{"id":25452,"date":"2017-11-15T09:17:42","date_gmt":"2017-11-15T08:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/peregrinusmundi.com\/sur-ile-des-kangourous\/"},"modified":"2020-07-05T17:40:19","modified_gmt":"2020-07-05T15:40:19","slug":"on-kangaroo-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peregrinusmundi.com\/en\/on-kangaroo-island\/","title":{"rendered":"On Kangaroo Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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My hasty departure from Arkaroola turned my plans upside down. Here I am again without work, without accommodation, without ideas. The only thing that I know for sure: a volunteering job (an helpX) in January 2018 in a wildlife sanctuary in Tomboye in New South Wales. But other than that it is the big void. For a few days, anxiety grips me. I came to Australia to earn money to travel to Asia. And I just closed the door at a fairly well-paid job, which I enjoyed and in a beautiful location. Was it really the right solution? But the tensions with the manager and some of the staff were too big and I couldn’t take it anymore. Once you have made a decision, good or bad, you have to go ahead, right?<\/p>

So here I am back in town. The cook from Arkaroola who had to go back to Adelaide took me with him and I find myself sleeping on the couch of Alex, Maggie’s boyfriend, the young American girl with whom I sympathized in Arkaroola. I let a few days go by to try to feel better before I decide what to do. First buy a car and then go do another volunteering job (an helpX) during the month of October on Kangaroo Island. I need to change and the small island off the south coast seems to be the right solution. Kangaroo Island is a small island off Cape Jervis about 100 km south of Adelaide. According to the majority of people, it is one of the most beautiful places in South Australia. With many kangaroos and pristine sandy beaches… The island was discovered by Matthew Flinders, an English explorer in 1802 whose name was use for the Flinders Chase National Park in the west of the island. The island is sparsely populated and the life of the small population revolves mainly around agriculture.<\/p>

I go around the second hand car dealers but the choice is limited especially given my budget. A last visit to a small merchant on the edge of the agglomeration and my choice stops on an old Toyota Hilux. It is a 25-year-old white pick-up with a bench seat at the front and a large covered space at the back that I can arrange as a “living room” and above all large enough to transport my bike. The price is expensive and not having time to carry out the technical control, the affair seems risky. But I take the plunge.<\/p>

I arrive just on time for the ferry departure to Cape Jervis. The road from Adelaide took me longer than expected and my newly bought car had a problem in low gear. It stalls systematically. Something is wrong. I will have to see that on Kangaroo Island. The ferry crossing in the late afternoon light gives me an hour rest. Night falls in an hour and I have a little time before the kangaroos and possums arrive on the roads. Marsupials are particularly present on the roads at sunrise and sunset. The landscape of Kangaroo Island is bathed in golden light. I feel filled with joy. It is very beautiful. This does not reach the beauty of the landscapes of the Flinders Ranges but it is beautiful. I feel like a bandage settle on my heart. Maybe all this mess happened to allow me to spend time on the island? At nightfall I arrive at the home of Bill & Tina, the couple who have agreed to welcome me for the next few weeks. Annie, a three year old girl is riding a horse in the small front garden. She looks tiny on her mount. “Welcome to KI,” Bill tell me while hugging me.<\/p>

I spend two quiet weeks at Bill & Tina’s small farm taking care of Annie and various farm work. Every night and morning I take care of Whiskey, the cat, Sam, the energetic young dog, Ben, the old horse with damaged teeth and the trio of hens. I do a little painting, a little maintenance of the garden and a lot of tours around the island. Bill is a gentleman in his late 60s who has lived most of his life on KI. He owns about two hundred sheep grazing in the hundreds of hectares that make up the property. Meadows, a pine forest (former logging), a few artificial water holes, several hangars and a small house. And a lot of kangaroos, possums and koalas. Bill hosts helpers most of the year. He also runs the island’s pony club and is a member of CFS, the island’s fire brigade. He is a very nice and quiet gentleman who enjoys company. And like most Australians in the countryside, he is always ready to lend a hand or to show you around.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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