectacular, rugged coastlines, the animals and the birds.  Loved how each little place we found was different from the one before.  And most of all had loved the peace and tranquility of this beautiful place.  

And so once more, dinner, a movie and bed, see you tomorrow.........