Kangaroo Crossing

It was 11:00pm, and we were driving down a pitch-black road at a drastically reduced speed when we spotted the creature crossing the road on all fours. Our eyes were dry from several hours of scanning the road, and at first it wasn’t clear what it was. Another wallaby? Another possum? Sensing danger, it quickly climbed the first tree it found on the other side, giving us our answer – a koala. It was a koala crossing the road. We couldn’t believe it! But how did we end up on this treacherous night drive? And how did we recognize this was a koala behavior? All will be explained.

By far the wildest chapter of our Australia adventure, we spent an action-packed 2 days on the secluded Kangaroo Island. Located off the southern coast, “KI” is Australia’s third largest island. Living up to its name, there are approximately 65,000 wild kangaroos that well outnumber the 5,000 human residents. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the island burned during the 2019/2020 bushfires, mainly on the western side. The ecosystem had largely bounced back, but the human infrastructure was recovering slowly. This was a remote destination, but it was definitely worth the journey. I’m so glad Rachel worked it into the itinerary.

​From downtown Adelaide, we caught a 2-hour bus to the Cape Jervis ferry terminal. The bus was surprisingly bumpy, but there were nice views of the coast, and we spotted a few emus and a large kangaroo mob – the term for a group of these iconic marsupials. The ferry ride was also a rough journey. It's considered the most expensive ferry in the world in terms of price per kilometer, and it crossed a stretch of open ocean that caused the boat to careen on every axis – yaw, pitch, and roll. Optimistically, we started in some swivel chairs by the front window. As soon as the journey started, the heaving of the boat caught us off guard and sent the chairs spinning. We fled to the back of the boat where it was more stable, barely able to walk in a straight line as the floor moved under us. A miserable hour later, we made it to the port of Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. As we were leaving, we overheard a crew member rate the turbulence as a 4 out of 10.

​We dragged our suitcases to the rental car agency, where an extremely friendly agent gave us lots of recommendations: the best beaches on the island, which ones had recent jellyfish and shark sightings, and which stretches of road had wildlife at night. Our car was a RAV4 hybrid that was quiet and comfortable. Similar to other phases of the trip, Vince was the driver and did an excellent job. During the daytime, KI had favorable driving conditions due to lack of traffic and straight roads. (Nighttime would be a different story.)

The first stop was the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, a zoo-sanctuary with all sorts of animals – mainly Australian but a few international guests. The park was surprisingly uncrowded. The rental car agent had mentioned it was the first slow day in 8 weeks, so we must have just missed the summer crowds.
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The koalas were one of the highlights. They had at least a dozen, spread across several different exhibits. We could see them at eye-level, resting in trees and munching on eucalyptus leaves. We even found a wild koala on the outskirts of the park, after a helpful tip from another guest.

​The wallaby and kangaroo exhibits had gates so you could enter and hand feed them, similar to the experience I had at the Bonorong Sanctuary in Tasmania. However, since the KI Sanctuary had few visitors, the animals were a lot hungrier! The wallabies jockeyed for access to our food, and at one point, three were simultaneously eating out of Vince’s hand. There was even an albino wallaby, and a few tiny joeys (one still in mom’s pouch) that added to the cuteness.

Compared to the wallabies, the kangaroos were a lot more laid back, lying down in the shade when we arrived. However, once the food was apparent, they were eager for their fill. They held onto our hands with their blunt claws while they ate, and occasionally tried to reach up and grab our hands when they weren’t being actively fed.

​Some of the other notable animals at the sanctuary: the happy-looking quokkas of internet fame, blue penguins in a swimming pool, a baby flying fox (fruit bat) wrapped up in its mom’s wings, an active Komodo dragon, a group of three giant pelicans, a vibrant blue-winged kookaburra, and a dingo enclosure with rusty trucks to climb on.

​It was only a 15-minute drive to the Stokes Bay, recently voted Australia’s best beach. We hiked through a narrow passageway of boulders to reach the beach itself. It had nice sand and clear blue water, with orange-dusted rocks in the distance. There were plenty of other visitors, but nothing compared to a Sydney beach. Val braved the water with a swim, while Rachel, Vince, and I walked along the shore. There were red jellyfish in the water, and we found a tiny little sea star on the sand.

​Though there were other well-regarded beaches on the north coast of the island, we decided to wrap up the day. We stopped for groceries in the main town of Kingscote, then drove to the smaller vacation town of American River. Our AirBNB was a yellow cottage called The Shanty, which was decorated with ceramic pelicans and nautical pictures. It was quite charming, though lacking Wifi. I made an absurd quantity of couscous and veggies for dinner.

