Great Ocean Colour Scene Part I – Colouring Kangaroo Island

Birdcage Design - Colour Palette and Special Finishes for Kangaroo Island

Briefly…….

A short dolphin spotting ferry ride from Cape Jervis is the virtually unspoilt nature, and foodies, reserve of Kangaroo Island.  This is definitely the place for someone who wants to get away from it all, and the site to cure the smart phone junkies of their addiction – no “Facebook” access for a week how to cope without knowing that John Smith is in the pub, or Joanna Bloggs is in the supermarket!!!!

As a result of it’s relative reluctance to succumb to fast food chains and the commercialism of its mainland relatives,  KI has a little magic for everyone, whether you love nature, surfing, food, the great outdoors, painting, photography to name but a few.  It moves you back into time when everything is catered to by the seasons, not by commercial demand. Food is seasonal, and natural wonders and wildlife are abbundant when it suits them as opposed to us.

From the softer side of nature with dolphins playing in the bays, kangaroos playing hide and seek in the shadow of the dusk, fairy penguins squawking and koala’s just “hanging”, to the rugged shores which carve into the iron rich rock formations and have been known to topple ships like toys.

So with colour in mind I used this as inspiration to put together a palette of colours and special finishes which could be translated into the home.

Basis for the palette…. focusing on the natural unspoilt surroundings of Kangaroo Island I have put together a natural palette, warming up with accents of the burnt reds and oranges in the rocks and the soothing lilac of the lavender fields. With ecological natural wood panelling and hardy stone effect finishes.

Our hat stand at Private Lifetime Retreats

A little bit more information on Kangaroo Island…….

Where to stay……..

There are a number of regions in KI all of which have their own special attributes.  It is easy to think that KI is a small Island when comparing it to it’s mainland cousin, however it is approximately 150 km from one side to the other, that coupled with only a one or two decent surfaced roads mean that you probably need to do a little bit of research about what you really want from the Island, as well as a bit of pre planning to ensure that you have enough supplies.

Lifetime Private Retreats Cliff House

For entire seclusion and luxury, (without the price tag of the Southern Ocean Lodge), the northern beaches will not disappoint.  The Private Lifetime Retreats gives you a choice of three individual lodges, all of which feel like you are the only person there. They are a little way from the stores and restaurants (that is unless you fancy playing dodgem with the kangaroos as you make your way back down the rough track roads at night).  With this in mind for a little extra you can get a personal chef to bring you a seasonal breakfast, lunch and dinner every day (bliss). They all share the small but picturesque Snellings Beach and you can even have your meals served up in the converted beach hut on the beach.

If you prefer to be closer to the main town then Kingscote is about 30 minutes drive from the ferry and has varying accommodation from individual houses to apartments for varying budgets.

Places to see……

There are too many to mention, they say 3 days gives you a taste and 7 days an experience of Kangaroo Island.  Things that you should include are:

Fairy Penguins at Kingscote

Night time spotting of the fairy penguins (leaves nightly from Kingscote Penguin Centre)- we were really lucky and had the equivalent of David Attenborough take us on the tour – we saw an abundance of penguins at nighttime, most of them shedding their feather in anticipation for their new waterproof coat coming through.

Remarkable Rocks

Remarkable rocks – Flinders Chase National Park – These rocks have amazing red and orange hues as a result of the elements reacting with the iron ore running through.

Admirals Arch - Kangaroo Island

 Admirals Arch – In season this is a great place to come and see the sea lions play (fight).

Where to eat……

Chapman River Wines

We did not eat out much on the Island but one place that is worth a mention to stop for lunch is Chapman River Wines.  Run by Diana and Bruce Keir who are as as wonderfully welcoming as they are colourful, the cellar door is in a converted aircraft hangar which is an eclectic collection of art work and curioso.  As a trained Potter Diana also has a studio which is part of the hangar itself. It is the kind of place where if your food is delayed (as they are making up a fresh batch of pickles) you don’t mind as you feel almost part of the family.

On with the colourful journey…………

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