Adventuring Down Under

We had set this day aside to explore Flinders Chase National Park [FCNP] … some 170 miles roundtrip … on the far west side of KI.

The plan was to drive to the farthest point and then make our way back. The GPS wanted to route us via the sealed roads, which would have taken us out of our way considerably. Instead, using the paper map I had picked up while on the ferry, I navigated us to our destination via a series of unsealed roads until it made sense to connect to the sealed South Coast Road for the remainder of the drive.

On arriving at FCNP, we stopped at the visitor center to pay the entry fee — AUD $13pp … concession/senior not applicable to foreign visitors. The clerk at the desk then gave us the lay of the land and made recommendations on the order in which to hike and visit the sites. We didn’t have time for any real hikes … and, in fact, only managed to see a tiny corner of the vast area protected as a national park. We were delighted to see how well the flora has recovered after the devastating bushfires that decimated 96% of the park

Rounding the corner as we left the VC, we came across a trio of kangaroos. We slowed down to give them a chance to cross. First they hopped along in front of us and jumped into the bushes. But almost immediately, they hopped out and crossed the road. They criss-crossed the road a few times before finally disappearing into the bush. A great encounter with photo ops.

We had set out from the house this morning under overcast skies. Even had a couple of showers on our way to FCNP. Thus, resigned to another grey day, we were pleased to note the sun was periodically breaking out of the clouds as we drove further into the park.

Our first stop was the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse … just a brief photo op. From the signage, we learned that the cape is “… a dynamic border between land and sea, constantly being shaped by the waves and wind, and dominated by the cycles of the tide.” The sea in question here is the Southern Ocean … that often-turbulent body of water that separates Antarctica from the rest of the land masses in the southern hemisphere.

From the lighthouse, we continued down to the end of the road to stroll the boardwalk to Admiral’s Arch. The clerk at the VC had already told us that due to the construction of a new viewing platform — we would not be able to see much of the arch itself. However, there were long-nosed fur seals on the rocks … 30-40 of them at any given time. Wildlife is always an incentive.

The boardwalk zig-zagged down at a gentle incline, so it was a pleasant stroll … our only discomfort was from the chilly wind blowing strong. Luckily, we were bundled up. In any event, the scenery was spectacular, with the ferocious Southern Ocean crashing ashore … and even filling some rock formations with water that the seals seemed to be enjoying as they played about.

After this stop, we got back in the car to drive to Weirs Cove, considered a heritage site as this is where supplies — anything and everything from food to fuel — were delivered every three months for the lighthouse keepers back in the day. Even building materials had to be transported here by steamship, then carried 300 feet up the cliff. The construction of a “flying fox” in 1907 made the job a little easier. At least the keepers could then winch up the supplies instead of carrying them up themselves. It wasn’t until the 1940s that the first truck-delivery was made.

It was interesting to see the ruins of the flying-fox and the store house. But what was a highlight for us here was the views. Especially since the sun brightened things for a bit … and we even had some blue patches in the sky.Read more