There’s nothing like working on a seaside. And if that seaside is on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island, with its pristine sands and turquoise waters, then it is a really fantastic sensation.
I have to admit I’ve by no means actually been a lot of a runner. However after an excellent month-long tour of Australia and having piled on the inevitable kilos, I discovered myself on one of the vital lovely stretches of sand on Earth being put via my paces by a former chef at well-known London restaurant The Ivy.
Leap to it: Sian meets one of many locals (form of) on the Southern Ocean Lodge
Sue Pearson is one thing of a legend on Kangaroo Island.
She arrived on this wilderness greater than ten years in the past and now runs ‘one of the best fish and chip store on this planet’, in accordance with one native newspaper. She additionally runs a four-day coaching programme known as Soul To Sole. It is principally away of getting your self in form whereas exercising and consuming healthily.
I liked each second of my mini-fitness enterprise and simply want I might replicate it on the finish of each vacation.
My husband Jonathan and I had been staying on the much-acclaimed Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island, or KI to the locals.
The island is a 30-minute flight from Adelaide. Alternatively, you are able to do a simple 90-minute drive via world-class wine nation and board a ferry on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Whichever choice you select, you’re going to get the sense of being in a really particular place from the second you arrive.
KI is roughly the scale of Kent, and a microcosm of various Australian landscapes.
It is the place to see one of the best of Australia if you do not have time to see the entire nation. Even on our brief journey from the airport, we glimpsed bushland, eucalyptus woods, white sandy dunes and spectacular seascapes. And there have been, unsurprisingly, lots of kangaroos.
The Southern Ocean Lodge is perched on the island’s wild south coast. It’s a mind-blowingly lovely location, with the sweeping white sands of Hanson Bay seen from each a part of the resort. Every time we had been greeted by the panorama, we could not assist however say: ‘Wow!’
On our first day, a pleasant member of workers took us via our personalised itinerary as we sipped a glass of bubbly. We might suggested workers beforeoffered hand that we needed to stroll on rugged clifftops and cycle on empty roads.
As we chatted, a tanned and toned blonde girl walked in direction of us. We exchanged greetings and he or she launched herself as Sue Pearson. Inside a matter of minutes, I used to be readily agreeing to participate within the Soul To Sole health expertise together with her on the ultimate day of our break.
A view to recollect: As its title suggests, the lodge appears to be like out in direction of the Southern Ocean
Employees clearly take satisfaction within the Southern Ocean Lodge and could not wait to point out us our suite. Every of the 21 visitor rooms is known as after an area shipwreck they usually snake gently down the hillside in direction of Hanson Bay.
Our room was the head of luxurious residing, and if there hadn’t been a lot to do throughout our keep, I’d have liked to spend extra time on the heated terrace, snuggled up with alpaca blankets and books, absorbing the drama of the Southern Ocean and watching the climate change.
Our suite’s walk-in wardrobe and mattress had been monumental, whereas the wood flooring of the lounge segued into gentle carpet within the bed room and heated limestone tiles within the large toilet.
Occupying centre-stage within the toilet was a spectacular wood tub. There was such consideration to element all through. There was a Bose music system, cosy eco-fire, a fridge bursting with native food and drinks, natural linens and even a tan leather-based toilet-roll holder.
And I do not know whether or not it was the KI water, the hairdryer or the shampoo infused with native lemon myrtle and wild lavender, however my hair had by no means seemed and felt so good.
We spent the subsequent two days exploring Kangaroo Island.
It’s Australia’s third-biggest island, and truly bigger than we thought at nearly 100 miles lengthy and 34 miles broad. It’ can be house to about 4,500 individuals. The guided excursions in 4WD consolation with Distinctive Kangaroo Island had been excellent. A 3rd of the island is a nationwide park, with gorgeous pure options such because the wind-sculpted Exceptional Rocks and Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase. There, we watched seals being hurled towards the rocks earlier than swimming again to do all of it once more.
Then we went to Seal Bay and located ourselves inside touching distance of those fantastic mammals. It is one of many uncommon locations on Earth the place you’ll be able to truly stroll with sea lions on the sands. No marvel they name this space the Galapagos of Australia.
Ogling animals in a zoo is just not the identical as viewing them within the wild. We noticed koalas munching away in eucalyptus timber, dolphins frolicking and seal pups studying to swim. We additionally went stargazing and got here throughout penguins on the seaside.
Within the resort’s eating places, there is a distinct concentrate on seafood, as you would possibly count on, with loads of candy crayfish, scallops and King George whiting. However there’s additionally an abundance of produce equivalent to natural lamb and honey. Actually, right here the world’s solely pure Ligurian bee colonies produce extremely prized honey. I purchased a number of pots of this liquid gold to take house as presents, together with scrumptious native jams and fairly respectable bottles of sauvignon blanc.
Absorbing the surroundings: Sian does her finest Mae West impression in her suite’s large bathtub
For my hardcore closing day of train, I braced myself by feasting on lavish seafood suppers and getting acquainted with native wines. The lodge boasts the most important and finest stocked open bar I’ve ever seen, however workers are all the time available to combine cocktails or dig out uncommon wines.
The service is seamless however laid-back on the similar time.
Friends may be as sociable or as personal as they need to be. We had been each. The kitchen ready us picnics for our bike rides a deux, however we additionally obtained chatting to some good individuals on the pretty Li’Tya Spa within the grounds and joined them for a jolly supper one night.
Our closing morning in paradise dawned all too shortly, and I discovered myself on the white-sand seaside of Emu Bay, nervous in regards to the day forward, but curiously excited on the similar time. Since most of my vacation garments by now had grow to be ridiculously tight, I used to be additionally grateful for the prospect of burning off a couple of energy. Sue and I jogged, chatted and laughed so much – there’s one thing in regards to the sound of crashing waves that makes you neglect you are exercising.
One of many goals of Soul To Sole is to extend dietary information and achieve culinary abilities.
Sue cooked me lunch in her own residence and it was fantastic: seasoned scallops with greens grown close by, adopted by candy and fluffy native ricotta served with home-grown figs and a drizzle of honey. The flavours had been easy but chic.
Kangaroo Island is the place the place all my expectations of an ideal vacation had been realised. I’ve travelled extensively in Australia, however the uber-chic tackle wilderness on the Southern Ocean Lodge, coupled with Soul To Sole, beat all of it. It isn’t low-cost, however then good issues not often are.
Mae West as soon as stated that an excessive amount of of a very good factor is fantastic.
If you find yourself sitting in a wood bathtub, sipping champagne and watching child seals frolic within the waters under, what she meant.
Journey Details
Qantas (www.qantas.com) gives return flights from Heathrow to Adelaide by way of Dubai and Melbourne from £1,169 per individual for journey earlier than April 19.
Austravel (www.austravel.com, 0800 988 4834) gives a ten-night Adelaide, Winery and Kangaroo Island vacation in April from £1,595pp together with return flights from Heathrow. It contains three nights on the three-star Mercure Grosvenor in Adelaide, a six-night Vineyards & Kangaroo Island self-drive tour and a closing evening on the Mercure Grosvenor.
For additional data on South Australia, go to www.southaustralia.com.
For data on visiting all of Australia, go to www.australia.com
