Dawn rising over the hill and in the paddock towards the sea a solitary kangaroo grazes its way towards the bushes where it will spend the rest of what promises to be a hot day. As it turns out it is more than normal hot: on the southern shore of the island it is hot to 45 celsius. Blistering northern winds were burning my face to a bright purply pink as I made my way to Admiral Arch and Remarkable Rocks: the heavy covering of sun screen was no barrier. Later that day it returned to an almost pleasant 39 degrees on reaching Kingscote on the northern coast. The true face of a South Australian summer re-emerged with a vengeance. The forecast was for more in the following three days but on KI that proved to be inaccurate and we enjoyed 25-28 each day forth.
Stokes Bay
This unprepossessing name disguises the true nature of a secret beach- you can easily miss it if you are not forewarned. The tunnel through the cave- no not a tunnel – a natural culvert which draws you in on trust not knowing what you might confront as you edge your way forward ducking and diving through the pock marks and spikes of the overhanging rocks. We walked by a local family bathing in the ocean pool towards the end of the beach where a pair of hooded plovers were nesting on the beach completely exposed to marauding dogs and humans. They are endangered which is not surprising considering their vulnerability to accidental disturbance and careless people with uncontrolled pets.
Western River Cove
This is a place worth the rough drive from Stokes Bay further along the north coast road. The river snakes gently down to the sea past shrubs and trees to the right. You reach the beach by a bridge across the river and as you turn the corner at the end, past the bogged in tinny, a curve of stunning white sand and blue water hits the eye. There was no one in sight when we arrived and for precious minutes you feel as the first arrivals must have felt.
Flinders Chase National Park
This is a protected conservation area where you can walk on carefully constructed pathways. It is home to Admirals Arch where many fur seals make their home and of course the Remarkable Rocks, a formation carved out by erosion. Everyone goes there and it is a place that you need to explore yourself to be able to appreciate it. I am hesitating to write any more safe to say the 45 degrees heat truncated my appreciation of the area and I had to seek refuge eventually in the aircon of the car!
Many other delights:
Emu Bay and the beach is stunning but open to 4WD incursion, something that is writ large on Aldinga beach on the mainland and a practice that makes no sense to me… over 50 vehicles on a beautiful beach churned up by tyres and a danger to wandering children. Enough said.We visited the Lavender Farm, the Eucaplytus Distillery, Cliffords Honey Farm and saw the Ligurian bees imported a long time ago that are unique to the island in Australia. They are highly protected and you are not permitted to bring honey onto the island although you are encouraged to take the local honey products away with you. Sheep Milking preceded by cheese and yoghurt tasting was a first for me- the sheep were the fattest and cleanest I have ever seen in this country.. the cheese and yoghurts exceptionally tasty.
Of the native animals seen in the wild we saw: Kangaroos and wallabies mainly on a night ride by 4WD, possums and babies, an echidna, a Rosenburg goanna, a koala (eating its way through an almost dead tree as is the fate of those favoured by koalas), dozens of NZ fur seals and many birds: galas (parrots with grey and pink feathers), honey eaters galore, a superb fairy wren in glorious blue, imported miners, hawks, butcher birds and magpies plus many I could not identify..
I wrote a review of Molly’s Run where we stayed for Tripadvisor:
Warm Welcome, Fine Dining and Hospitality at its Very Best
It is hard not to run out of superlatives in trying to convey how much we enjoyed our stay at Molly’s Run. You reach it from the main town of KI, Kingscote, by heading for Emu Bay and then instead of turning off in that direction keep going along the north coast road until you spot a red tiled roof poking up in the distance just opposite Smith’s Bay.
The open hearted, warm, generous welcome by hosts, Paul and Charmaine is exceptional and we very much valued getting to know them during our stay. They are very flexible and take care to find out what you prefer to eat and best times for breakfast and dinner. Their hospitality includes making sure you have a total experience of the island and its treasures. What is offered goes beyond what a traveller normally expects. One of the special features of staying at Molly’s Run is being able to enjoy a local resident’s introduction to the landscape features and wildlife. Paul’s knowledge of the terrain and animals is excellent and he is very helpful in guiding you to where to find native animals like kangaroos, wallabies and koalas. For new comers to Australia this is important particularly when you don’t have a lot of time.
Molly’s Run is Tuscan inspired but the environment is made more attractive by extensive native planting. The whole location is charming and full of character: the hall, the dining area, the outdoor gazebo and the internal courtyard are all beautifully designed and furnished with paintings, wall tiles and intriguing artefacts everywhere. Nothing is standard about this place: everything has been carefully thought out and the special unique features of the architecture and the ambience make it an extraordinary place to stay.
We thoroughly enjoyed our three days of full board: breakfast and dinner in the evening. The food was imaginatively created and cooked with excellent presentation. It was fine dining in a family home. The cuisine has the kind of variety and choice that is truly local to the region but at the same time, it reflects the cultural influences of a diverse Australia. At breakfast we tasted Charmaine’s home-made preserves made from local berries and honey from the Ligurian bees, a speciality of the Island. Her freshly baked muffins and croissants were delicious. Paul’s pancakes with bananas were an irresistible treat. The evening meal for three nights in succession was well judged in terms of taste and quality: great salads, choice fish and meat cuts made with artistry, not to mention home made desserts. It is worth taking off a few pounds before you arrive because you won’t be able to resist what is on offer.
All in all a fabulous experience and we feel privileged to have been able to go to such a wonderful place hosted by amazing, friendly people.
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