Luxury sailing at Kangaroo Island

ADVENTURE doesn't come much easier than on this luxury yacht cruise to Kangaroo Island, writes Carolyne Jasinski.

yacht

"ARE you OK if I fall off?" the skipper calls.

It's not what you expect to hear as you set out on a sailing charter.

After all, the young couple running this adventure seem so confident.

But it's fine. The common sailing term means falling off the wind not the yacht.

As a dedicated landlubber, I have a lot to learn. And this three-day sailing adventure on the 21m yacht Lady Eugenie is the perfect opportunity.

It's a hive of activity. Ropes are pulled, others tied off and some loosened. Sails go up. They flap wildly then billow as they catch the breeze.

The Lady is Ashley and Renee Newman's "baby" and the backbone of a unique tourism venture combining soft adventure, luxury, food, wine and one of South Australia's prime tourist attractions Kangaroo Island.

The husband and wife team have lots in common the love of sailing is obvious but what lies beneath is a burning desire for chocolate.

In fact, Ashley's sweet tooth is how the couple met.

He walked into the Bracegirdle's chocolate shop in Adelaide where Renee was working and fell madly in love. And he didn't mind Renee, either.

It's no surprise that a Bracegirdle's chocolate adorns each guest's pillow every night.

Ashley, 30, is the skipper. Renee, 25, is the first mate. She is also a sailing instructor, dive master and a marine biologist a handy skill-set to have while pointing out the abundant marine life on their sailing adventures.

The pair have clocked up more than 36,000km working on yachts all around the world, including the Caribbean and Bahamas, and sailing home from Spain to Australia, so you know you're in safe hands.

We sail from St Vincent Marina at Wirrina Cove on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula.

As we pass Second Valley, Renee tells us about the leafy sea dragons that are found here and also on Kangaroo Island.

Divers, she says, come from all over the world to see these delicate creatures, which look like a sea horse with leafy wings.

It should take 3-4 hours to cut a wide loop across Investigator Strait to Kangaroo Island, Ashley says. But there is no hurry because lunch is about to be served.

The rubber tablecloth comes out to prevent slips and spills while under sail (they think of everything). Then the first of our delectable dishes emerges from the galley, courtesy of chef Simon Burr.

Braced with one foot either side of the galley, Simon has whipped up a plate of Fleurieu Peninsula goodies.

The food and wine focus is definitely on regional produce.

We have been blessed with perfect sailing weather. It's cool but the sun is out and the wind up.

We are encouraged to do whatever we want. Relaxing is one option, with a large cushion placed on deck so we can lie back and watch the island come ever closer.

Learning the ropes, so to speak, is another choice, and Ashley is only too keen to teach a thing or two about sailing. We can even try our hand at steering the Lady.

However, with a local Vale Ale in hand and cocooned in the warm central cockpit, watching all the action is enough for me.

Dolphins come to play off the bow. They swim in our wake then race ahead and flip over on their backs as if to show us how easy it is.

All too quickly Emu Bay on Kangaroo Island's north coast grows from a blip on the horizon to a 4km expanse of white sandy beach.

Anchored for the night, it's time to explore. The rubber dinghy ferries passengers to shore.

As the sun sets, it's time for canapes with the captain South Australian prawns wrapped in prosciutto with a lemon aioli. Dinner is served on deck and at the first hint of a chill in the air, blankets magically appear to wrap around our shoulders.

There is just a gentle rock to the yacht as we head downstairs to bed.

There are four double-berth cabins decked out in polished teak and understated elegance.

Each cabin has airconditioning and its own bathroom.

There seems to be a trade-off the bigger the cabin, the smaller the bathroom. My itty-bitty bathroom requires me to perform a three-point turn to get in, close the doors and find the loo hidden under a bench. Close it all up again, pull a curtain and the same room doubles as the shower.

Day two starts with cappuccinos and eggs benedict for breakfast, then a trip to shore for a full-day tour of KI (as the locals call it) with Exceptional Kangaroo Island.

Craig Wickam has led tours of the island for more than 25 years. This one has a focus on wildlife. It starts with a stop at Duck Lagoon to see the birdlife then Stokes Bay to discover what the locals have been trying to keep secret for years.

At first glance, rocky Stokes Bay looks ordinary. Off to the right, a pathetic little sign points to the beach. Follow the path as it weaves through a wall of boulders and the reward is a long stretch of bright, white sand and a natural rock pool.

Lathami Conservation Park is next. The forest of casuarina trees is home to the endangered glossy black cockatoos but it's the kangaroos, wallabies with joeys in their pouches and an echidna that have everyone fascinated.

Seal Bay is our last stop and it's no wonder this is one of Kangaroo Island's tourist hotspots. Guides take us on to the beach to sit among the Australian sea lions. From a distance of 15m, we watch them play, fight, sleep and feed their young pups.

We are delivered to American River, where the Lady Eugenie is anchored for the night. This inlet is protected but the evening is cold, so dinner is served down in the saloon.

Another night of blissful sleep being rocked like a baby and we wake to another full breakfast of fruit salad, muesli and omelets made to order.

The wind comes up as we head out into open water and smiles are plastered all over the crew's faces.

You can tell things are going to get exciting. Cheshire cats take over the yacht.

Hats are off. Jackets on. But those smiles aren't going anywhere.

Even chef Simon has come out of the kitchen for a taste of the action and his shot at the wheel.

Sailors live for this stuff.

We passengers, on the other hand, are a little wary.

Not scared by any means, but a little fearful of what all the motion might do with our well-fed tummies.

The trick to avoiding seasickness, Ashley tells me, is to stay on deck and keep the horizon in sight. It works.

On deck it's cold and windy but invigorating.

Those magical blankets have appeared again and sitting back in the cockpit, I'm as warm as toast.

Down under, everything, including the motion, is magnified. I can't be down there.

Our journey back to the mainland involves crossing Backstairs Passage a notoriously wild stretch of water in a stiff 25-knot wind.

We're sailing at 9 knots and there's a pleasant humming working its way through the rigging.

Haven't I learnt a lot! I feel like a regular yachtie unfurling the genoa, striking the mainsail, hoisting the spinnaker, tacking and going about. Not really. The only thing I am "going about" is my usual business of soaking it all in so I can spread the word.

We hug the coastline of the Fleurieu Peninsula, with cliffs, farmland still green from the winter rains, and elegant windfarms now our main focus.

It's been a mixture of thrill and frill-seeking and a unique way to see Kangaroo Island. And, given that the sun is over the yardarm (another useful sailor's phrase), it's time for another glass of bubbly to toast our successful sailing adventure.

The writer was a guest of KI Sailing.