​At sunset, Vince agreed to join me for a quick stroll around the town. We went to the jetty, where two little boys eagerly told us about the fish they had caught that day. A pair of dolphins swam quite close to the dock. Several enormous pelicans were perched on a lamppost, above a statue of an enormous pelican. A sleeping seal occupied the platform below us, with a posted sign indicating this was a regular hangout spot. We were treated to the most spectacular sunset I can remember, full of fiery reds that painted the clouds all the way across the harbor. When the seagulls stopped squawking, it was peaceful – quiet enough to hear the seal snoring below.

​The next morning, we embarked on an epic day trip around the southwestern part of the island. We first drove to Seal Bay, known for its large Australian sea lion colony. We felt the entrance fee was overpriced, but the seal lions themselves were good entertainment. From the wooden platform, we saw all kinds of antics. Most notably, a sea lion intruder was chased into the water. Both intruder and defender swam surprisingly fast. There were also a few sea lions sleeping near the platform, offering a closer view. The large males indeed had a lighter colored area around their neck, their lion's mane.

​Our next stop was Vivonne Bay, a former winner of the “best beach in Australia” competition. It was gray and cloudy, so we didn’t see it at its best. We walked along the shore, looking at the carved rock pools.

For lunch, we stopped at the General Store, which happened to be the only restaurant on that side of the island. Considering the lack of choice, the food was surprisingly good. I had a whiting burger – a local fish, served battered and crispy, in a toasted bread roll. The vegan equivalents were served with a special aioli, and were a crowd pleaser.

​From there, we headed to Flinders Chase National Park. The visitor center was a portable building, no doubt a temporary fix from the fire. While the ranger processed our ticket order, I noticed a sign asking people to report sightings of the green carpenter bee, which burrowed in trees and hadn’t been seen since the fire. After explaining the map, the ranger casually asked if we wanted to see koalas; there were a mother and joey in a tree near the parking lot, which we successfully found.

We drove to the lighthouse at the edge of the park for a coastal hike. We had the trail to ourselves. The brush was rather tall, and we startled a few wallabies along the way. The path ended in a ramp and staircase that descended the edge of the cliff. There were great views of a small island and lots of fur seals basking on the rocks. We even saw a few cute seal pups clambering over rocks their size! The trail was supposed to end at a viewing platform for the Admiral’s Arch, but it was under construction so we only glimpsed the arch. One of the construction workers, laden with tools, jokingly asked if we had anything else for him to carry back up the stairs. We returned to the lighthouse, completing this excellent mini hike.

​Also within the national park was an unusual rock formation called the Remarkable Rocks, improbably perched on a clifftop in a way that evoked Stonehenge. The rocks were formed in the earth, lifted above the surface, and eroded into shapes that were smooth and concave yet with prominent protrusions. A smattering of red algae and the ocean views below added to their mystique. It was the early evening, and the rocks were deserted, so we had an opportunity for all the silly photos we desired. On our way out, we saw a wild goanna (lizard) from the boardwalk.

​The final activity of the evening was a twilight safari at the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. We took the drive slow, as the kangaroos were becoming more active and started crossing the road near our car. Our efforts to manifest an echidna for Val were successful, as we spotted one by the side of the road.

We turned off the main road into the sanctuary and found even more kangaroos. We had PB&Js for dinner at a picnic table near the parking lot, wondering if we were in the right place. There were no buildings, and only one other couple had arrived. Thankfully our guide, Josh, pulled up in a van and introduced himself. He was from the UK, visiting on a working holiday, and had every intent on staying in Australia rather than going back home. Even though he only had 10 months of experience as a guide, he did a phenomenal job of bringing the animals’ personalities and quirks to life. The tour was just the seven of us – Josh, our four, and the couple from Tennessee, so it was very personal and interactive.

The first stop was kangaroo-centered. We checked out one of the local mobs, learning that each mob had a “boss” (dominant male) that reigned for a few years. After being unseated by a younger challenger, the deposed bosses formed a club of their own.

​The next stop was all about the koalas. Josh knew exactly where to look, as he monitored the koala movements a few times a day. Each koala typically moved to a different tree every day, climbing down to the ground at dawn or dusk. They were also known to have “home trees” that they returned to once a week. Given their incredible appetites, churning through 3,000 leaves a day, they can actually do a lot of damage to the local trees. The Kangaroo Island koalas were originally introduced to the island as a conservation project, but without predators, quickly reached damaging levels. There were ongoing efforts around sterilization for population control, though these efforts were probably less urgent after losing 80% of the koala population during the fires.

​We drove out to a lake, kangaroos bouncing alongside the van, their tails swinging downwards as a counterbalance as they pushed off the ground. Josh pointed out some kangaroos practice fighting in the distance. An actual fight would involve leaning back on their tails and kicking their opponent with the massive claws on their hind legs, injuring the opponent's abdomen but usually not fatally.

