Bonding with Nature and Wildlife at Kangaroo Island - Part 7

Days 10 and 11 - Penneshaw and Dudley Peninsula Regions

     It was time to leave the South Coast on Day 10 and travel north east to our next destination, Cape Willoughby (113.9 km). We made a quick stop at the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery as we were eager to purchase its

Enjoying the Colony Cove apply cider in the comfort of the vast living room at Cape Willoughby Lighthouse Keepers Heritage Accommodation

Colony Cove apple cider, made from fresh cider apples grown in KI. Eucalyptus oil was once KI's primary industry but is now struggling to compete with cheaper diluted versions...what a shame! The scent is soothing and the eucalyptus oil possesses anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties. I would have loved to join the guided tour to learn about the making of eucalyptus oil but Derrick was too tired to be interested.

Meeting the namesake of Emu Ridge

    By the time we arrived at Cape Willoughby, our tummies were rumbling. Fortunately, the Zest & Thyme Cafe,

located just outside the light station, served fabulous food and amazing sea views.

Lunch with a glorious view

Derrick predictably chose a chicken curry with rice while I decided to give the kangaroo pot pie a try (A$20 each). Kangaroo meat tastes like beef, but it’s more tender.

Derrick's chicken curry with rice came in a unique serveware and some tantalising poppadums

My kangaroo pot pie. Now I can look a kangaroo in the eye and say, "I know what you taste like!" :P

 

     Seymour Cottage was all ready for us and we only had to retrieve the key via the key code given earlier. This was, by far, the best of the three lighthouse keepers heritage cottages that we stayed in.  It has five bedrooms, a lounge, an extremely well-furnished kitchen, modern bathroom and laundry area. Not only are there Nautilus decorations everywhere, all the lamps in the bedrooms are designed as lighthouses. There are rather dry lavender bushes surrounding the house but the scent of lavender still filled the air. The Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, built in 1852, is the South Australia’s oldest lighthouse, and it is situated right in our backyard. With the spectacular sea views of the Backstairs Passage (which separates KI from Fleurieu Peninsula on the mainland, it was no wonder that we were thoroughly enamoured by the lighthouse, the cottage and the surroundings.

The 3 Lighthouse Keepers Heritage Accommodation at Cape Willoughby (the 1 on the left is used as the office for the Ranger)

Our Seymour Cottage

Love this door stopper!

Well-equipped kitchen

Living room and dining area

Literally putting up my feet (note the many Nautilus decoration pieces)

The jigsaw puzzle that kept me at work

     We spent a lazy relaxing afternoon, with Derrick blissfully snoozing and me caught up at piecing together a jigsaw puzzle. And when the setting sun cast is fading light onto the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, it was a sight to behold.

Cape Willoughby Lighthouse on a quiet evening

It was blissful to wander around at dusk, without any prying eyes around

 

     Sunrise on Day 11 at Cape Willoughby revealed more astounding beauty. Even Mr. Photographer was stunned by the majestic lighthouse against the backdrop of the wondrous colours of the sky, and he agreed that this was definitely one of the main highlights of this KI trip. 

Cape Willoughby Lighthouse to dazzle one and all

Glorious view to wake up to

    

Bidding au revoir to lovely Seymour Cottage

We only had a short way to drive (6.3km) to our next destination, Antechamber Bay. Creek Farm, where our accommodation, Antechamber Bay Retreats, is located on an incredibly vast piece of land. We met Andy, the owner, who was busy loading bales of hay onto a truck. As our cottage, The Kona, was not ready, we decided to drive all the way down to Antechamber Bay,

Andy's boat on his private strip of beach

Solitude at Antechamber Bay

Such pristine environment!

No prying eyes....perfect for skinny dipping!

another breathtaking strip of beach. Upon making our return, to our dismay, we discovered a flat tyre! As our Nissan Qashqai was still on sand, it made the changing of the tyre a difficult task. I had to walk all the way back up to the farm in the scorching midday sun to enlist Andy’s help to tow the vehicle back onto firm ground before changing the tyre.

     It was such a relief to be able to sink into the cooling comfort of The Kona, a splendid property of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a spa bath, a well-stocked kitchen, lounge and views to die for. The bedroom that we chose had floor to ceiling windows with views of the sea. Imagine how blissful it was to wake up to such splendid views! Thoroughly worn out by the sun and the flat tyre incident, both Derrick and I beached out the entire afternoon. He was even too tired to venture out for photography, which was a blessing in disguise because he obtained his much-needed rest.

The Kona

The deck on the patio of The Kona, perfect for barbecue party

View of Antechamber Bay from The Kona