January 6, 2016 by coloradotravelingducks

Australia Reflections with Zeb and Eider Duck Part 1

Zeb and Eider Duck spent a couple months in 2015 exploring Australia. We have been showing you what we found during our time, but this week we want to share our favorite Australian memories with you. We liked this post card from Australia showing a map of Australia on the map of the United States.

Australian map over US map and where we visited

Gives a good idea of the distances involved. The red yarn shows where we went. After a couple days in Sydney, we flew to Hobart, Tasmania. Such a beautiful island! The Tasmanian Devil is now found in the wild only in Tasmania.

This Tasmanian Devil was running a lot. He has nice red ears.

We thought he was rather cute. Another famous destination in Tasmania is the Bay of Fires. These rocks gain color from the lichen on them, and the white sand was so soft and the water so blue.

Sitting in soft white sand, near orange boulders and blue water.

There is only ocean between Antarctica and Tasmania, so the water is pretty cold. Tasmania is perfect for camping, hiking and other outdoor activities. The St. Columba Falls are spectacular.

St Columba Falls

From Tasmania, a short flight to Adelaide and a short boat trip took us to Kangaroo Island. Of course, the kangaroos, white and brown, were the stars of the island.

Aren’t they adorable. Our first white kangaroos

There was much competition for top spot with the seals and sea lions and the breathtaking scenery.

Love the beach with sea lions

These guys were so cute! A few days later we took the boat to Adelaide. While in Adelaide, we enjoyed the free city buses. In the city park, the pelican was friendly and curious.

Anything for me?

Black swans very plentiful.

Too close mom

We were told that black swans are only native to areas south of the equator. Australia has great trains. The Indian Pacific Railway took us across the Nullarbor Plain to Perth.

The Indian Pacific Railway connects the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

From Perth a great boat trip took us to Rottnest Island, a pretty island and home to the quokkas.

The quokka is our new friend. He is a marsupial and hops similar to a kangaroo.

Back in Perth, we again utilized free city buses to explore the city. Obtaining a rental car, we drove up the west coast of Australia. We highly recommending driving along the coast. The roads are good, the scenery perfect and people very friendly and helpful. Also free tourist information is available. At Hamlin Pool, we went inside the telegraph station. This is where an Australian lady, using Morse code, helped NASA when our communications system had problems during a space mission.

Hamelin Pool Telegraph Station of 1884

The shell blocks were great to see.

Shell Blocks at Hamelin Pool

This area of Australia was the only time we saw these shell blocks. We visited the second and smallest country on the Australian continent, The Principality of Hutt River. We needed and had our passports stamped here.

Stamped passports

If you are in the area, visit Hutt River and learn about the establishment of this independent principality. Continuing north along the Indian Ocean, we learned of several joint projects between Australia and the United States during World War II. This is the monument to Operation Potshot, one of those cooperative missions.

Operation Potshot Monument on the Indian Ocean

We will continue with our Australian memories this week. We hope you will reminisce with us this week.

August 28, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb and Eider Explore Mercure Resort on Kangaroo Island

Zeb, Eider and the humans have one more day to explore and enjoy Kangaroo Island. We are staying at the Mercure Resort here.

Our resort

From the Mercure, we follow some trails around the resort grounds.

On the trail

Kangaroo Island has a shortage of fresh water. This is part of the first desalination tank.

Desalination tank

Desalination is the process of removing salt from the ocean water so the water can be used for humans and landscaping. From our trail, the views are wonderful.

View from the trail

We can see the ocean also.

Beautiful views

You will notice that our resort is not in the cold, windy part of the island. Flinders Chase National Park, that we showed you the last two times, was beautiful, but the wind was very strong. Along this path, we enjoyed resting on this bench.

Enjoy the bench

A little more walking took us past this old stone house

Stone house

and to the beginning of another trail.

Cannery Trail

We loved this old equipment, once used on Kangaroo Island.

Old equipment

From the trail and road, we watched these black swans swimming so gracefully.

Swans are so graceful

Back at our resort, this is where we enjoy our breakfast buffet.

Part of breakfast buffet

The dining has this indoor portion

Inside dining area

and also an outdoor seating section. On a chilly evening, we enjoyed the fireplace near the bar.

A beverage, conversation and a warm fire here

The swimming pools are very nice and the view of the ocean from the pools is wonderful also.

Pools with a view

We do want to tell you that you cannot rent a vehicle on Kangaroo Island and there are no taxis. If you want a vehicle, you must bring it on the ferry with you. Also, it is best to make all tour arrangements before you arrive on Kangaroo Island. We were there in their winter, but we did not have tour options once we arrived, so be sure to plan ahead.

