Change In Plans

Greetings from Kangaroo Island!  At the risk of sounding tedious (or at least repetitive), we had another amazing day here.

In the morning, we went to the Parndana Wildlife Park, where we were allowed to feed and pet the kangaroos (Tallulah heaven), and to pet koalas as they slept in their low trees.  We also saw a lot of birds in cages: garishly colored lorikeets and parrots of all varieties; beautiful creamy-colored cockatoos, with their up-again-down-again mohawks of pale yellow feathers; vilely prehistoric emus, with freaky holes in their skulls where their ears should be.  Anyone who doubts the “birds evolved from dinosaurs” theory should look at emus’ legs and heads. 

After seeing the wedge-tailed eagles and the glossy black cockatoos in the wild yesterday, we were all a little sad to see them in little cages.  This sadness was replaced by startled fear, and then hilarity, in the walk-through aviary.  Two Egyptian geese had built their nest right next to the path, and they were extremely upset with the Baird family for threatening their chicks.  In tandem, the male and female chased each of us as we walked by, squawking horribly, flapping their wings, and biting at the air.  They chased us 20 meters or so down the path, full of malicious intent.

Tallulah can be excused for running in terror, because she is not much bigger than an Egyptian goose herself.  Not wanting to look like a goose-fearing coward in front of my kids, however,  I turned and stomped loudly back toward the pair, hoping they would retreat.  As we headed for contact, the geese finally turned, ducking their heads, and quacking softly as they ran back toward the nest.  I could almost imagine them saying, “Sorry, sorry.  No trouble here.  Just out for a breath of fresh air.  No trouble here.”  

At some point, though, as I slowed down and as we approached the nest, the geese turned toward me and renewed their attack: squawking, flapping, biting.  After backpedaling a few steps, I stomped back at them, and, they retreated, heads down, with the apologetic soft quacking. 

The geese and I went back and forth several times.  I will probably not win any environmental-sensitivity awards, but we all laughed as we fled … I mean, as we walked calmly from the aviary.

Rachel served us lunch in her family’s old screened-in fishing shed on the beach.  Yet another stylish, understated, perfect space in their stylish, understated, perfect domain.  After lunch, we walked northward on the rocks for a while, looking at the tidal pools and picking up shells.  Tallulah said to India, “We are gathering treasures, Mommy.  Magical treasures.” 

Zola and I went snorkeling in the warm water, and then we all went for a southward walk to the end of the beach, about a kilometer from the house.  On the inland side of the beach, about 50 meters from the surf, there is a narrow brackish lake.  When the rains come, the lake overflows its beachward edge, and becomes “Middle River,” flowing into the ocean.  Right now it is full of warm, stagnant water, and teeming with fish.

As we walked, Tallulah befriended a neighbor’s dog, who she called “Neighbor Dog.”  They ran together in the sand, she threw sticks (which he occasionally chased), and she patted and kissed him.  It was sweet to see her with a dog, and so happy.  India and I are confident that this trip really is good for our kids, but occasionally we see what they are missing (e.g., a pet) by not having the stability and normalcy of a home.

Before another exquisite dinner, India  sent me on a brutal run.  She said something like, “There is a bit of a hill at the start, but it levels out and is easy from there.”  Maybe I misunderstood her, or maybe I am now completely out of her league in fitness (duh!), but it was character building, to say the least.  She and the kids drove by as I struggled, on their way to a really good sunset-viewing spot, and they cheered me on with great enthusiasm.

Zola and I had a great game of Monopoly in front of the fire, in the sheepskin-floored reading circle.  It was the first time he has ever finished a full game, and probably the first time for me in more than 20 years.  A fun end to a fun day, here on Kangaroo Island.

Tomorrow we are getting up early, to see the “must see” natural attractions: Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch, and Vivonne Bay.  An Australian scientist (which discipline, I wonder) declared Vivonne Bay to be the very best of Australia’s nearly 10,000 beaches.  Everything else here has been so wonderful that we are expecting greatness.