Along one of the drives, we learned about the yacca plants. These spiky shrubs were some of the first things to spring back just days after the fires. During their rejuvenation, they grow faster than bamboo. They also grow towering flowers that eventually tip over onto the ground. Historically, the yacca sap was used for gunpowder, as it’s naturally explosive.

​We continued the koala spotting tour, and Josh drew our attention to the grunting of the male koalas as they made their presence known to competitors and mates. The tour took an exciting turn when we spotted a koala that was walking on the ground between trees, making the grunting noise before our very eyes. When it noticed us, it found the nearest tree and started climbing. Josh explained that normally they seek out trees with abundant leaves, but if there is potential danger, they’ll pick the nearest tree regardless. In some cases, this has led koalas to climb the legs of nearby tourists! In our case, the nearest tree was dead and had no leaves at all. We watched in amazement as the koala used its sharp claws to scale the tree with ease. It stayed in the crook of tree for a while, and presumably for the night.

​The lighting was beautiful, with the pink sunset through the eucalyptus trees. It started to rain. We stopped at the visitor center so that Josh could tell us about the impact of the 2019/2020 fires. He showed us a charred signboard for the sanctuary, melted glass bottles, and a bird’s nest made of scrap metal fragments – from the aftermath of the fires when there were no branches available. The fire was started by lightning. Apparently, the iron-rich rocks scattered throughout the island can act as lightning rods. He showed a map of burn zone, footage of firefighters evacuating through the blaze, and told us harrowing stories about mass graves for animal carcasses and destruction of the sanctuary’s buildings. If the weather hadn’t become rainy, checking the spread of the flames, the damage could have been even worse.

​Before the tour finished, we made one more round through the now-pitch-black bush. Using a large flashlight with a red filter, he pointed out a few more koalas, and several groups of wallabies. Josh explained that the wallabies will slap their tails on the ground to warn each other of potential danger. He also mentioned that the wallabies and kangaroos co-exist surprisingly well. He was full of interesting and entertaining facts, a great feature of the tour.

​The tour ended around 9:30pm, and we started the drive back to American River. It was decisively night, and the animals were in charge. Only ~10 people lived on the west side of the island; we only encountered one or two cars. Many people had warned us to the drive slowly – from the rental car agent, to a final caution from Josh – and we set out at a reasonable 50 km/hr (30 mph). What was normally a 1.5 hour drive became a 3 hour drive. Plus we were on high alert for animals, so it was an intense 3 hours. On top of all this, the windshield was stubbornly foggy and we had to blast the front fans.

There were so many animals we lost count. A train of wallabies crossed in front, pausing directly in front of the car, seemingly unaware of the blazing headlights. We kept an eye out for wallabies on the shoulder, and called them out as we spotted them, in case they made more dumb moves.

​There were fewer kangaroos, but they were stubborn like the wallabies, and took their sweet time getting off the road.

​The possums seemed to have a sense of self-preservation. We could see their glowing orange eyes in the distance, but they scuttled into the shoulder as we drew nearer. We probably saw ~20 possums in total.

​And there was the koala. We saw it crossing and couldn’t believe our eyes. Just like the koala we had seen with Josh at the sanctuary, it bounded up the nearest tree once it was across the road. Considering they usually change trees at dawn or dusk, seeing one at night was all the more surprising.

We saw a second koala in the shoulder on a dirt road, and it seemed a little dazed – possibly from the headlights of the car that passed us not long before. It turned its head away and stayed put, so we continued on our way.

At last, we arrived back at The Shanty. Vincent deserves a major shout-out for driving us home safely without any wildlife collisions. We were all tired from a very active day, and it was a long-enough drive, even without the constant fear of a rogue wallaby charging into the road. Having four sets of eyes scanning the shoulder for marsupials certainly helped, but Vincent gets the majority of the credit.

The adventure wasn’t over yet. After a late 12:30am return, we had to get up and check out by 7:00am to drive back to Penneshaw, return the rental car, walk to the ferry terminal, and catch our 8:30am ferry. The return ferry was smooth sailing, which was a win. However, the ferry was late, and our bus connection was even later. The possibility of missing our flight out of Adelaide started to loom larger. Instead of taking the bus to the main terminal downtown, we got out a few stops early and took an Uber directly to the airport, saving some precious minutes. Of course, as luck would have it, this was the time that Jetstar decided to be strict about luggage weight. While the agent allowed a grace of 1kg per bag, we had to do some creative repacking. Rachel wore two hats going into security. In the end, we made our flight to Adelaide, with enough time to grab food in the airport.
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Kangaroo Island turned out to be the ultimate Australia adventure. It included a thrilling ocean journey, many “pinch me” wildlife sightings, stunning beaches and rock formations, and a nail-biting night drive. We will never see those kangaroo crossing signs the same way!