Victor Harbor and Granite Island

The Mouth of the Murray was our first destination this morning.  The mouth is an opening in the coastal dune system (The Coorong) which separates the river system from the ocean. The Murray river drains into the Southern Ocean just off of Hindmarsh Island.  The mouth of the Murray is in danger of closing due to low flow in the Murray river. The South Australian Government is in the middle of a project where they are removing sand from the mouth in hopes of keeping it open.  

After lunch we headed to Urimbirra Wildlife Park where we were able to see all sorts of Australian wildlife.  According to Aiden, the best part was petting the Koala and feeding the Kangaroos.  

In the evening we walked across the causeway to Granite Island.  Granite Island is a small island next to Victor Harbor and is home to a small colony of  little penguins (commonly called "fairy penguins"). We went on a guided tour at dusk in hopes of seeing the little penguins returning form their day of fishing.  The island is not as commercial as Phillips Island and is a much smaller scaled operation.  We were able to see a few penguins returning home but they were hard to see in the low light. 

The next morning we caught the Horse Drawn Tram across the causeway and hiked the Kaiki Walk.  It is a walking trail loop that winds around the island, displaying its natural beauty and great ocean views. 

We grabbed a bite to eat and did a little shopping before heading out of town.  We drove west down along Fleurieu Peninsula and along the Gulf St Vincent.  We stopped at Normanville for the night and spent the evening at the beach.