Our resort on Kangaroo Island

We really did enjoy Kangaroo Island and hope you visit the island if you are in South Australia. However, we are taking the ferry back to Adelaide now.

On the ferry to Adelaide

We liked Kangaroo Island, but more adventures are waiting for us.

August 26, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb and Eider Visit Admirals Arch and Fur Seals on Australia’s Kangaroo Island

Zeb and Eider Duck are still in Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. This park is at the west end of the island and the winds are still quite strong. The surf of the Southern Ocean dramatically crashes against the rugged cliffs.

Crashing surf

We start down the boardwalk, heading for the New Zealand Fur Seals.

The boardwalk to see New Zealand Fur Seals

Looking down at the Southern Ocean, we are fascinated by the water crashing on the rocks.

Strong surf meets rugged coast

As we descend, we see this New Zealand Fur Seal resting.

Resting New Zealand Fur Seal

This is our tour guide while we are on Kangaroo Island.

Our guide

He has been friendly and extremely informative. We stop to admire this New Zealand Fur Seal.

Curled up for a nap

He is curled up and seems very relaxed here. Now we see Admirals Arch.

Admirals Arch

This arch gives us a different view of the ocean.

Admirals Arch

A very impressive rock formation. From Admirals Arch, we look at the Southern Ocean and relaxing New Zealand Fur Seals.

Looking down at New Zealand Fur Seals and Southern Ocean

We, the Colorado Traveling Ducks, were on this walk, but it is very windy. This is one of the few times mom feels it is safe for us to pose for a photo.

It sure is windy!

We like seeing these fur seals.

Sitting up for a photo

Isn’t this one just adorable?

So cute!

We think so! As we go back up the boardwalk, we keep turning around to admire the ocean.

Rugged land

Our tour of Kangaroo Island is almost over. We will miss these ocean views.

We were here

We hope you visit Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island. We had a great time on our tour, but we are not done yet. Next time we will show you a little more of this wonderful island..

August 24, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Zeb and Eider Explore Australia’s Flinders Chase National Park

I, Zeb the Duck, and my cousin, Eider Duck, are on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Today we are in Flinders Chase National Park.

Flinders Chase National Park

We head for Bunker Hill Lookout.

To Bunker Hill Lookout

This is quite a steep drop to rough water.

Beautiful and powerful

We are on the west end of Kangaroo Island and the chilly, strong wind is really blowing. We are walking to the Remarkable Rocks. We are on the boardwalk on the way to the rocks,

On the boardwalk to Remarkable Rocks

but we have to be careful we don’t blow into the Southern Ocean. Ready to climb up the rocks.

We are going up there

This sign with Danger makes these Colorado Traveling Ducks a bit nervous. Wow! These rocks really are remarkable. The red on the rocks reminds us of the Bay of Fire in Tasmania.

Red on rocks

The color is probably also from lichen. We feel safe sitting while the rocks protect us from the wind.

We feel protected from wind here

These are great rocks. The ocean looks cold and rough.

Beautiful ocean

Little ducks would not have fun swimming in this water. The landscape here indicates that the wind is fairly constant.

Terrain shows results of constant ocean winds

Not much tall vegetation and the Southern Ocean dominates this end of Kangaroo Island. We are now heading to the lighthouse.

Great Lighthouse

The date over the door of this lighthouse is 1909. The view from the lighthouse is very impressive.

View from lighthouse

In our ducky opinion, a lighthouse was really necessary here to help guide the ships. When a human lighthouse keeper lived here, supplies were brought in every three months. This is the pulley used to haul supplies to the lighthouse keeper and to take anything from him to go back to town.

Pulley used to transport supplies

Flinders Chase National Park became a National Park in 1919. We like seeing so many things here. Our guide tells us there is still more to see here. We will tell you more about the park next time.

August 22, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Eucalyptus Oil Farm on Kangaroo Island with Zeb and Eider Duck

Today we visited a farmer that does not grow crops, does not have cows and does not have sheep. Lawrence, the farmer, does not use any sprays and no chemicals are used. He plants and cares for native Kangaroo Island Narrow Leaf Mallee eucalyptus trees. This is not one of the varieties of eucalyptus trees favored by the koalas.

Emu Ridge is a working farm

We were at Emu Ridge, the only commercial Eucalyptus Distillery remaining in South Australia. The eucalyptus oil is distilled in the traditional method. The eucalyptus plant is cut every few years and then taken to the distillery.

