OzSTOC
OzSTOC Ride Reports, Pictures & Videos => RIDE REPORTS => Topic started by: on October 13, 2020, 05:26:29 AM
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A trip that was to be four days ended up being over in less than twenty fours hours. The day started with me doing my usual thing of departing in the dark. In fact it was still dark when I arrived at Cape Jervis.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/99183c03a497a881f0e01eadc1f96214.jpg)
I had been booked on the 0900 ferry after requesting the first departure of the day. I noticed there was one at 0700 and inquired about being bumped onto that one. No problems. Good start to the day. Here's a view of both Cape Jervis and Penneshaw from Backstairs Passage.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/d8ac7594437b5e9769e7d20fff2582dc.jpg)
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/ec3f7c4c7f6fcb74d6f608893c6af43f.jpg)
I'd been to Cape Jervis many times and wondered if the bit of land I could see in the distance was Kangaroo Island or just an extension of the Fleurieu Peninsula somewhere. This view from Cuttlefish Bay of Cape Jervis confirmed that you can see Kangaroo Island from the mainland.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/10d87b117f4202830338c61c874ca418.jpg)
I did ride a lot of dirt yesterday. The first of it took me to the island's most eastern point of Cape Willoughby where you can see this light station.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/09167cdb8e0ac6da45bb62028660b467.jpg)
Williamson once scoffed at South Australia's lack of highways but I discovered a few more today including the Queens Highway in Porky Flat.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/1cf345ca96a037378c01d3b6d7f46150.jpg)
So what does the Queen's highway look like? She must be so proud. It also had a road closed sign on it so probably not capable of handling English weather.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/0ee6f9e1dcaf779468c17eb4df5936da.jpg)
The views from Prospect Hill (aka Mount Thisby) on the border of Pelican Lagoon and Haines was awesome.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/08d8bcfbfdce1194ed6dba69c912dcf8.jpg)
The climb up here almost killed me though. I knew I was unfit since giving up football a decade ago but this confirmed it. This was taken halfway down. The kwaka is near the car.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/807e98d1d5578291aded5b1cdf4949d0.jpg)
In fact I was still panting as I rode through American River. I refuelled at Kingscote before making my way to Emu Bay and Stokes Bay. This was at the latter.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/c25d789463bafa8e9317c511ab9dcfe9.jpg)
I was content that everything I had planned to do on the day and some of what I had planned to do thursday I did. I returned via Parndana to Kingscote to refuel for the next day, make my way to my accommodation and walk around town. This is where the day turned sour.
Bemused by the building as shown in the photo on my booking confirmation for the Ozone Aurora Hotel email didn't have a check in area I found it in another building on the opposite side of the road. I also couldn't find parking so asked about that only to be told to park in the street. Pfft, their website says free parking so you would assume they have something more than street parking (which is also time stipulated). I was more than cheesed off, didn't fancy leaving my bike in the street overnight so rode around looking at other accommodation in the village. Just about everywhere was the same. The Kangaroo Island Seaside Inn was the only place to have out of sight parking so I went to the reception to find the door locked, peered in and noticed every key was in the pigeon hole boxes for their keys. Riding around the back noticed not one single vehicle so guess they've closed up shop (covid related perhaps).
Reluctantly I bit my tongue and returned to the Ozone Aurora and went to my room. It was filthy. I went to the manager and he came and had a look and looked at it said housekeeping hasn't done this. So whilst he was sorting all that out I noticed this wasn't the room I booked either. I'd booked a bigger room so I could spread my stuff out and also overheard another staff member say I couldn't have the bigger room because they had a school coming or something. So not had they downsized my room but they didn't tell me before hand let alone refund the difference. Is that theft or fraud? By this time I was pretty incensed and one night may have grinned and bore it, but three with the parking issue as well figured I probably wasn't going to enjoy my stay there. I'd already been out to Stokes Bay and Pardana so knew there wasn't much out that way, most of what was west of that was destroyed by fire in the beginning of the year so made my way back to Penneshaw, changed my return ferry to the next service and came home.
Spot was playing up. It didn't pick up the portion of Emu Flat, Stokes Bay and Pardana. My other tracking device stopped at Emu Bay and didn't get anything after that.
(https://www.imghostr.net/images/2020/10/13/f8242b835dbf54ea1966e40427d4b319.jpg)
Today I had planned to ride to Flinders Chase and paid for the National Park so disappointed not to be doing that. Not sure if I'll ever be back but can't see me doing it in the near future.
