Kangaroo Island: Holiday paradise for nature lovers

By Dewi Anggraeni

KANGAROO ISLAND, Australia (JP): Kangaroo Island seemed light years away from metropolitan Adelaide, yet barely half-an-hour flight behind me. No multistory buildings, no flashing lights advertising goods hitherto known or unknown, no evidence of sophisticated industry or modernization.

When I took in the surroundings, peace and quiet dominated my senses. Around me was acres of farmland alternating with small eucalyptus forests. As the four-wheel drive rolled on, the voice of Anna Howard, the owner-operator of Kangaroo Island Odysseys, provided the warmth of human company in this place, better known for its wildlife than its human habitation.

One third of the island's 4,500 square kilometers is national parkland, making Kangaroo Island at the mouth of Adelaide Bay a tourist resort with a difference.

The island doesn't attract holidaymakers who like to lie about on the beach during the day and then rage all night. This is a place where the sunrise is one of the best features, and the only nightlife is an excursion to the beach to watch penguins march up the beach.

Almost 70 percent of the roads are unsealed, making a four- wheel drive vehicle a must for an effective exploratory trip.

Tourism has grown on the island since 1991, but does not attract rowdy holidayers. Kangaroo Island doesn't even have a cinema, let alone nightclubs or discos. Shops are modest and understated, though many of the items for sale are of very high quality. Ecotourists come here to see animals in their natural habitats while camping unobtrusively in the national parks.

Available are day tours to see kangaroos, wallabies, possums, platypuses and seals, and nocturnal tours to see penguins. One day tour highlight is coming within a meter of seals at Seal Bay in the Conservation Park of the southern coast of the island. Though tourists are forbidden from patting the seals, they can definitely observe the seals' sluggish movements, suffer their haughty stares, and even hear their breathing and occasional grunt.

What human characteristics the island has have become salient against its natural background.

The first lighthouse in South Australia was built on Cape Willoughby in 1852, on the eastern tip of the island. Two more were then built, one at Cape Borda in 1858 and the other at Cape du Couedic in 1906. When coastal surveillance was computerized, these lighthouses have become museums. In the past hundred years no fewer than 49 shipwrecks were recorded off the coasts of Kangaroo Island.

For years Kangaroo Island derived its income from wool exports to the Australian mainland and overseas. Like most self-contained communities they were conservative and did not trust outsiders. The people they liked least were those sent by the South Australia state government. These people usually came to teach them something or tell them what they were doing wrong. As far as the islanders were concerned, the government officials were know- alls.

Unfortunately, plummeting wool prices in the mid 1980s deprived many islanders of their livelihood. When the banks stopped extending their loans, they formed support groups but failed to raise enough capital. Finally, in 1990, the farmers began to accept that they had to change direction. Some farmers gradually took up part-time occupation in other vocations, such as cultivating marron trees, making honey and cheese, and oyster farming. Other people became tour operators and tour promoters. All were adamant that the island's environment be kept intact.

The island's cold windswept coasts and rural atmosphere limits the types of tourist to nature lovers and those interested in the history and the geology of the island.

However, tourists in want of comfort after roughing it in the wilds are not ignored. While the majority of visitors enjoy camping or staying in economy-class hotels, up-market accommodation is not out of reach. Muggleton-Moles Bed and Breakfast in Penneshaw is a delightful place to rest after a rigorous day and evening chasing kangaroos and peeping at penguins. The house is warm and tastefully furnished. It has sweeping views from each window, including those in the guests' apartments. The hosts, Rohan and Sandra, make you feel welcome any time. If you do not feel like having a swim in the pool, the sunken bath is a tolerable substitute.

The island even has a delicious surprise for those who crave stylish dining. Cygnet River Cafe near Kingscote has creatively cooked and presented dishes, enough to make the most celebrated chefs in Jakarta groan with envy. Restaurateur Joel O'Connor, a Sydney stage actor, entertains guests with flair and good humor.

The wildlife, the natural beauty, the history, together with the optional indulgence of physical comfort and epicurean delight, make Kangaroo Island an extraordinary ecotourist destination.