<< Seal Point Sea Lions

09/27/14 - Kelly Caves to the Sea

The sky was gray and threatening, but we set out anyway. We pulled into the Kelly Caves parking lot, eight kilometers inland, and set out for the sea. The walk was through brush, mainly a variety of eucalyptus which varies in height from ground cover to full fledged tree depending on growing conditions. There were also yucca like grass trees that looked like oversized bunches of grass, but with sharp spikes all around.

We made our way slowly, sighting two echidnas by the trail side. We made our way to a large flat lake and had a black swan experience. This was Australia, so there was a flock of black swans on the glassy surface.

Then, we climbed a sand dune, now fully vegetated and well inland. It was over a 100 meter climb, quite a challenge on soft sand. It looked like any other hill, but the soft footing reminded us that this, like many others on Kangaroo Island, was a stabilized sand dune.

Eventually, the trail opened out to a large green field, almost like a golf course. Here was a great field of kangaroos. This was the far side of the great green field we had visited earlier for our sundown Kangaroos and Canapes excursion. There were no canapes on this side of the river, but plenty of kangaroos.

We left the green field, and from here the trail followed the river, and the river led us to the sea. For a while we were in brush land, but then we saw the line of coastal dunes ahead. Soon we were looking down from the dunes at a gorgeous crescent of beach by the sea.

An anthill - The high walls forecast flooding rain.

The trail through the brush

A grass tree with its seed stalk

A spider orchid

Black swans

One of the echidnas quite sure it is hiding

More of the scene

Another echidna not bothering to hide

The river we followed on the latter part of the hike

The beach and the sea

A more dramatic view, thanks to lots of threatening looking sky

Keywords: australia