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Sorry you had to cut your trip short. Thanks for the RR and photos though :like
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What a bugger, Bodø! :||||
I'd be leaving nasty feedback on TripAdvisor or such regarding your crap accommodation! :law
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I'd be leaving nasty feedback on TripAdvisor or such regarding your crap accommodation! :law
First I am waiting to see if they refund me without hassle.
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So sorry to hear of your bad experience. I would have expected that KI tourism providers would have been falling over themselved to provide excellent service, to get the visitors back to the island. There's no excuse for dirty roomsa nd poor customer service at the best of times. :well
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I'd be leaving nasty feedback on TripAdvisor or such regarding your crap accommodation! :law
First I am waiting to see if they refund me without hassle.
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I was just checking out TripAdvisor and it seems you're not the only one complaining about dirty rooms etc...
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So sorry to hear of your bad experience. I would have expected that KI tourism providers would have been falling over themselves to provide excellent service, to get the visitors back to the island. There's no excuse for dirty rooms and poor customer service at the best of times. :well
Everywhere had the #bookthemout posters up so I would have thought the same. The fact they didn't give me the room I booked and thought I wouldn't notice me really annoyed me. I am still awaiting a response for my email. Rusty's comment also made me have a look at Trip Adviser reviews, which as a rule I do take with a grain of salt. Bell City in Preston is my Melbourne go-to place. It gets a lot of negative reviews but I usually leave content.
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Hey Bodø, my ears pricked up when you mentioned Bell City Preston...
Sue & I stayed there a couple of years back and...what a dive!!!
You're either easily pleased or you had a completely different experience to us!
Our room was poky, the double bed was pushed up against the wall, it was that small.
They had a single bed mattress protector on the double bed and no blanket to speak of as the thin cotton "thing" couldn't possibly be called a blanket...lol.
There was also exposed wiring hanging out of the wall and what furniture there was was in a very shabby state with strips of veneer peeling off.
The room was badly in need of painting as well.
The tiny "bathroom" was barely big enough to stand in...
Oh, and the aircon looked like it had arrived on Noah's Ark...lol.
What was so surprising though was the contrast between "reception" and upstairs.
"Reception" was modern, a complete contrast from when we stepped out of the elevator. Mirrors were cracked in the corridor, huge blankets of spiderwebs were covering the windows, and I don't mean a few cobwebs, they had obviously been there for many years and I reckon they would have made a better blanket than what was on our bed...lol.
By now you're probably picking up that we were slightly unhappy with our accommodation...I'm glad you have found it okay! :crackup
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I had an issue with aircon on one occasion but otherwise have left happy. I stayed there two nights prior to going to Tassie last year. I think Langers had stayed there in the past as well.
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That's good to hear... :thumb
Obviously they have a 13th floor or something and they've accidently sent us up to that level... :rofl
https://www.travelandleisure.com/hotels-resorts/hotels-no-13th-floor (https://www.travelandleisure.com/hotels-resorts/hotels-no-13th-floor)
Anyways, sorry for sort of hijacking your thread... :hijacked
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Anyways, sorry for sort of hijacking your thread... :hijacked
Not at all. Your comment that I am easily pleased only serves to emphasise how bad the Ozone must have been for me to get that irate,
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I got a reply from the hotel saying:
Thank you for your email and I do apologise for the inconvenience. I would like to clarify that you were originally booked into our Poolside Family Room, however we did upgrade you to an Executive Seaview Rooms at that time. Referring to the parking, our Front Office Manager offers you our back private parking for your motorbike, which is definitely more secure than the on-street parking. I would like to once again apologise. Please note that we refunded your accommodation charges from you billing.
Whilst I refute the upgrade part as the room I was given a key to was not an executive seaview room and the parking thing is new to me, but if he's refunded the money (have to wait until my next bank statement) I shan't take it any further.
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Sort of good news I guess... :thumbs
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I've calmed down now and still have next week off. I might give KI another crack next week. If I can get on the early ferry and back on the 1730 I could even do it in a day. May one night in a cabin on the western end of the island. Research says there is still accommodation there.
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As Bodo mentioned, I've stayed at Bell City Preston and had no issue but it was as a single and I'm reasonably easily pleased as long as it is clean and the bed is comfortable. I've been known to drag the mattress onto the floor if the bed is saggy.
