Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Getting to Kangaroo Island is fairly easy; hop onto the ferry (which can also take your RV) in Cape Jervis, and 45 minutes later you are in Penneshaw, Kangaroo Island’s main port. The 16km long journey across the gulf is quite luxurious aboard the large Sealink ferry where you can relax in the comfortable lounge, or take in the views from outside and feel the refreshing sea breeze on your face. About halfway through the journey you begin to see the contours of the island, and can’t help but wonder what it has in store for you.

With a population of around 4,500 people, Kangaroo Island welcomes close to 200,000 visitors a year,  but don’t be expecting crowds of tourists, like those in the many commercialised tourist towns around the country. Kangaroo Island absorbs the travellers into its 4,400 square kilometres, allowing everyone to enjoy a quiet private moment in its unspoilt surroundings.

Bottlenose dolphins frolicking in the sea

THE HISTORICAL TRIVIA

Looking at a map of Kangaroo Island, it’s fascinating to see the co-existence of a mix of French and English names for the locations. It turns out, there’s history to be told there. In the early 1800s, both Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin met in Encounter Bay, just off Victor Harbour, while mapping and charting the areas around  Kangaroo Island. After this meeting they decided to split the workload, with Nicolas Baudin mapping most of the South Coast of the island, and Flinders the North. That gave the island its unique naming combination, clearly present to this day.

ZOO WITHOUT FENCES

A zoo without fences is how the locals refer to the island, and rightfully so. It really is a saturated microcosm of what you see around the mainland of Australia. From countless kangaroos and copious birdlife, to shy echidnas and curious dolphins, the island is swarming with wildlife. For lovers of marine life, a boat tour is a must. Spotting bottlenose dolphins is no challenge around Kangaroo Island, as many pods permanently live in the area. Their curious nature brings them straight to the boat, where lucky tourists get to view these mammals’ playful nature up close. Dolphins also enjoy a bit of a play in the swell coming off the boat, so it’s not rare that pods will follow you around the ocean  for a few kilometres. Other sea mammals to keep an eye out for are Australian sea lions and New Zealand fur seals. They are best spotted closer to shore, lying on the rocks, soaking up the sunshine between swims.

While on the boat you also enjoy the views of the highest coastal cliffs in Australia, which rise to 200m in some places. These cliffs define the island, making it a natural fortress. The layers of the sedimentary rock in the cliffs go back millions of years, and display history of when the island, the mainland, and Antarctica were joined as one land called Gondwana.

If you haven’t spotted sea lions out at sea, don’t be disheartened. Seal Bay is home to Australia’s third largest colony of sea lions and is a must-visit while on Kangaroo Island. An 800m boardwalk offers fantastic views of the colony, as well as breathtaking scenery in the distance. Being endemic to South Australia and the south coast of Western Australia, the sea lions of Seal Bay are the rarest species of seals in the world, but unfortunately their breeding pattern is not in their favour for quick population growth. The females have the longest gestation period out of all sea lion species, lasting 18 months, and they can only have one pup at a time. This means the breeding season changes from year to year, but if you’re lucky enough to be visiting at the right moment, you’ll be able to watch these playful pups rolling around on the beach, practising their fighting skills. It is a truly unbelievable experience to be able to observe them in their natural environment, going about their day-to-day business.

A pair of inquisitive fur seal pups

INTO THE DIRT

Once you’ve explored the island from the outside, it’s time to head inland. For an island this size it’s not surprising that it has plenty to offer. Whether you’re a keen 4x4er or like to hike, there’s something for everyone. Our pick was a quad bike adventure. With sand and gravel tracks, open grassland, winding tracks through native bushland, rocky climbs and descents, the island is a quad biking paradise.

After a couple of hours of fun using the quads, we decide to test our own quad muscles by climbing sand dunes. Little Sahara is the place to do it, and with natural sand dunes rising up to 70m tall, it’s a sandboarding heaven. The way down is fun, fast, and exciting. Expect to fall over a couple of times too, but getting thrown into the sand is all part of the fun. The way up is much tougher though, as you are knee deep in the sand.

About 25 minutes down the road is Kelly Hill Conservation Park, home to Kelly Hill limestone caves, which are perfect to explore any time of the year. In fact, the caves are known for their own little microclimate with temperatures of 16°C and humidity levels of 70-80 per cent, no matter what the weather is outside. For people with a thrill for real adventure there are caving tours which will have you crawling your way  through an underground maze of smaller caverns.

The wild and rugged coastline of Kangaroo Island makes for some great photo opportunities

THE ICONIC LOOK

If you ever ‘Google’ Kangaroo Island, you can’t go past the images of the Remarkable Rocks, a unique formation on the south-western corner of the island. The massive granite boulders are believed to have originated from a volcanic activity more than 500 million years ago, and the unusual shapes of the rocks have been naturally sculpted by unobstructed ocean winds and rain. The rocks sit atop a massive granite outcrop, about 75m above sea level, which makes for a perfect viewing platform to sit down and take a moment to stare into the depths of the Southern Ocean. Looking  into the distance, thinking that the next bit of land on the horizon is Antarctica, really does make you feel like you’re on the edge of the world!

Just a 10 minute drive from the Remarkables is Admiral’s Arch, a stunning rock opening onto the ocean created by years of corrosion. It is a great spot to admire a colony of New Zealand fur seals, who have made the landmark their home. A lot less crowded, it is also a perfect place to enjoy a sunset, looking out towards the ocean, mesmerized by the burst of light coming in through the rocks and reflecting on the water. Just a short boardwalk up, and you’ll get to the Cape du Couedic Lightstation, which has been guarding the island’s southwest coast since 1909.

Tackling the tough tracks on quad bikes

Unfortunately, every trip comes to an end, and when you’re on Kangaroo Island there’s a return ferry to catch. Looking back onto the island, as the ferry glides away, every visitor plans to come back one day.

With its prehistoric natural attractions and friendly locals, it really is a destination that will leave a soft spot in anyone’s heart. Enjoying a glass of red on the ferry, time goes by quickly and before you know it you’re disembarking back onto the mainland, and back to reality - until next time!

Admiring the beauty of the Remarkable Rocks

HOMEWARD BOUND WITH HONEY

One of the best things to bring home from Kangaroo Island is honey. Kangaroo Island is home to the most pure strain of Ligurian bees in the world, which are best known for producing premium quality honey with increased health benefits. The Ligurian bees came from Italy in the late eighteen hundreds. However, disease and cross breeding has since wiped the original bee colony in Italy, leaving Kangaroo Island to the only home to this unique species.

Category: Destinations
Written: Tue 01 May 2018
Printed: May, 2018
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