Kangaroo Island 4 // Beaches, rocks, & goodbyes

Although the final day had dawned on us, it didn't mean we were going to slow down our adventures. Up and away for an early morning, once more, tasting the last of the 'Organic Kangaroo Island' foods and goods for breakfast as we rushed out of the house and went to one of the final beaches we had planned to visit.

One perk about visiting a beach early in the morning is the fresh sand laid down just hours ago during the midnight high-tide. It's not a sight you see often, especially from the packed city beaches that Sydney is familiar with.

Not a single footprint to be seen. Except our own.

The rocks around the area made for some really nice photographs, and there were moments when I couldn't believe such things even existed. 

And, of course, where there are giant rocks, there's bound to be climbing.

Lots, and lots, of climbing.

There's something really satisfying about clambering to the top of a high rock (granted you're equip with the appropriate enclosed shoes and padded clothing; safety first, kids).

For once in my life I felt like I understood how Simba felt when he was standing there at the top of Pride Rock.

"Look, Simba. Everything the light touches is our kingdom."

And of course the wonders don't end there. We realised that if you examined the rocks closely, they had mineral bits embedded everywhere within it. It was amazing to see, and unfortunately they were stuck dead-set into the rock, but hey, at least memories are free to take.

Quartz?

I decided to try and do justice to the amazing natural architecture of the place, so spent a deal of time taking some photos and experimenting with angles.

I'm still not a perfect landscape photographer (or a perfect photographer of anything, really), but seeing these images again take me back to that moment. I never thought rocks could be this enchanting, honestly.

Jagged rocks were plentiful, but so where the round, smooth rocks. I picked up a few and with nothing except my hand and these props, I found a photo-worthy opportunity.

I believe that's an metamorphic rock (left) and an igneous rock (right).
Or maybe sedimentary and igneous. I don't know.

Though to be fair, there was this pungent odour of fish draped all over the location. Some long-abandoned fish and seaweed lying all over the place meant that it wasn't the most pleasant on the senses, but it made for photographs.

It was time to head off. A flight in the early afternoon meant we had to get out of there soon.

Kangaroo Island had exceeded my expectations far more than I ever would have even imagined. To think that I was initially hesitant about coming on this family trip, and almost traded it out for three days at home studying and doing nothing else in particular.

There are lessons learned, of course, and emphasis on the importance of quiet, getaways, family time, and nature. I used to always see myself as a 'city-girl', but over the years and especially on this trip, I realised that anywhere can become 'home', and really, we need not be bounded by such narrow definitions sometimes. 

I loved this place, and I planned to return someday. That was all that mattered. Somehow, all my worries and concerns had been left back in Sydney, and I walked the silent dusty roads of Kangaroo Island with a clear head and mind.

Turning our backs on that beach and essentially accepting our fate of returning to the bustling Sydney city was hard. As much as I love Sydney, there's something quite captivating about escaping it all and heading out into the remote areas of Australia.

There's something quite satisfying about looking at your dirt-sprayed car and knowing you've been on a massive trek over hundreds of kilometres.

And there's definitely something quite bittersweet about flying away from a place that you never would have expected to be so beautiful.