Overnight the wind sprang up, and the cottage roof and windows were rattling as we woke. It was still sunny and warm, but very breezy. Our plan was to explore the northern section of the island, all the way to Cape Wickham at the tip, before returning to Currie for to sample King Island beef for dinner.

First stop was Yellow Rock Beach, reached by a walking track which climbed over a couple of dunes, then twisted its way downwards through coastal saltmarsh vegetation.  We followed the Yellow Rock River to its end point on the beach, then walked along the water’s edge. At low tide you can see the remains of the “Shannon”, a paddle steamer which was wrecked here in 1906. All that’s left is the boiler and pistons.

It’s pretty rare to have an entire beach to yourself, but we were the only people for miles and miles. In fact you could count on one hand the number of people we saw all day.  It was beautiful – just us and the seagulls.  We meandered happily along the white sand to the shipwreck site and back. Ian even braved the water.

Ready for lunch, we pressed on to Cape Wickham. The famous lighthouse is not only the oldest structure on the island, but is the tallest lighthouse in the southern hemisphere. It was certainly built to last; but despite the thickness of its solid base, it rises gracefully 52 metres above the headland. Unfortunately it came into operation too late to save the lives of the many who perished in numerous shipwrecks. It was automated way back in 1918, and ceased operation altogether in 1989.

We retraced our steps south, before heading across to the eastern side of the island.  Pennys Lagoon is one of only a handful of perched (suspended) lakes in the world, and is a peaceful swimming spot.  We were accosted by “Samson” who was more the size of a rabbit than a dog. The half dozen people enjoying a lakeside BBQ was the biggest gathering of humanity we saw all day.

After a quick stop at the Lavinia surf beach, then Disappointment Bay, it was time to return to Currie, but first we wanted to see Porkys Beach.  Not so much a beach as a jumble of wave-sculpted rocks, we had fun clambering around, while the slowly setting sun made the water sparkle.  The piles of dried kelp made interesting decorative shapes, and crunched under our feet.

We managed to negotiate the road home without hitting a wallaby or a brush turkey, both prolific along the roadsides at dusk. Our Darwinian theory is that the smart wallabies have survived by learning to run away from cars, rather than into them, and so the species has developed more road sense over time.

Dinner – King Island beef with mushroom sauce, chips and salad. Dessert – triple choc brownie with custard. Supper – King Island brie with crackers.  It’s a tough life…