Working for Accommodation: Kangaroo Island
After a few fantastic tours, I found myself in Adelaide with a lot of free time. The weather wasn't great, much like a British summer with temperamental rainfall and sunny spells. I visited a few touristy places; the Botanical Gardens, Glenelg, Adelaide Zoo, and Port Adelaide. I walked, a lot, and even hired a bike for the day. I then decided I wanted to see a little more of South Australia and do something a little different. This was how I found myself googling "volunteer work, SA".
The first "job" that popped up was helping on a tourist park on Kangaroo Island, just south of the Adelaide coastline. They asked for help with general maintenance and cleaning of the property, and assistance in running the cafe/kitchen. How hard could it be? I applied and heard back later that day, asking if I could arrive on the Friday. That I could manage, and I agreed to work for a week. I booked my Sealink ferry ticket and connecting shuttle buses. It was a little more expensive than I'd hoped, but at least I wouldn't have to pay for accommodation in the island!
I arrived in Kingscote on Friday morning; I knew I wouldn't be picked up until later on that day, so decided to explore. I was grateful to find perfect weather, if it had been raining I'm not sure I would have been as happy to mooch around with my rucksack, backpack, and day bag. The sea was so clear I was drawn to it immediately. Before I knew it I had walked for two hours along the gorgeous coastline, being snap happy and marvelling at the stunning colours. This was more like it... an island paradise.
Pierre and Lisa were a backpacker couple hired to manage Seal Bay Cottages and Cafe. The owner lived in Melbourne or Sydney and apparently wasn't that bothered. When they asked what I was expecting I actually didn't have an answer.. I'd come into this completely open minded and just happy to be doing something unique. It was to be only us three for the week, I was to help Lisa in the cafe or Pierre in the kitchen (if it was really busy). I was shown to my new home for the week, a bed in a dorm in the attached hostel. I was ready for whatever the next seven days would throw at me.
As before, I'm not going to ramble about each and every day. I will say that I had a great week, and the free time allowed me to book a few fun and interesting things to look forward to at the end of the year - watch this space...
Pros
• Company: Pierre and Lisa were so lovely to work with everyday. Sometimes it can be difficult to spend every waking hour together, but they made it bearable. It's always great to hear where other backpackers have been and share stories and advice.
• Location: Sure, the cafe was kind of in the middle of nowhere. However, this meant we had an abundance of wildlife on our doorstep. Some mornings I would take a wander around the site and come across wild kangaroos within metres of me. And you'd always spot Charlie, the possum, out and about each night. We were also opposite the entrance for Seal Bay, a conservation park for Australian Sea Lions. I was able to visit here one morning and had a great time seeing the pups dive and play in the waves while the males and mums snooze on the beach.
• Koalas: We had a koala family living in one of the gum trees; Kyle, Kylie and little baby Joey. Wild koalas! They were beyond adorable and I loved saying hello to them each day. In fact, I was the one that first spotted Kyle was actually Kylie and with child. Drama!
• Food: Pierre was a seriously good cook, despite his desire to deep-fry everything, and I was well fed everyday. We had traditional Malaysian rice, noodles, pasta, chicken parmi, sausages, wedges, and, I even ate a fried egg! With little opportunity to exercise, this did result in some tighter clothing. But it's winter, got to keep warm.
• Making Coffee: I finally got to put my barista skills into practice. I was amazed I could remember what buttons to press, let alone the correct proportions for each coffee. It really is something watching people drink and enjoy something you've made.
• No Signal: This was a blessing in disguise. I could relax, take in the natural surroundings and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. Although we still had Wi-Fi so it couldn't keep me completely off of my phone when we were quiet.
• Company: Pierre and Lisa were so lovely to work with everyday. Sometimes it can be difficult to spend every waking hour together, but they made it bearable. It's always great to hear where other backpackers have been and share stories and advice.
• Location: Sure, the cafe was kind of in the middle of nowhere. However, this meant we had an abundance of wildlife on our doorstep. Some mornings I would take a wander around the site and come across wild kangaroos within metres of me. And you'd always spot Charlie, the possum, out and about each night. We were also opposite the entrance for Seal Bay, a conservation park for Australian Sea Lions. I was able to visit here one morning and had a great time seeing the pups dive and play in the waves while the males and mums snooze on the beach.
• Koalas: We had a koala family living in one of the gum trees; Kyle, Kylie and little baby Joey. Wild koalas! They were beyond adorable and I loved saying hello to them each day. In fact, I was the one that first spotted Kyle was actually Kylie and with child. Drama!
• Food: Pierre was a seriously good cook, despite his desire to deep-fry everything, and I was well fed everyday. We had traditional Malaysian rice, noodles, pasta, chicken parmi, sausages, wedges, and, I even ate a fried egg! With little opportunity to exercise, this did result in some tighter clothing. But it's winter, got to keep warm.
• Making Coffee: I finally got to put my barista skills into practice. I was amazed I could remember what buttons to press, let alone the correct proportions for each coffee. It really is something watching people drink and enjoy something you've made.
• No Signal: This was a blessing in disguise. I could relax, take in the natural surroundings and enjoy a bit of peace and quiet. Although we still had Wi-Fi so it couldn't keep me completely off of my phone when we were quiet.
Cons
• Location: We were so far away from all of the other touristy stuff that I wouldn't have the chance to visit. I didn't mind taking the morning off to visit the sea lions, but I'd feel guilty taking a whole day. It would also mean driving a really long way.
• Boredom: The first few days were so quiet it was ridiculous. We only served three customers a day. I ended up making hot drinks for us just to keep busy. We would go and visit the koalas or collect firewood. It wasn't like we could go far though, just in case someone did arrive.
• Not enough hands: One time we were incredibly busy, two bus loads of pensioners turned up. Naturally, they all wanted hot drinks and food cooking. With only Pierre in the kitchen, and me on cafe duty it was a stretch. I now know not to glare at people when food orders take a while, it was very intimidating and there was never anything I could do.
• Location: We were so far away from all of the other touristy stuff that I wouldn't have the chance to visit. I didn't mind taking the morning off to visit the sea lions, but I'd feel guilty taking a whole day. It would also mean driving a really long way.
• Boredom: The first few days were so quiet it was ridiculous. We only served three customers a day. I ended up making hot drinks for us just to keep busy. We would go and visit the koalas or collect firewood. It wasn't like we could go far though, just in case someone did arrive.
• Not enough hands: One time we were incredibly busy, two bus loads of pensioners turned up. Naturally, they all wanted hot drinks and food cooking. With only Pierre in the kitchen, and me on cafe duty it was a stretch. I now know not to glare at people when food orders take a while, it was very intimidating and there was never anything I could do.
Overall, I'm really glad I went over to KI. It was a completely different experience for me and I had a great time. On to the next adventure...
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