Explore Kangaroo Island with World Wide Nate

Traveling to Kangaroo Island makes you feel like you’re about to step into a story book adventure.

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

Traveling to Kangaroo Island makes you feel like you’re about to step into a story book adventure.

The time it takes to fly from Los Angeles to the island located off Australia’s southern coast, gives you plenty of time for your mind to wander about the variety of wildlife that inhabits the island.  The 93 mile long island is home to kangaroos, tammar wallabies, koalas, New Zealand furs seals, and the list goes on and on.  Kangaroo Island is considered the Galapagos Island of Australia. However, this island offers so much more – countless adventures, national parks, beaches, food and wine.

The heart pumping adventures provided by Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action set me up for a good time. We made our way to Little Sahara, a 229-feet-high coastal sand dune that was created over the past 7000 years.  The trek up the mountain of sand is a workout, but the panoramic view at the top is breathtaking and well worth the trip.  As you look out the scenery is a consistent transition from white sand dunes, vegetation, farmland and the ocean. The climb was the easy part compared to my remedial sand boarding skills. You’re using a typical snow board and the same skills apply; get up on the board and stay low.  The problem for me was my weak core but after a few epic falls, I quickly learned how to keep my butt low and enjoyed boarding the dune.

The Remarkable Rocks located inside Flinders Chase National Park are a collection of granite rocks that took 500 million years to form.  The mesmerizing combination of black mica, bluish quartz and pinkish feldspar makes up the rocks.  Each rock has a unique formation and personality of its own, ranging from one-foot-high to a few stories tall. All you have to do is pick a chair shaped rock and take in the endless ocean view.  The rocks remind me of a playground, and if you’re with a group of people this is a perfect location for an old school game of hide and seek.

Driving around the island wild kangaroos and tammar wallabies are everywhere.  They out number the 4,600 or so human residents who live on the island.  If you would have guessed it kangaroo is a highly recommended dish amongst the majority of people on the island.  The common selling points were, “its lean and low in fat.”  I ordered a meal at the Ozone Bistro in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island’s capital city that over looks Nepean Bay.  Ozone prepared the grilled kangaroo fillet rare rolled in a rosemary and sage crust, on a yam puree with baby roasted beetroot and rich red currant and rosemary jus.  Kangaroo has a flavorsome lip smacking taste. It definitely wasn’t going to be my last time ordering kangaroo.

Raptor Domain is a center for orphaned or sick birds of prey, and they hold daily shows for guests to get up close and personal with birds you would see on National Geographic. During the outdoor show the crowd of guests call out Casper’s name and a beautiful white barn owl emerges from a tree hole and flies to the hand of the host. Casper is friendlier then a ghost as he hops on the laps of each guest in the audience to show some love.  The show also features Kylie, a hobby falcon, who eats a baby chicken for lunch in front of the audience.  The real star of the show, Tilka, is a wedge-tailed eagle — the largest bird of prey in Australia.  Tilka is capable of eating a small kangaroo on any given day. As dangerous as she sounds I took the opportunity to hold Tilka on my hand for a face-to-face encounter.

The Kangaroo Wildlife Park allows your wildlife dreams to come true.  Their collection consists of over 150 Native Australian wildlife and over 600 animals.  The kangaroos they care for are docile and willingly approach you for a photo opportunity — just make sure you have some food in hand to help negotiate.  The mechanics in their movements are fascinating watching them hop around.  My favorite moment on Kangaroo Island happened when I the chance to hold a baby koala named Chloe.  Her coat was soft like your grandmothers fur that she only wears on Sunday to church, and she held on to you like a baby sleeping in your arms.  Koalas have poor vision but a keen ear.  While taking a selfie Chloe kept leaning towards the sound of my camera shutter noise and while posing for the selfie.  My bucket list entry to hold a koala was complete! Now I just have to edit it to read “Hold a koala while taking a selfie!”

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