Going out on KI RAD's boat with Ro and Phil was one of the greatest days of my life. I am not exaggerating. It was an unforgettable memory that my husband and I will treasure forever. The highlight was swimming with sea lions in a secluded cove -- especially because the animals were lounging on the beach when we hopped in the water to snorkel and then joined us in the water because THEY wanted to play. Two even followed us to the boat! A lot of tour operators bill themselves as "eco-friendly" but it's usually just lip service. Ro and Phil are doing real research, tracking and noting GPS coordinates of specific species of birds and marine animals for other researchers and agencies. We saw so many dolphins (including babies!) and the boat was ideal because you could see them just feet away and when they swam under us.
The next day we did a land tour with them and spotted so much wildlife (this was our focus), including koalas, sea lions at Vivonne Bay, goannas and more dolphins from a pier. I had connected with Ro online after the bushfires five years ago because I wanted so desperately to help, and I had found out she and Phil were visiting all the burn areas every day for weeks and weeks, providing food and water and trying to save what animals they could and ensuring they had some resources to survive. It was so special to meet these people I've admired from afar and see firsthand their selfless commitment to protecting Kangaroo Island's precious resources. And they are just cool people to spend the day (in our case two) with! I can't wait to rejoin them the next time we return to KI. I am so happy Ro took photos and videos of us to share our unbelievable experiences with our (envious) friends and family. read more