So we arrived off Kangaroo Island at our anchorage about an hour early closer to 6 am than the 7 am scheduled and certainly earlier than the 8am that the Destinations update had advised. That was good news I suppose as it meant the seas had calmed. Oddly we could see the coast of Australia out the balcony all afternoon yesterday. I guess it wasn't until we reached the lee of Kangaroo Island that things calmed down.
Anyway, we had a beautiful day today. We left Serenity about 10 am. The ship was cleared and tenders started running while we were at Marketplace for breakfast around 8 am. It reached a high of about 75 F today and was sunny all day. The tender ride was only about 10 minutes and pretty smooth. We were off Penneshaw and tendered in by the ferry terminal. There is a nice crescent shaped beach right there. The fairy penguins have apparently returned since our 2017 visit. They say they have about 15 nesting pairs now, but in February they are at sea all day. So you still can't see them on a cruise stop. The locals set up a craft/souvenir market again on the Oval. We saw Frenchman's Rock from the ship. We had read online that the actual rock is now housed in the Visitors Center so we went there instead of the spot under the dome at the far end of the beach. We did find the actual rock. It was the furthest that we walked a few blocks out of the center of Penneshaw. We had a light lunch at the Fat Beagle, other than the food truck at the Oval and a hotel that was the only place we found open and serving lunch. Clay had a hot dog and I had a toasted bagel with cream cheese. We each had a soda. For dessert, we walked over to the IGA where I had a Malteaser Easter Bunny and Clay had an ice cream bar. We sat and watched in fascination as the ferry unloaded and loaded while we waited for our 1:45 pm tour to load the buses at 2pm. We got back at close to 6:15 pm so we didn't lose much. Pasted below is our tour description. We paid $149 each for it.
PENNINGTON BAY & SEAL BAY CONSERVATION PARK
Surf’s up for both people and animals as you watch surfers
hang ten at Pennington Bay and observe seals frolic in the water, perhaps
catching a wave themselves at Seal Bay Conservation Park, home to a colony of
endangered Australian sea lions.
DURATION
4½ HOURS
From the pier, travel to Pennington Bay, a favorite surfer’s
beach, for a chance to soak up the scenery and watch the locals in action.
Then continue to Seal Bay Conservation Park, a protected
sanctuary for a colony of endangered Australian sea lions. An expert naturalist
will guide you along a 2,624-foot boardwalk that cuts through the limestone
cliffs and sand dunes to reach viewing platforms offering close-up looks at
these incredible marine mammals. Keep an eye out for giant bull seals sunning
themselves on the beach or adorable pups barking while at play. You may even
see these agile animals surfing the waves for a little free-spirited fun.
Surrounding the beach is some of Kangaroo Island’s most majestic scenery, a
stunning landscape of seaside cliffs, rolling surf and jagged rock formations.
Feeling a lift in your spirit after watching these
fascinating creatures in their natural habitat, return to your Crystal ship.
Guests must be a minimum of 9 years of age in order to
participate. As this excursion involves walking along a 2,624-foot boardwalk
and over unpaved surfaces, it is not recommended for guests with walking
difficulties. It is recommended that guests dress in casual clothing and wear a
hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and flat, comfortable shoes. Guests should also
bring along a light jacket or sweater. This excursion will operate in all
weather conditions. Guests are advised not to get too close to the seals.
Wildlife sightings are not guaranteed. Some crowding may be expected at the
park’s Visitor Center. The order and duration of sights may vary.
Pre-reservation of this Crystal Adventures excursion is recommended.
It was at least an hour drive to Seal Bay to see the sea lions. We were glad we went as last visit here we stayed on the Dudley Peninsula and this covered a different direction. Plus it was cool to watch the sea lions. We didn't see more than 1 distant live kangaroo this visit but must have seen over a dozen roadkill kangaroos. We had an hour at Seal Bay and on the way back to Penneshaw we had a 20 minute photo stop at Pennington where there were no surfers or any locals. It was a dramatic locale though and a big difference from the beach where we tendered.
It was a good day and a relief to be on solid land after the rolling and pitching of the previous 24 hours. The captain announced about 6:30pm that we'd sail about 7pm and the weather forecast was very much improved for sailing. He promised less than 6 foot seas overnight and an ontime arrival at Adelaide's Outer Harbor of 9am tomorrow.
Happy Valentines! Dinner was good tonight in Waterside. Dessert was a big disappointment given it is Valentines. They gave every woman a long stemmed red rose. Since we walked out without having dessert after a single main course they just about missed me and caught me crossing the threshold on my way out. We went up to the Bistro for some chocolate for me and some cheese for Clay.
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