Sadly I'm not surprised regards the Ozone, having spent much time on the island chasing footrot in sheep and staying at the Ozone (albeit several decades ago). There can be a bit of an "island" mentallity, if you get my drift. I'd have thought the bushfires and Covid might have changed some peoples thinking - perhaps not.
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I must admit I am less picky when I travel alone. Anyway, as I have two weeks off I decided to go back next week and have another crack at it staying on the west end of the island on wednesday, and back home on thursday.
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I must admit I am less picky when I travel alone. Anyway, as I have two weeks off I decided to go back next week and have another crack at it staying on the west end of the island on wednesday, and back home on thursday.
I'm looking forward to seeing some more photos then. The first ones you posted are great.
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I second that... ++
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Thanks for the RR Bodø, it sounds like you had a good time :runyay (apart from the accommodation :fp)
I'm also looking forward to reading all about your return to the island.
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I'm looking forward to going back, and the extra ferry trip return plus the one night's accommodation combined is cheaper than what I outlaid for the original three nights so I should actually be in front financially when I get the refund. The National Park has also said they'll let me use the pass I paid for tuesday on the next trip instead. Hopefully the weather is good.
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have to wait until my next bank statement
It's in and I was duly refunded the whole lot so financially I ended up about $42 in front.
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:thumbs. Great to see things worked out. It is a shame that some people do not give a flying fig about their job. I can now see why they have done a fluff piece on the news last night about jobs going in KI
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To be fair the person I spoke to on the day was quite good and the circumstances might not have been his doing. The ferry across is much the same as that to North Stradbroke Island in Queensland yet costs close to four times as much. The ferries I caught in Japan were cheaper sill.
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It's a shame the Government doesn't subsidise the ferry to Kangaroo Island like they do with the Spirit of Tasmania... :think1
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https://indaily.com.au/news/2020/01/13/ferry-operator-slams-sealink-subsidy-call-for-bushfire-hit-kangaroo-island/
I don't have an opinion either way, excepting in many cases subsidies disrupt the market place and obviously use "other people's money". In some instances they are warranted but I believe the case must be a good one.
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Until Rusty mentioned it I didn't give a thought to government subsidies, especially with regards to Kangaroo Island or Straddie. I just know the latter was a lot cheaper, and only thought about that when you mentioned the Wallaroo ferry. I doubt the operators in Japan get government subsidies.
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https://indaily.com.au/news/2020/01/13/ferry-operator-slams-sealink-subsidy-call-for-bushfire-hit-kangaroo-island/ (https://indaily.com.au/news/2020/01/13/ferry-operator-slams-sealink-subsidy-call-for-bushfire-hit-kangaroo-island/)
I don't have an opinion either way, excepting in many cases subsidies disrupt the market place and obviously use "other people's money". In some instances they are warranted but I believe the case must be a good one.
I figure our Governments siphon enough cash from us through fuel excise/rego that they can afford to plough a little of it back in the form of a subsidy... :thumbs
Here's what they subsidise the Spirit of Tassie crossing: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/maritime/tasmanian-transport-schemes/bass-strait/ (https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/maritime/tasmanian-transport-schemes/bass-strait/)
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I thought the subsidy to Tassie had something to do with the ferry being an extension of the national highway system, whereas Kangaroo Island isn't, so doesn't attract the subsidy.
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I remember them proposing that many years ago but can't seem to find too much about it these days... :think1
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I thought the subsidy to Tassie had something to do with the ferry being an extension of the national highway system, whereas Kangaroo Island isn't, so doesn't attract the subsidy.
I remember the first time I used a Murray River ferry and asked if I had to pay only to be told it was free as it was part of the road network. Since either side of the Kangaroo Island is the B23 then by the same logic shouldn't that be free? :Stirpot
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https://indaily.com.au/news/2020/01/13/ferry-operator-slams-sealink-subsidy-call-for-bushfire-hit-kangaroo-island/
I don't have an opinion either way, excepting in many cases subsidies disrupt the market place and obviously use "other people's money". In some instances they are warranted but I believe the case must be a good one.
In this case I don't think it would, because the other operator doesn't carry vehicles.
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I suspect in this case we just dont have a large enough population to justify a second operator and hence we don't have competition to push down prices. I'm glad we don't have a big population but occasionally we have to pay a price for this.