Kangaroo Island, Day 2 February 26

Day two of our visit to Kangaroo Island began with the Kelly Hill Caves, an extensive cave system with lovely caverns, and many stalagmites and stalactites.  We had a ranger-led tour deep into the complex:

At Hanson Bay I couldn’t resist another wild Koala photo:

We then went to a formation called “Remarkable Rocks” and learned of the geologic activity which led to its creation, following which we hiked down to and on to the rocks.  They are pretty amazing:

After lunch we went to a long and difficult predominately vertical walk (on a boardwalk and stairs) to a truly beautiful natural arch, out of which you could see a large colony of Australian Fur Seals cavorting in the waves and on the rocks.  They truly seemed to be having fun:

We then went to a lovely reserve where there is a path called “Koala Walk”.  Many eucalyptus have been planted in broad avenues to attract koalas, and it’s been successful:

 Finally we went to the local Kangaroo Island airport for the short flight on a regional scheduled airline back to the Adelaide airport.  No security.  None.  We got our boarding passes without showing any ID, just gave our names, and simply got on the 33-passenger jet-prop when the flight was called.  We arrived at the hotel in time for 8:00 PM dinner, and right to bed after.

A comment on the Australian marsupials, which are fascinating.  Most of their joeys (all marsupial newborns are called joeys) are born incredibly tiny, weighing on the order of 2 or 3 grams (one tenth of an ounce).  They must make their way from the birth canal to the pouch on their own, and find their teat in the pouch.  They then glom on to a teat and don’t let go for months until their development is far advanced and they can stick their heads out of the pouch.  The female kangaroo is fertile just a couple of weeks after giving birth, while she is lactating, and can have joeys of different ages in her pouch at the same time.  Even more remarkably, the milk she gives can be different from different teats depending on the age of the joey nursing, as the milk content required is different at different ages.  The echidnas (we saw a spiny anteater) are monotremes and have a cloaca from which all things exiting the body come.  These remarkable egg-laying mammals curl up into a ball to deliver the fertilized egg into the pouch where it is held until delivery of the baby which then nurses on the fur over the mammary glands, as they have no nipples.  This has been an amazing biology lesson!

Tomorrow Australian wines.