Eucalyptus still

The leaf is placed into a pot containing water, beneath which a fire is lit. The steam carrying the oil is passed through a system of cooling pipes. The oil separates and is piped off into containers. The raw oil undergoes another refining process to produce the final product, crystal clear oil. This is the process used to produce or distill eucalyptus oil over 100 years ago.

Old farm equipment still used

All parts of the plant are used in this process. There is no waste and any byproducts are recycled. They even produce their own electricity. Lawrence and his wife, Beverly, were sheep farmers, but in 1991 the wool prices took a sharp decline. They decided to revive the old custom of producing eucalyptus oil. Eucalyptus oil was the first true overseas export of Australia.

Why have eucalyptus oil?

The old shearing shed is now a plant nursery. Emu Ridge farm has been a major tourist destination since 1991. There is a retail outlet where you may purchase pure eucalyptus oil and other products.

So many products from Eucalyptus oil

Mom really liked some of the lotions and creams. Of course, the products also may be purchased online. Please visit http://www.EmuRidge.com.au for more information. The 4 minute video on the home page is really interesting. The humans were watching these kangaroos.

Kangaroos in the back yard

We really enjoyed seeing these kangaroos, too

We are watching these kangaroos

This is an emu, the inspiration for naming the farm Emu Ridge.

Emu at Emu Ridge

When you visit Kangaroo Island in South Australia, we hope you will visit Emu Ridge also. We loved it and we think you would enjoy it also.

August 21, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Pelican Feeding on Kangaroo Island with Zeb and Eider Duck

On the way to Kingscote for the Pelican Feeding, we passed grapevines.

Grape vines trimmed back for winter

There are many wineries on Kangaroo Island. Our guide also pointed out some termite hills. The Kangaroo Island Heath Goanna Lizard is very smart. The lizard lays the eggs in the termite hill. The temperature inside the hill is perfect for incubating eggs. Eight months later, in the spring, the eggs hatch and the mother lizard is there to help the new born lizards as they emerge from the termite hill.

Termite hill on Kangaroo Island

Zeb and Eider went to a pelican feeding.

Australian Pelican

It was our first pelican feeding. Arriving at the pier in Kingscote, we sat in the viewing area. There were so many pelicans waiting for food.

Many pelicans

Soon the man arrived with a huge container of fish.

Box of fish for pelicans

The pelicans gathered around him as he talked to us. These pelicans are different than the U.S. pelicans.

Eager pelicans

We have brown pelicans and the man said ours are a little smaller. Soon the feeding began.

Man talking while pelicans get some fish. Nice hat!

We loved to see all the pelicans. They are so pretty

Pelicans patiently waiting

We really liked the pelican feeding and we really liked the pelicans.

August 19, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park with Zeb and Eider Duck

We entered Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and were greeted by these kangaroos.

Our kangaroo greeters

These were the first white kangaroo we saw. Aren’t they adorable?

Aren’t they adorable. Our first white kangaroos

Soon the humans were given kangaroo food and the kangaroos were ready.

They like humans to feed them

These guys are so gentle with humans. They like people.

These kangaroos like humans

And they like ducks.

Kangaroos and ducks meet

This white peacock was watching us.

White peacock

Watch out! This is a common tiger snake, but it is one of the most poisonous and dangerous snakes in Australia

Tiger Snake–very poisonous!

We saw many colorful birds, but we really liked the Southern Cassowary.

Southern Cassowary

This is the smallest penguin.

Fairy penguin or Little Penguin

They are sometimes known as Fairy Penguins, and sometimes called Little Penguins. Here are the koalas.

Koala at rest

Koalas sleep about 20 hours each day, but this guy was awake and moving.

Koala on the move

He wanted the humans to touch him.

Koala likes humans

Isn’t he just too cute? Another snake is here.

Snakes are not all bad

This one is not poisonous. Our humans touch it. They like the snake. One of the ladies on our tour is holding this baby kangaroo?

Baby kangaroo likes humans also

It is so cute. We hope you visit an animal park here or near your home soon. It is fun!

August 14, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Raptor Domain Birds of Prey on Kangaroo Island with Zeb and Eider Duck

We liked Raptor Domain Birds of Prey.

Raptor Domain

We saw the raptor demonstration but we also enjoyed the figures on the trees and on the ground. This Echidna is not real,

Echidna

but we did see a real one on an evening nocturnal wildlife hike. This is a really big bee.

A really big bee

Hey mom! Why are we sitting on a branch with this snake?

We are with a snake??

Let’s go down the path to the raptor demonstration.

Down the Path

The birds are trained to return to the arm of the trainer. We like black and white birds.

