Kangaroo Island, discovered in 1802 by the
English explorer, Matthew Flinders, is Australia’s third largest island. It is
90-miles long, 20-miles wide, and about the size of Long Island. The population
of 4500 is located mostly in four cities, the largest of which is Kingscote
with a population of 1800. The island is
home to 20,000Kangaroos--about five kangaroos for every person.
The island was hilly, covered with trees, and had no public
transportation, but has 19 conservation/ national park areas. Norfolk Pine
trees always grew along the coastline. Because they are tall and straight, if a
ship, in days of old, lost a mast, the pine was ready and waiting to be cut to
make a new mast.
Only pockets of land on the island are
fertile enough for agriculture. Crops include canola/ olive oil, honey, and
eucalyptus oil. Vineyards are in their infancy on the island. Fish farming is
taking hold. Fishing includes crayfish, oysters, and mussels.
There are two cheese factories. The narrow leaf eucalyptus grows only on the
east side of the island. Trees can be re-harvested every three years. At the
Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery we learned much about making eucalyptus oil
from the wife of the owner.
Japan is the top producer of the oil as
only 10% of the world’s eucalyptus oil comes from Australia, and 3% of that from Emu Ridge. At
one time there were 48 distilleries on Kangaroo Island, we visited the only one
left. Sheep raising replaced the industry as it is easier work and the money is
better.
A ton of leaves is put into a large
caldron of boiling water. Depending on the season the ton of leaves produces
5-30 liters of oil. At this point the oil is light amber in color but after a
second distillation the oil is colorless. We held a leaf up to the light to see
the small oil seeds from which the oil is extracted. It was amazing, the seeds
were so tiny.
Seal Bay Conservation Center is located
at American Beach, the site of an 1803 ship wreck. A
National Park naturalist, took us to the beach. The area is home to a colony of
600 Australian sea lions. The population has remained pretty constant for
several years, and it is thought that the environment cannot sustain any larger
numbers. These opportunistic feeders are loners and not at all family oriented.
Hunters used to hunt sea lions for the
skin and blubber until they were almost extinct. A reef protects the bay, and
the sanctuary extends one mile out and five miles along the coast.
The gestation period is 18 months. An adult female with an un-weaned pup will
consume 8-10 kilos of food a day. The female goes into heat again 17 days after
birthing! They are not synchronized breeders. A female has four teats. Sea
lions are mammals and have hair and ears. The large front flippers allow the
animal to walk, where seals cannot. They are deep divers. These animals go to
sea for three days at a time, then return to rest and sleep on the beach. A
bull often stays a month at a time on the beach.
Living up to 25 years, males can weigh
up to 600 kilos, and are brown to yellow in color, where the female is more
cream colored. Forty bulls live in the bay. Pups stay on the beach 12-18 months
to suckle from mom. Mortality rates are high, only about 30% of pups will make
it to maturity.
It
was very windy and cold on the beach. It was a long walk, but worth it as there
must have been three dozen sea lions sleeping on the beach in the immediate
area.
land
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