Life on the Wild Side

When considering Australia in terms of its wildlife, iconic images consist of Kangaroos, Wallabies, Koala bears, Sharks and generally everything that can kill you in a second. Well, we were fortunate not to have any encounters with any lethal creatures during our first week in Australia, but we did visit Kangaroo Island, off Cape Jarvis, which is renowned for its abundance of wildlife including, yep, you’ve guessed it, Kangaroos. Of course, we were not guaranteed to see anything, such is the unpredictability of wildlife, but we were blessed. They must have known the Poms were coming. In fact, on our way to catch the ferry to the island, we spotted the silhouetted figures of a family of ‘roos on the peak of a hill whose sighting had us content enough that if we had glimpsed no more of the unconventional animals we would be satisfied. But the island lived up to its name by giving us a close-up experience with a wild one who seemed oblivious and unbothered by our presence. We could have almost shook his hand, or sparred with him, but instead we respected his personal space and made him the subject of many a photo. Odd as they are, their mannerisms are almost human, except for the fact that after he was done entertaining us he hopped away effortlessly. This was on a farm that had been planted with Tasmanian Blue Gum trees that soon attracted the attentions of many a wild Koala Bear. The farmer consequently opened an informal sanctuary for the admission price of two dollars for any visitors. Since they are nocturnal, like many other creatures in this part of the world, we didn’t hold out much hope of seeing them. However, since there are not many places for Koalas to hide in the sparse branches of the gumtree, it just meant that they would not be so active during the day. But a sleeping Koala bear is just about as cute as you can get, and they soon tested the capabilities of our zoom lens. Further down the road, we took the opportunity to ‘walk with Sealions’ on a beach inhabited by a huge colony of the mammals. For a creature that can be at sea for weeks on end, they need their rest and hundreds lazed around on the beach and in the sand dunes allowing us a prime view of their natural lifestyles. If Kelly Slater could catch his pick of a wave as effortlessly as they do, the annual world championships would be a cinch. Walking through the dunes also afforded us our only sighting of a live Wallaby as, unfortunately, too many can be viewed by the side of the road as roadkill. A quick-witted joke as we made our way around the island renamed those unfortunate ones Wallabeens. On our way back from the beach toward the ferry terminal to make our way back to the mainland we couldn’t believe our luck as hawk-eyed Helen spotted the Porcupine-like Echinda sniffing around in the dirt by a bush at the side of the road.

Once back on the mainland, we continued on our journey to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road where we spotted the bulbously fore-headed Kookaburra, made famous by branded cricket bats of the same name (you’ll be pleased to know that no kookaburras are harmed during the making of their bats), sunning himself on a high-wire. Before we left for New Zealand in the following days, we had one more stop to make at Penguin Island in order to see the subjects of a BBC wildlife series narrated by Rolf Harris, Little Penguins (yes, that is actually their official name since they are the world’s smallest), who arrive every night on a specific beach in their droves. Hundreds arrive nightly after being at sea for as long as three months at a time to waddle up to their burrows in the dunes for some rest. Some can venture up to one and a half kilometres inland to find their burrows. They appear from the surf, shake from top to tail feather and wait for others to join them until they are a group of around a dozen for protection as they are very vulnerable to predators, before they make their way up the beach. Since it is hard work for the little creatures to traipse up such unforgiving terrain, they have to stop every thirty yards or so for a rest, which provides for great viewing. We were lucky to see 860 penguins the night we went. Sadly, but understandably, photography was prohibited.

 

As you can imagine, we hoped we would see the kinds of wildlife for which Australia is famed, but we did not imagine seeing and experiencing as much of it so soon after we arrived. Add to the list those animals we saw in New Zealand; the obligatory and fiercely nocturnal Kiwi (in a conservation centre so sadly there are no photos), eccentric Emus, several Dolphins that swam and played right by the bow of our sailing boat in the Bay of Islands, and some Yellow-Eyed Penguins that appeared from the surf on a beach in the south island, it was like we were on some kind of reserve. It was a gentle but stark reminder that there are other majestic beings with whom we share this planet and we consider ourselves privileged to have been given the opportunity to experience some of the more obscure ones.

