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Walking among cuddly natives

The writer was hosted by South Australia Tourism Commission.

Australia’s Kangaroo Island bounces back

It’s pitch black and a buff kangaroo has brazenly hopped out of the garden, in front of our car and off into the bush. I left the beachhouse during the day but forgot to close the gate. Now night has fallen, the kangaroos have got into the yard. I can hear the rustle of giant hind paws hopping across fallen leaves and bark.

My colleague Ricky and I make a beeline for the front door of our accommodation, Hamilton House, escape inside, before quietly slipping out to the front deck to observe more wildlife in the bush. Kangaroo Island is living up to its name.

‘‘There’s an actual kangaroo in the garden!’’ I squeal. In New Zealand, I have still never seen our native kiwi in the wild but, in Australia, it is impossible to avoid the country’s best-recognised icon.

Two-and-a-half years on from the unprecedented bushfires that burnt through 211,000 hectares of the 440,500ha South Australia island, the land and its inhabitants are recovering, even thriving.

The biggest bushfire the island had seen, it ripped through 96% of Flinders Chase National Park on the western end, and affected much of the island’s wildlife.

Wildfire, while devastating, is also a natural rejuvenation, as many native plant species require fire to flower, and the green cloak of new growth heralds a new era for the island.

KI, as it is known locally, is a remarkable land. Coastlines transform from calm, picturesque bays at one end to dramatic seas at the other. Animals roam freely and birds soar through the skies; the pink flash of galah bellies flying overhead will stop you in your tracks.

There are no skyscrapers, just eucalyptus trees and native yaccas piercing the horizon. Single-lane dusty highways framed with red and beige dirt seem to stretch forever, drawing the eye into the distance to create perfect photographic compositions. Stocky pelicans guard the waterways; little blue penguins shelter under rocks at the water’s edge.

The mood is always laid-back, never hurried. Everyone knows everyone. Chatty locals will tell you about the great show of support from Australians in the aftermath of the bushfires. Now that international travel is back, it’s time for Kiwis to do the same.

Getting to Kangaroo Island is a little timeconsuming. It requires a 45-minute ferry from Cape Jervis, which is a 90-minute drive from Adelaide. But the somewhat remote location makes it one of Australia’s best-kept secrets.

KI is about three times the size of Stewart Island and has a residential population of roughly 5000. There are few streetlights, which can make nighttime driving hazardous thanks to the hopping nocturnal marsupials, but the lack of light pollution is an astrophotographer’s dream.

Unlike the land dwellers, marine life was unaffected by the fires. Just off North Cape is a secluded bay known for its bottlenose dolphins, which come to feed off the squid.

‘‘It’s a winter dolphin relaxation area,’’ says Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures owner Andrew Neighbour. In summer, super pods of 60-100 dolphins can be seen around the island.

We meet Neighbour at the Bay of Shoals boat ramp on a crisp KI morning. His marine charter has been 13 years in the making, refining best practices to ensure the safety of the dolphins.

‘‘The only way to do dolphin swims is to not p... them off,’’ he says. ‘‘If these guys aren’t happy, they’re gone. They call the shots. It’s really nice when you get a lesson in nature.’’

Those early lessons included removing propellers from the boat as propeller strike is one of the biggest threats to marine life, as well as banning fins on snorkellers. A maximum of five swimmers are allowed in the water at any time.

Neighbour says the dolphins are attracted to the sympathetic sound patterns of the jet boat – and sure enough, as we enter the bay, pairs of dolphins start breaking the surface. The water is so clear we can see them underneath dancing and twisting through the water.

‘‘These dolphins are documented drug users. You might think that sounds funny but it’s true,’’ says

Neighbour, who explains there are a lot of pufferfish in the bay.

‘‘They take a nibble on the pufferfish and the toxins give them a natural high.’’ That’s right, these are stoner dolphins. They are completely wild, have never been fed, but they love to play around the boat, especially in the wake.

As a marine enthusiast and keen scuba diver, noone needs to ask me twice to jump in the water, even if the sea is only 18C. As soon as I put my head underwater, I can hear the most surreal high-pitched clicking.

Squeaky, clicking dolphins, groups of them divebombing up and down, swimming around me and at me. I look over my shoulder and there is another six or so bringing up the rear. I float on the surface, keeping my distance, and enjoy the playful show in front.

In the days following, we have many more

wildlife encounters, mainly kangaroos and wallabies, and one night we spot some little blue penguins under some rocks along the water’s edge at Emu Bay.

Fortunately, it’s too cold for snakes, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Koalas, however, are now listed as an endangered species across many states due to loss of habitat, drought, disease and, of course, bushfires.

Thousands were killed in the KI bushfires, but visitors can see them in the wild in the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, where there are about 40.

The ‘‘koala walk’’ can be done with a guide or as a self-guided tour, and allows guests to see the marsupials in their natural habitat without intervention. You can wander through the eucalyptus trees to try to spot them. When we visit, we are the only two people in the sanctuary. It is so quiet that we can hear every crunch of leaves underfoot.

It takes a while to spot my first koala – a ball of grey fluff snuggled in the branches, with fluffy grandpa-like ears – a picture of perfect cuteness.

I can’t help but grin from ear to ear. I have never seen a koala in the wild.

The last time I saw one in real life was at Dreamworld when I was 8. We see another two in some trees further along. They sit quite high up, so I would recommend taking binoculars, and definitely a zoom lens.

The western end of the island is home to another natural wonder, Flinders Chase National Park, a remarkable slice of land now covered with new growth after the fires. While there is a high chance of further wildlife spotting there, it is the geological formations that are most impressive.

An accessible boardwalk takes visitors over regenerating plants out to aptly named Remarkable Rocks, an incredible collection of granite boulders

covered in orange lichen, sculpted by the sea, waves and salt. It is like walking around a giant sculpture exhibition in an outdoor art gallery; the unique formations creating perfect frames.

Then there is Admirals Arch, which has an extraordinary ‘‘reveal’’ at the end of another boardwalk. You will hear and see the waves hammering the coastline, and you will definitely smell the whiffy colony of New Zealand fur seals that live there, before arriving at the momentous moment when you realise why you have come here – a former cave that has eroded to create a mighty and magnificent rock archway, complete with hanging stalactites. As soon as it came into view, Ricky and I gasped audibly in awe and wonder.

Most of my time on Kangaroo Island could be marked by audible gasps – from the impressive natural geological formations, to being able to see unique Australian wildlife so close. I haven’t even begun to share about the great cuisine and drinks on offer.

A TikTok reel doing the rounds recently collates impressive photos to the sound of Owen Wilson repeatedly saying ‘‘Wow!’’ and

I could hear the reel replaying in my head throughout my trip.

I am loath to use the term ‘‘breathtaking’’ in any travel story, but a visit to Kangaroo Island will first stop you in your tracks, before injecting a remarkable sense of vitality to your life.

The precious ecosystem that is this South Australian island is my KInd of place, writes Juliette Sivertsen. Kangaroo Island offers a chance to walk among cuddly Aussie natives, roos and koalas, and swim with wild dolphins.

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2022-05-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-22T07:00:00.0000000Z

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