K I Wildlife ~ Kangaroo Island Australia pictures

Pelican at the Parndana Wildlife Park

Inland from Stoke's Bay on the road to Seal Bay, which is on the south shore, is town of Parndana (pop. 100).

The Parndana Wildlife Park, where I met this pelican, is one of the popular stops on the tour bus route,and only a few kilometres from the town.

We stopped here for about an hour, and were the only visitors. (This was in mid-November).

Koala posing in eucalyptus on Kangaroo Island

Koalas are synonymous with Australia, and on Kangaroo Island, there are some 6,000 of them munching themselves out of house and home.

This fellow was up in a tree outside our lunch hall. During the day, they can be seen dozing in crooks of trees. Shy and nocturnal, they don't like to be cuddled, at least not by humans.

Environmentalists and scientists oppose efforts to cull the koalas, saying it is a plant disease, not the koalas, that is killing the island's euclaypts.

I liked this fellow so much I put him on my Australia shop page!

Love Birds * Pretty in Pink

The Parndana Wildlife Park, with its decent sized aviary, offers a rare chance to take photos of a few of Australia's unique bird species.

While I did hear, and see, many birds in the wild, capturing them on film was impossible, at least for me.

Australia is Emus Home and Native Land

Emus are native to Australia, and like the same habitat as livestock. Its shaggy brownish grey feathers and bald neck and head make it easy to identify.

Your best chance of spotting emus in the wild is to keep an eye out along roadsides in Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland.

Glossy Black Cockatoo Parndana aviary

There is an ongoing effort to re-establish lost habitat of Kangaroo Island's Glossy Black Cockatoo.

Competition for nesting sites and predators such as possums also contributed to the decline in their numbers.

Fowl make a lovely couple of 'love birds'

Parrots, hawks, eagles, owls, kookaburras and curlews, finches, doves and quail can be seen in the wildlife park's walk-through aviary.

As well as kangaroos, there are wallabies, feral pigs, koalas, echidnas, Cape Barren geese and many more.

New Zealand Fur Seals Kangaroo Island Australia

On Kangaroo Island's southwestern coast, we stop at Admiral's Arch, a natural arch eroded by sea waves over many years.

Several steep stairways and paths descend from the road to afford a closer look at the arch, and the breeding ground of a colony of New Zealand fur seals.

At no time are visitors allowed to get close to the seals.

Wallabies Five! Count them!

One day we stopped at a place called Beckwith's Farm for another Australian country style lunch.

After lunch, there's time to wander the paths under the gum trees where koalas doze.

Two wallabies in this clearing were soon joined by three more while I watched.

Cuddling a Joey, a baby kangaroo

Pardana Wildlife Park is a refuge for orphaned or injured animals.

Unlike the timid koalas, I was told, baby kangaroos (like this swaddled 'joey', as they are called) need cuddling to thrive.

Depending on when you visit, there may be other animals for you to hold.

Tuckered out sea lions take a nap on the beach

Seal Bay, roughly centered on the south coast, is a conservation area that's home to the second largest Australian Sea Lion breeding colony in the country.

A parks interpretive officer escorts groups of visitors to the beach for a closer look. These three sea lions are resting after returning from three days' hunting at sea.

No wonder! It's cold, hard work to grab a meal while avoiding the sharks to make it safely back to the beach.

Australian Sea Lion Making a break!

Visitors must stay in a close group during the beach walk, and at all times remain at least 20 feet distant from the seals.

The sea lions can become aggressive if they feel threatened. Some may manouevre their way up the sand banks and wander into the parking area, so keep a sharp lookout. Their coloring blends in with the sand dunes.

Sea lions on the beach Kangaroo Island south coast

See how well these sea lions blend in with the sandy beach? They do stand out by virtue of their bulk above the flat sands, but seen from up on the dunes, it's even harder to make them out.

From this spot, Antarctica is a clear 4,500 kilometres (2,800 miles) due south.

Friendly Cockatoo another Australian Native

The cockatoo at Parndana Park is a great friend of the tour guide/driver, who visits regularly.

The cockatoo stayed happily on his shoulder for about 15 minutes, until we had to leave.

Springtime Island Flowering Shrubs

Wildflowers and shrubs add subtle splashes of colour to an otherwise grey, beige and green low-growing landscape.

I visited here in mid-spring (late November).

The previous week, we were told, often, temperatures had soared to the high 80s (38C).

This week, the thermometer hovered around 55F, with light rain and chill winds.

Kangaroo Island Flowering tree

Chill winds and rain aside, the many flowers and the calendar proclaimed it to be spring.

In this part of the world, that's October, November and much of December.

I'm sorry, I can't identify this one. If you can, please send me a comment below so I can add the details.

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