Great Ocean Road

Though you may not be in the mood for a history lesson, I’m going to give you one anyway because this is bloody interesting and besides, it may be something you did not know.

The Great Ocean Road is a 151-mile stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay (yes, Helen was excited to visit!) and Warrnambool. Completed in 1932, it stands as the world’s largest war memorial in recognition of every serviceman who gave his life fighting in the Great War of 1914-1918. It may surprise you to know that out of 330,000 Australian men who volunteered to fight in Europe, Turkey and the Middle East, 60,000 were killed and 160,000 were injured. It was a casualty rate of 64% – higher than all other nations engaged in fighting – a huge toll. Of those who did return, some were re-employed in their pre-war jobs, while others were employed in government subsidised settler-farms. Those who perhaps had less of a choice were offered employment in building what is now known as one of the most beautiful scenic drives in the world. Approximately three thousand men ended up constructing the road by hand using explosives, picks and shovels, wheel barrows, and some small machinery. As you can imagine, the project was often perilous and claimed a number of lives.

Despite existing as an impressively grand 151-mile monument of historical importance, the road is probably most famous for such prominent landmarks as the Twelve Apostles and London Arch, significant natural limestone and sandstone rock formations that can only be described as epic.

It was impressive to read how Australia looked after its veterans on returning home from the First World War. Not only did they recognise their efforts in battle, they provided the means upon returning home which enabled them to continue a dignified existence as wage earners contributing to society. Considering the era in which we live and the way things naturally evolve and progress over time, it is disgraceful that there is not more provision for our own battle-weary soldiers who come home in need of government help.

Bananas!

When we arrive in a new country, we have several chores to do before we can even get started. Usually this consists of acquiring currency, purchasing a local sim card and getting information for orientation purposes. As soon as we landed in Australia, however, because we were going to be touring in a campervan, we also had to hit the supermarket to buy food that we could cook ourselves. As soon as we arrived in Adelaide, Helen dashed into a store just before closing and grabbed a few essential items of sustenance that would ensure our survival. Among bread, butter, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal and milk, she decided to throw a few bananas in to her basket. Once back at the van, in which I was waiting, we reviewed her purchases using the receipt. Now, we were aware of how expensive Australia had become in recent years, especially against the weaker pound, but what we found had us dumbfounded. The cost of staple items were as we would have expected, but the bananas were in a different league altogether. We discovered, given the current exchange rate of around 1.5 Australian Dollars to the pound (it used to be almost 3), that we had just forked out a whopping 7 pounds for a bunch of bananas that consisted of 4 pieces of fruit. The next time we went in to the same store, a quick check ensured that there was no mistake – the price by weight was, and is currently, 12.98 AUD per kilo – an outrageous price that we found hard to comprehend. My plan to post an accompanying photo of the till receipt to show that I am not yanking your chain was sadly in vain since it has been lost. However, the official store display price will hopefully illustrate how ludicrous it was that we unknowingly shelled out that much. It is, for want of a more appropriate word, bananas.

 

Apparently, Australia has recently and shockingly overtaken America as the leading country in the world in terms of obesity, and it is no wonder considering it costs more to purchase a bunch of bananas than to buy a Dominos pizza. Seriously. In fact, according to the Obesity Policy Coalition here, a massive 75% of Australians will be overweight or obese in 20 years if current trends continue.

Australian Social Decay

As we’ve been travelling around down under, we have become witnesses to the very real and underlying issue facing Australians since the turn of the new millennium: Kangaroos. Australia has always had its fair share of problems with the marsupials, but it seems they are the biggest threat to the country’s reputation since England beat the Wallabies in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. And you would not be blamed to assume that the Kangaroos’ undersized cousins, Wallabies, are the cause of the social decay here since that devastating defeat.

