Indiana James on Kangaroo Island: Ron views this marvelous collection of objects created in the Kangaroo Island region of South Australia
The cellar door at the Bay of Shoals Winery on Kangaroo Island offers an intoxicating blend of wine, fantastic scenery and the characters that fly in from everywhere to enjoy one of the North Coast's prettiest maritime settings.
An any given day, the pelicans grab the best vantage points. Inside the winery, the amazing creatures are immortalised on glass and high above, in the found objects gathered by artist, Indiana James. Originally from America's mid-west, this former geologist has settled on the KI's North Coast. In an old galvo shed, he gets to work on all manner of flotsam and jetsam - creating yet another pelican - this time in a hunkered down winter pose.
Bits of drift wood, old bed heads, rusted pieces of farm machinery - they all make it into his array of fish art, outdoor furniture and garden settings - like a sunflower stand and outdoor table made from old bits of plough.
But his lasting obsession has been with one particular feature of KI and the South Australian Coast - the ubiquitous pelican.
Indiana James: “A pelican's feathers weigh more than it's bones.” That explains the pelican's amazing capacity for long distance flight which, coupled with its incredible eyesight makes this a remarkable bird. It explains how pelicans know when there is water in Lake Eyre – not through some mysterious sense of instinct but something much more obvious.
Indian James: “From 15,000 feet above kangaroo island - there's a formula that pilots use to calculate the horizon - you can see it, you can see Lake Frome, you can see Lake Eyre, from Kangaroo Island if you are two miles up. That's it - there's no miracle. Pelicans can look at the horizon to the north and they see silver – they see water.”
The passion for these amazing birds is infectious - with Indiana's partner, milliner Linda Jenkins - also taking up the cause. Inside their 1850s Reeves Point cottage, which goes back to the earliest settlement here on Kangaroo Island and South Australian for that matter, the hum of the sewing machine is constant. When not focussing on pelicans - she tosses up a mixed salad of head gear.
All of Linda's creations are one-offs. A visit to the Bay of Shoals Winery really isn't complete without dropping into the two nearby studios - one where you'll find Indiana at work with found objects and the other in which Linda Jenkins handcrafts magical millinery.
The Bay of Shoals experience combines wine, art and stunning North Coast scenery and you’ll find it two kilometres west of Kingscote. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Bay of Shoals Winery
Near Kingscote
North Coast of Kangaroo Island
B & B accommodation
Bookings 8553 0289Published 10th May 2009
