HOW DO I KNOW I'M IN AUSTRALIA?

Koala joey at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Kangaroo Island, Australia

I love going to Australia. Since my first trip in 1983, I have been back five times, including my recent trip in December. Here are some of the things that tell me I have arrived in the land Down Under.

Clocks are five hours earlier and I have lost a day! (In the southern hemisphere winter, the time difference between California and Sydney is seven hours.) The trip across the Pacific crosses the International Date Line. On the way home, we gain a day.

Summer flowers at the Coriole winery in McLaren Vale, South Australia

The seasons are switched. When we arrive in December it is summer Down Under. Flowers are blooming and the temperature is warm.
At noon our shadows point south. While the sun still rises in the east and sets in the west, it arcs to the north in the southern hemisphere.

Late afternoon, looking east toward Remarkable Rocks on Kangaroo Island

At night the stars are upside down. Orion is standing on his head and there is no North Star. Instead, the Southern Cross points to the southern pole star.
Traffic is on the left and drivers sit on the right.  Each time I step off the curb I have to remind myself to look to the right for oncoming traffic.

It helps to be reminded to drive on the left in areas popular with tourists

Kangaroo crossing signs. Yellow signs warning drivers to watch out for wildlife (kangaroos, koalas, wombats and more) are common along highways.

Koala, kangaroo, Cape Barren goose and echidna signs--Kangaroo Island

In our rental car our luggage goes in the boot (trunk) and we fill the gas tank with petrol (gas). Although the language in Australia is English, it is full of British terms that take getting used to, not to mention expressions that are uniquely Australian (such as "putting a shrimp on the barbie.")
Everything is metric–road signs are in kilometers, petrol and milk sold in liters, and meat at the supermarket is in kilograms.
No pennies. It took me a while to remember that when getting change from a purchase, there are no pennies. Although items are sold for 99 cents and other odd amounts, the total is rounded off to the nearest five cents. Pennies were abolished a number of years ago. Over time, the difference evens out.
Electricity is 220. The electric kettle in our hotel room boils water almost instantly. And, all electric outlets have an on/off switch and need an adapter to use the American plugs on our phones, computers, etc.
The first floor of our hotel is actually the second floor, while what we consider the first floor in the U.S. is the ground floor. To get to our room on the 37th floor we take the lift (elevator).

View from our balcony at the Meriton Suites Hotel, Sydney, Australia

No tipping. Restaurant workers are paid good wages and, unlike in the U.S., tipping is not expected. If one does tip, it is typically a small amount.

Our delicious rhubarb meringue dessert at Coriole Winery Restaurant

And as everyone cheerfully says in response to any concern--
No worries!

South Australia: Wine Country, Victor Harbor, Cape Jervis

Kangaroo signs are common along highways throughout Australia, as are eucalyptus trees

In early December, the beginning of the southern hemisphere summer, we spent two weeks in Australia, first in Sydney and Melbourne and then in South Australia. To get to our vacation destination of Kangaroo Island, located off the coast of South Australia, we flew to Adelaide. From there we drove south in our rented car, taking a detour along the way through  the beautiful wine country of McClaren Vale and then to our overnight stay in the beach town of Victor Harbor. The next morning we continued to Cape Jervis where we caught the 45 minute car ferry to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island.

Coriole Vinyards in McLaren Vale, South Australia

The rolling hills of South Australia are covered with vineyards, well-known for their excellent wines. We stopped for a tasting at the Coriole Vineyards and a walk through their gardens, which were bursting with early summer blooms.

Artichoke blossom

In the kitchen garden behind the restaurant the artichokes had flowered and were crawling with bees collecting nectar.

On our return trip, we went back to Coriole for a delicious lunch on their patio.

Hay bales outside Victor Harbor

From McClaren Vale to Victor Harbor we drove past spacious farms before descending to the coast. Our lodging for the night, Austiny Bed and Breakfast, was just out of town. A sign near the entrance warned to watch out for kangaroos, and that evening, as we returned from dinner in town at the Anchorage Hotel, we spotted a mother kangaroo and her joey grazing along the side of the road.The next morning they hopped by the patio of our B and B as we were eating our breakfast.

Sulphur crested cockatoos are typically seen in large groups. This one perched briefly on a branch before joining the rest of the flock.

The spacious gardens around the Austiny were filled with birds--tiny superb wrens, sulphur crested cockatoos, magpies and more--which we enjoyed watching from the porch of our comfortable room.

Petrel Beach near Victor Harbor

The next morning we drove to the bluff overlooking the bay of Victor Harbor and then took a walk on Petrel Beach, totally deserted except for us, before setting off for Cape Jervis, about an hour's drive away.

Beginning of the Heysen Trail. South Australia’s 1,200km Heysen Trail extends from Cape Jervis, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, to Parachilna Gorge, in the Flinders Ranges, traversing coastal areas, native bushland, rugged gorges, pine forests, vineyards, rich farmland and historic towns.

We were early for the ferry to Kangaroo Island, so we parked and took a walk on the Heysen Trail, a path along the ocean through fields of early summer wildflowers.

View of Kangaroo Island from the Heysen Trail at Cape Jervis

Across the water we could see Kangaroo Island, our destination for our week's vacation. 

Car ferry to Kangaroo Island from Cape Jervis

Then, we lined up with the other cars until our turn came to board the ferry and we were off to our week on Kangaroo Island.