These birds are so pretty

Here is tawny frogmouth.

Tawny Frogmouth

We liked to watch this one walk with the long legs.

Such long legs

This snowy barn owl sat on people’s lap.

Snowy Barn Owl

Snowy Barn Owl has no fear of humans.

Friendly Snowy Barn Owl

He has long claws or talons, but he did not hurt people or ducks. We like these kookaburras.

Kookaburras

They are not birds of prey. They are from the King Fisher Family, but we were happy to see them. We also saw the Black Breasted Buzzard.

Black Breasted Buzzard

He loves to eat green emu eggs, but the shells are very hard. The Black Breasted Buzzard knows to pick up a rock and break the egg. He did enjoy his egg. The humans missed that photo. This is an Australian eagle.

Australian Eagle

We like seeing all these birds. They are different than the birds we see in our yard in Colorado. On the way out of the Raptor Domain we admired these lady bugs on the tree.

Lady Bugs on the tree

We liked our visit to the Raptor Domain Birds of Prey and we think you would like it too.

August 12, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Seal Bay on Kangaroo Bay with Zeb and Eider Duck

We are going to Seal Bay, in a National Park.

Seal Bay is part of a National Park

Humans and duck will see the Australian Sea Lions. We are visiting the third largest breeding colony in Australia. Before we even get to the beach, we see this mom and baby sea lion in the bush.

Mom and Baby resting under a bush

We are quiet and keep our distance. We do not want to disturb them. We follow our guide down to the beach.

We follow our guide

This sea lion is watching us watch him.

He knows we are here

Thinking about a swim?

Ready for swim

They are swimming and playing in the water.

Fun at the beach

We like being on the beach with the sea lions.

Love the beach with sea lions

However, if you do not want to walk on the beach, you can walk on this path and see the sea lions.

Humans can walk on this boardwalk for a different view

Looking down on beach and frolicking sea lions.

View from boardwalk

This young one is ready for a nap.

Tired

Aren’t they adorable?

Picture perfect

We really like the sea lions.

Our new friends

Group nap time.

Group nap

Sea lions must share the each with birds also.

Birds on the beach also

We are off the beach now; heading to our bus, but we must have one last look back at the ocean.

So nice here. Hard to leave

August 10, 2015 by coloradotravelingducks

Clifford’s Honey Farm on Kangaroo Island with Zeb and Eider Duck

It is 6:15 a.m.; ducks and humans are waiting for a bus to the harbor near Adelaide, South Australia. We will have a 45 minute ferry ride to Kangaroo Island

We will get on the ferry to Kangaroo Island

and then a couple days of tours. Some people are taking cars on our ferry.

Cars are going on our ferry

We are not taking a vehicle. The ferry has left the harbor and we are sailing.

We love riding on boats

The back of the boat is a little chilly. Not much sun yet.

Very windy back here. We have to stay on the floor so we don’t blow overboard

We are docking at Kangaroo Island.

We are approaching Kangaroo Island

We board our tour bus and begin exploring the island. Driving we admire the green fields. As we continued, we saw some kangaroos grazing in the fields and some fields of cattle. We saw many sheep

We love the sheep

and some new snow white baby lambs. Our dirt roads are red.

Red dirt on Kangaroo Island

The color will vary across the island. This is a grass tree.

A grass tree

Our first stop is Clifford’s Honey Farm.

Clifford’s Honey Farm

This machine separates honey from the hive.

Getting honey from hive

There are three levels of honey in each hive. Humans only take 2 levels. The bees need the 3rd level for their food. Bees are working here.

Bees at work

The farm has Ligurian bees from Italy. Bees cannot fly far, so the bee line remains pure on the island. These bees are very quiet, docile and much sought after by bee-keepers. They are easy to work and very productive. The queen bees are exported around the world. We visited the store. Humans tasted honey. They liked it. They bought chocolate coated honeycomb and honey bears. Both were enjoyed! However, the honey bears were the favorite. Yum! For more information on Clifford’s Honey Farm, visit http://www.cliffordshoney.com.au On our way to lunch, we passed the Weatherspoon farm with this sign.

Creative sign

Can you read it? It says: Did you bring a beer long. A very clever and original sign! Next we enjoyed a buffet lunch

Good lunch

at Vivonne Bay Eco Adventures Bistro and Function Centre on Vivonne Bay.

Let’s eat at Vivonne Bay Eco Adventures Bistro and Function Center on Vivonne Bay

Let’s continue down the road toward our next spot.

Let’s continue down the road

We like our tour so far. I think you will like what we show you next time.

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