Introduction

This has been such a relaxing stay here on Kangaroo Island – just perfect to unwind. I spend my days without a single commitment and without planning anything ahead. And that’s just so nice. I even manage to make progress on a research paper I hoping to publish soon.

But today I’m off again. I will need to return to the mainland before continuing my trip around Australia. QANTAS operates two daily services between Adelaide and Kangaroo Island, and today I’m on the morning service which departs Kingscote at 10h40, to arrive back on the mainland at 11h20.

Getting to the Airport

I’ve booked the shuttle to take me from the Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge in American River to the airport. The drive takes about twenty minutes, which brings me to the airport roughly 80 minutes before departure. My driver’s an interesting and chatty guy, and we discuss everything from global warming to the sad state of the education system in general and the correct protocol for removing oversized roadkill from the road in Australia – mainly kangaroos.

Check-In

Kangaroo Island Airport has a small, flat building that serves as the terminal. Arrivals and departures are right next to each other. In the middle of the large space is the flight information display showing today’s movements – all four of them, two arrivals and two departures.

I’ve checked in on the app. The seat map is showing an interesting configuration. On rows 1 to 5 only one seat on each set of two is available to select. I’m guessing that this likely has something to do with the aircraft’s weight and balance, to avoid it being nose heavy. This suggests that the load is likely light, although it’s hard to be sure because none of the other seats on the entire aircraft appear to be occupied looking at the seatmap.

There are two check-in counters off to the right. The guy behind the counter is a friendly young man. He hands me a Premium Hand Luggage tag and tells me to just drop my suitcase by the stairs as I board the plane. He inquires if I have my boarding pass already and then we’re done, “see you soon”, he says. It takes me a moment to realise he probably means he’ll be attending the gate once boarding starts.

Surprisingly, there is no security checkpoint bc at the airport. Strictly speaking, there is no clear difference here between landside and airside.

Just after ten in the morning, flightradar24 shows the inbound from Adelaide on the approach into Kingscote, after a total flight time just shy of twenty minutes.

The aircraft lands safely and then slowly backtracks until it reaches the turn off to enter the apron. Meanwhile, the marshaller looks like he’s doing his morning yoga while he waits for the aircraft to be close enough for him to guide in.

And why are there suddenly so many Italians at the gate? On Kangaroo Island, of all places! In total, I count thirteen of them, of which eleven are on their mobile phones and two are giving each other heart eyes. Initially, I assume they’re in a group, until I notice them eyeballing each other waryly, like they’re also trying to figure out what the hell is going on here.

Boarding

Boarding for our 10h40 departure starts at 10h30. We’re running late. However, with only 28 passengers in total, it’s not like the boarding procedure will take very long.

The Cabin & Seat

I’m seated on 3A. Row 1 is empty, and on 2D and F is a middle aged couple. And good grief, the woman just won’t shut up. On and on she goes. I can’t wait for the engines to start up, in the hope they’ll drown out her incessant and, frankly, mindless yapping. But instead, it just makes it worse – because she just starts talking even louder. And when the crew make their safety on board announcement, the volume increases yet again.

There’s another passenger sitting directly behind the loud mouth on 3D, and somebody on 4D. And then after that rows 5 to 9 remain empty.

The Service & Crew

There are two cabin crew on this flight. A gentleman in his late thirties, if I had to guess, and a young lady probably in her late twenties. Both of them are really good. They take the safety on board demonstration and the subsequent cabin checks seriously. The one thing I really like about QANTAS, is that most of their staff give you the impression of being genuinely happy to be there.

Eventually, we take off at 10h53, with a delay of thirteen minutes.

A Small Inflight Snack

As on the previous flight into Kingscote, the service consists of a small bottle of still water and a macadamia and granola bar. Midway between Kangaroo Island and the mainland, we make 360 degree loop. As a result of which our flight time extends to forty minutes. The first officer comes on the loudspeaker to explain what’s going on, but unfortunately I can’t understand a word because the loudmouth old bag is still droning on and on at top volume.

Arrival in Adelaide

Our approach into Adelaide is unpleasantly bumpy, and there are rain showers passing over the city. The wind has picked up too and it’s altogether a lot less welcoming than it had been on Kangaroo Island.

The aircraft taxies onto its stand, which is the same one from where I departed a week ago, and then we deplane and wait by the aircraft until our hand luggage has been unloaded. Meanwhile, the yapper continues her onslaught while her hubby looks on with a glazed over expression and humming occasionally as he feigns interest in her monologue…

Getting into Town

I exit the domestic arrivals concourse and make my way over to the bus stop off to the left. In the distance, across the car park I can see the aircraft I deplaned from only a few minutes ago. A J1 line bus arrives just in the nick of time, as the rain starts to increase. From the airport it takes about twenty minutes back to the Sofitel.

Conclusion

While I was still on Kangaroo Island, the idea did occur to me one day to take the ferry back from Penneshaw to Cape Jervis. Eventually, though, I figured it would be much easier simply to return the same way I came. From Cape Jervis to Adelaide the only public transport available is to take a bus journey of two hours. Other than that, the sea looked pretty rough from above, and I’m not sure how much my stomach would have enjoyed making the crossing to the mainland in such conditions, even if it’s only 16km. I know, I know, my seafaring ancestors would be appalled…