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Garrett Our second day on Kangaroo Island saw us rolling out of our beds before sunrise. We ate breakfast at 6 a.m. and were on the road in search of duckbill platypuses by 7 a.m. We got to the platypus reserve and silently climbed out of the bus to find the rare and shy platypus. Two groups of us walked the entire loop in different directions, stopping at each lookout to quietly watch for the shy little guys, but the search was unsuccessful. Our second destination of the day was a koala reserve and proved to be far more successful than the platypus search. We walked down a long row of eucalyptus trees craning our necks in order to spot the furry balls high in the trees. The group spotted around 10 koalas and had the privilege of watching two koalas climbing around and eating. One of the koalas even made a rare jump from one tree to another about 15 feet above the ground. After a tasty barbecue lunch we began the long ride back to the ferry terminal. To break up the trip, we stopped at a place called the Little Sahara, some sand dunes in the middle of the island. Most of us took off our shoes and trekked to the top of a huge sand dune where some tourists were taking sand-boarding lessons. Several of us took turns running and leaping off the edge, landing softly in the sand 10 or 15 feet below. Back in the bus, we continued on for another hour-and-a-half before reaching the ferry. A few of us had the privilege of watching a pod of dolphins play in front of the catamaran-style ferry on the first trip, so this time most of us were out on the deck watching. The dolphins did not disappoint, though there were only two this time. The mighty Pacific gave us a small dose of its strength, causing a little bit of sea sickness for some of the girls. After saying goodbye to tour guide Mark, a.k.a. Outback Jack, we got settled in a youth hostel in downtown Adelaide. Dean Usrey bought the traditional pie floater (meat pie in split pea soup, unique to South Australia) for those of us that were up to the challenge. Personally, I enjoyed the floater, but the guys who had them a few days earlier were not fans. That's it for today. Best wishes from South Australia!
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