We decided to do some amateur investigative journalism and met a Kangaroo by the name of Skippy (what else) and felt the need to probe the reasons for their seeming disrespect for a society that has always lauded them as a national icon. ‘The reasons are fairly simple’, Skippy said. “We are regularly culled because they think all we do is loaf around all day drinking beer and making Joeys with no intention of working. Then they sell our prime fillets in the supermarkets for famed Aussie barbeques. Then there is the issue that has always plagued our race – the age-old question, what was God thinking when he created us? We are strange creatures, and we’re not the only ones. Take the Giraffe and the Platypus, for instance, they are in the same arc. It has always been a source of insecurity to us and it is almost ingrained into the younger generation.” Just as Skippy had finished explaining, two of his friends roared past in a pickup truck (ute) they’d just hot-wired from a neighbouring district. As they disappeared in to the distance, his Joey was bouncing around noisily annoying the elders. Why? There was nowhere for him to go. Skippy was using his pouch to keep his beer cool. It was a stark reminder of how a society can deteriorate as rapidly as it has here. We asked how he sees his race moving forward from this point, to which he replied, “I couldn’t give a Castlemaine XXXX.”

 
Charming, we thought. If Joe Mangle was still around, he wouldn’t put up with this.

Our journey so far continued...Australia (South Australia)

March 2011

26th – Arrived in Adelaide to pick up Ethel from Esperance, our campervan for the week, from random street address and little accompanying communication from the rental company that had us wondering what the hell we’d gotten into. Start of our Pacific Palaver!

27th – Explored the strange city that is Adelaide whose high street, we decided, looked like some grotty English small town. Even non-Adelaidians confirm its weirdness, we found. Dead streets in the centre of the city on a Saturday afternoon and  lampposts painted in local Australian Rules Football team colours, confirmed that this was a weird place.

27th – Drove to Carrickalinga beach to spend the night, which was also a lovely beach on which to wake-up. It set the tone for our adventures in South Australia. We ate breakfast on the beach and duly explored the length of it, going for a swim on the way back while keeping our guard up for sharks!

28th – After a lazy morning at Carrickalinga, we drove to Normanville for cold showers in the open air with a picture-perfect view while locals ate their fish and chips. Here’s to the good life.

29th – Ferry to Kangaroo Island, on which lives an abundance of wildlife. We saw Kangaroos, Wallabies, Porcupines, Koala bears and walked on the beach with sea lions. Legend David Attenborough’s got nothing on us! Visited the Remarkable Rocks which actually were pretty remarkable.

30th – Big driving day which took us along  the south Australian coast hitting iconic sights such as Larry the Lobster. What, you haven’t heard of him? Had our first and unique experience of driving on a beach as we took Ethel on a sandy excursion.

31st – Hit the Great Ocean Road by mid-afternoon, which was nothing short of impressive. Not every part of the road affords an ocean view but when it did, it was criminal not to stop and whip out the camera. The renowned Twelve Apostles lived up to its billing, which reflected in the swift reduction of capacity of the memory card.

April 2011

1st – Visited Bells Beach, Torquay, the surf capital of Australia and considered the spiritual home of surfing since 1939, which is situated in none other than the originally-named Surf Coast Shire. Genius. Spent time watching experienced surfers old enough to be our Dads (see recent blog). Had a photoshoot at the Torquay sign at the edge of town to make Helen happy. Drove to Phillip Island in order to see the subjects of a BBC wildlife series, Little Penguins (yes, that is actually their official name since they are the world’s smallest), who arrive every night on a specific beach in their droves to waddle up to their burrows in the dunes. We were lucky to see 860 but sadly we weren’t allowed to take any pictures. Booo!

2nd – Drove to Melbourne to see beach area and district of St. Kilda and modern, funky Federation Square in the city centre. Nick drove Ethel around the Australian Grand Prix circuit pretending he was Lewis Hamilton and relished taking photos to make his close friend Ganesh jealous (sorry Gan). Drove to Brighton to see the numerous colourfully-painted and renowned beach huts that would give Devon a run for its money. Visited the street used as Ramsay Street in Neighbours that is actually called Pin Oak Court. Brilliant.

3rd – Slept the night at Brighton Beach, Melbourne, prior to our flight to Auckland, New Zealand, the following afternoon.