Kangaroo Island adventure: Part 3 - American River

American River was named after American sealers who landed here in 1803 and who thought the narrow inlet was a river. It is a small fishing village to the east of the island, nestled in native bushland opposite Pelican Lagoon. It's overlooked by Prospect Hill which Matthew Flinders climbed to survey the island.  And this is where our final accommodation was; aptly named Pelican Cottage. The front garden was a delight and there was a constant presence of birds: wrens, honeyeaters, cockatoos, parrots.

The view from our bedroom window.

 There were lots of pelicans (always a favourite of mine). In fact, my brochure said that, in 1803, Nicolas Baudin named the area Port des Pelikans.

At dusk, Steve and I went for a walk down the road where we discovered the remains of Muston Wharf and a railway that was used to bring salt from a nearby lake for export to the mainland. 

In this quiet desolate spot, it was hard to believe that there had once been a small township here that even supported a football team! 

The next day we went for a drive, then a walk, then called in to two wineries with wonderful views.

A typical Kangaroo Island drive.

The view from the deck at Dudley Winery.

We called in at a huge shed on the wharf at American River where volunteers are building a replica of the ship the Independence which the American sealers built. Boat building historians actually went to America to the area the sealers had come from in order to source an appropriate pattern. It's an impressive task that will take some time to complete. Here, Col talks to one of the boatbuilders. In the background is a skiff they are also building.

 So ends our Kangaroo Island sojourn. We loved the views, the pristine wilderness and the wildlife. We tired of the vast driving distances. We were not that impressed with the dining amenities available.  We loved purchasing island products and came back with honey, lavender lotions, olive oil, hand cream, lavender massage oil, and something I can't wait to try drizzled over ice-cream: Sticky Fig Syrup from the Figgery.