Kangaroo Island. Day 3

From Central South to Central North
Itinerary: Little Sahara - Parndana - Emu Bay

Very close to Vivonne Bay, Little Sahara is a vast area of spectacular white sand-dunes surrounded by bush. Climbing over the first ridge you are confronted by a second, much higher dune, which reveals... even more dunes. We climbed on top of the first one and didn't even try to explore the vastness of the area! A nearby shop rents out sand boards and toboggans. The Little Nomads rolled in the sand and whooshed down the mountains on a board, which immediately reminded me of winter in snowed-in Ontario.

The first ridge of Little Sahara

Parndana is an area in central KI with a town by the same name. We drove to Parndana Wildlife Park, an award-winning, 2nd largest privately-owned park in SA.  The large property is a zoo, which contains a wide range of Australian, mostly KI, wildlife up close. Wallabies, kangaroos, talking cockatoos, crocodiles, etc. Feeding gentle kangaroos was definitely the highlight of the park!

We had lunch at IGA Bakery Cafe with home-like service and the scent of eucalyptus that they use for cleaning. It was my first time for a 100% Aussie burger with a slice of beetroot and an egg! Right after, we moved to Emu Bay on the northern coast.

En route there was Emu Bay Lavender Farm - where we stopped for a walk among rows of various types of the plant. It was pass harvest season, but there were still quite a few colouful clusters left. Although pretty, this KI field was a pale memento of the blooming lavender fields in Provence with their deafening sound of bees and the overwhelming scent! The cafe and shop sell everything lavender from hand-cream to bread and having got lavender ice-cream we settled outside by a little pond. And OH OH OH was is the most wonderful ice-cream! It was certainly home-made, creamy, but not heavy; traces of lavender added such nice texture and the scent was divine! Certainly, hadn't tasted this in Provence!

Lavender fields at Emu Bay Lavender farm

The north coast well-protected from harsh winds has a number of amazing beaches that are quiet, safe, and waves-free. Emu Bay Beach is one of KI's best swimming spots with 4km of spotless sand - the type of a beach that makes you say "wow". We spent the rest of our care-free the day there - swimming, fishing off the jetty, and watching pelicans feed.

Emu Bay beach