Part 6: ADL & Kangaroo IslandOne great thing about Qantas is that they provide strollers at the airport. I was travelling with my rugged, heavy, 4x4 Mountain Buggy stroller and it was a real pleasure to be able to check it at check in and then use one of the Qantas strollers to & from the gate.
Funny thing happened at the airport. As business class passengers, we were entitled to 2 hand bags per pax, for a total of 6. We showed up at the gate with 5. However, the gate agent insisted that I check a bag under. Even after explaining to her that we were under our allowance, she refused to budge. Her response was that since one of the passengers was 3 years old, and she wasn’t physically able to carry that fifth bag, we couldn’t include it. Basically, 2 bags per person that that pax can personally carry on board. Call me crazy, but that’s one of the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life. When I tried to get her name from her name tag she promptly covered it with her hand. Anyways, I refused to give in until the purser came off the flight and sided with us. Now you know why I like to travel with a cap. If I would have been wearing a yarmulke in this situation, it would’ve been a lot harder to hold my ground.
The flight itself, as well as all the domestic Qantas flights, was quite nice. On the 53 minute flight, we were served a full kosher meal (steak!) and they even announced free wine & beer for coach! A lot different from what I’m used to in the States. They would also give out an activity booklet and toys to the kids for these short flights.
We were originally going to visit New Zealand on this trip for a few days, but after that was nixed, for a number of reasons, I had a few days to “burn”. I heard some great things about Kangaroo Island and after finding out that we would be there in the optimal season, we decided to include it.
KI is the third biggest island in Australia, a hop, skip and jump away from Adelaide, and one of the most popular tourist destinations, but surprisingly, the average Australian never even heard of it. Our hosts for Shabbos in Melbourne actually grew up in Adelaide but never even knew KI existed. However, it’s a wonderful place to visit if you have the time.
There are 2 ways to get in, a 20 minute flight from ADL to Kingscote, or a ferry from Cape Jervis (around 1.5 hrs. away from Adelaide) to Penneshaw. When we went, in order to maximize the time spent there, it made sense to fly in and take the ferry back. There are no taxis on the island so it’s necessary to rent a car. If taking the ferry in both directions, it would be possible to rent a car in Adelaide and bring it on the ferry with you. Not all car rental agencies allow this, so check ahead. There are also 2 car rentals on the island itself if you choose to fly. The car rentals also have different policies regarding driving on the island, such as whether they allow you to drive on ‘unsealed’ (unpaved) roads. Lastly, it is possible to do KI as a day trip from Adelaide with various different companies, but I don’t know too much about that.
KI is primarily known for its flora and fauna, and it definitely did not disappoint. Countless wild wallabies, kangaroos, penguins, fur seals, sea lions – we saw ‘em all. All in all, KI was enjoyed by all, especially the kids.
We arrived at ADL in the evening and stayed at the Hilton Adelaide which was nice. As a Hilton diamond, we got upgraded to a larger room, free wifi and access to the lounge. The flight to KI has extremely limited luggage space, so the next morning we had our bags put in storage, got some breakfast from the lounge and made our way back to the airport for our 20 minute flight.
KGC is probably the smallest airport I’ve been to – it doesn’t even have a carousel. You collect your luggage from the back of a truck. I then picked up a 4 wheel drive from Budget and we were on our way.