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Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island [1] or KI is an island about 45 minutes by ferry off the coast of South Australia. The island is 160 kilometers across, and has an abundance of wildlife, natural scenery, wineries and beaches.

[edit] Understand

[edit] History

Kangaroo Island was separated from the mainland around 10,000 years ago. It was first explored by Matthew Flinders in 1802 during his circumnavigation of Australia. He named the island in honour of the feast of Kangaroo he and his crew enjoyed on the island. The island has not been inhabited by Aboriginal people for at least the past 5000 years. From 1803 the island was visited by sealers and whalers, exploiting the natural resources of the island.

In 1836 Kingscote became the first settlement in South Australia and significant parts of the island were opened up for farming. Sealing had just about finished by this time, with seals on many of the islands beaches completely wiped out.

From the late 1800s parts of the island were being actively preserved. Flinders Chase National Park was proclaimed in 1912. During the 1980s the island was seen as a opportunity to preserve species that were threatened on mainland Australia, with attempts at introducing several, including koalas.

[edit] Geography

The island is 160km wide and around 60km from top to bottom at its widest. The north of the island has more protected seas, with the south generally having larger waves, higher cliffs and stronger currents. There are still some white sandy beaches and inlets on the south, though, like at Pennington Bay, and d'Estrees Bay.

The main settlements are within an hour of each other on the east, with more remote areas in the west.

The cliffs and bays can be spectacular, and there are interesting geological formations along the south, the most popular to visit being Admirals Arch and the Remarkable Rocks.

[edit] Flora and Fauna

KI has abundant wildlife and large sections of untouched forest. Many species for which Australia is famous for can be found here like kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, and penguins. There are plenty of opportunities to see these animals close up in their natural habitat.

[edit] Visitor Information

The Gateway Visitor Information Centre is located in Penneshaw. The centre can provide maps, brochures, tour times, costs and can help to make bookings. [2]

[edit] Towns

There are four significant settlements on Kangaroo Island:

Kingscote is biggest town on the island, around 70km or just under an hours drive from Penneshaw. It has a small shopping strip downtown, which in addition to supermarkets has a choice of cafes, a bookshop, choice of restaurants, pubs, and a couple of other stores to browse. You can get fuel here. There is a harbour, and and some history to be discovered.

Penneshaw is at the east of the island. This is the place where the ferries arrive. Again, there is a supermarket, pub with food and a view, a pizza place, and a couple of other food choices. It has a more attractive cliff-side setting than Kingscote.

Parndana in the centre of the island and serving the farming community. There is a small supermarket here too.

American River is a small community between Kingscote and Penneshaw.

Some of the accommodation is on the bays on the south coast of the island.

[edit] Get in

There are two ways to get to Kangaroo Island:

[edit] By ferry

SeaLion 2000 bound for Kangaroo Island

Ferries travel between Cape Jervis on the mainland, and Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. Ferries carry cars and passengers. They have a small cafe and bar on board, selling snacks and small meals during the trip. There is also a cafe at the Cape Jervis end, selling a similar range, which is open for departures but not necessarily for late arrivals.

Standby travel is often not available for cars, especially on the popular afternoon evening services. You really need to book ahead even in the off-season. Passengers should not have a problem walking straight on. Booking over the Internet in advance will save you $10 or so on the fare.

For a short trip, it can get quite rough. The route goes from peninsula to peninsula, and doesn't spend any time in a protected area. Seasickness is experienced by some on the trip, so some preventative medication may be a good idea.

Two daily coach connections are available from Adelaide to connect with the ferry at Cape Jervis. The cost is $22/$11 each way.

• Sealink, 440 King William Street, Adelaide, ☎ +61 8 8202 8688, [3]. Ferries usually depart in the morning (9 AM) and in the evening to the island.. It is necessary to book in advance. $41/$22 each way.  edit

Coach connections are available from Penneshaw to Kingscote when the ferries arrive. Cost is $15/$8 each way. The total cost per passenger is $78/$41 each way from Adelaide.

[edit] By plane

If you are not taking a car with you, air fares can be competitive with coach and ferry fares from Adelaide.

• Regional Express (Rex) [4] ☎ 13 17 13 or +61 8 8553 2938. Regional Express operates 35 minute flights from Adelaide to Kingscote using a modern pressurized 33 seat Saab 340 aircraft from the Main Terminal at Adelaide Airport. Rex fares start are around $75.00 each way.

[edit] Get around

Getting around can be difficult if you don't bring or hire a car. However, there are plenty of one to three day tours to jump on, which can be booked in Adelaide and on the island, and there are some scheduled coaches between the towns, and transfer services to the airport and wharf. The island has 1600km of roads, both sealed and unsealed, and is 155km long.

There are no taxi services on the island.

The towns of Kingscote and Penneshaw are small and can be explored on foot.

Gravel road on KI

[edit] By car

Make sure you have plenty of fuel before you start your trip. Petrol stations are generally only in the main settlements and generally close before 6PM. The last chance for petrol driving west is at Vivonne Bay, but expect to pay more. Roads are good, there is little need for a 4WD. Petrol is usually more expensive than on the mainland.

[edit] Rental car

You can hire a car from the airport, the ferry wharf, or in Kingscote. There two operators

• Budget Kangaroo Island, ☎ +61 8 8553 3133 or mobile +61 418 839 057, [5].  edit
• Hertz, ☎ +61 8 85533133.  edit

Some rental operators on the mainland do not allow cars to be taken onto the island. Avis do not, Budget and Europcar both do - check with your preferred operator. In the cases where the operator allows them to be taken, they may not provide insurance while actually on the ferry. As always, consider the risk and insurance, against the cost and convenience.

Book ahead if you are renting a car on the island. The consequences of them being sold out when you arrive are that you don't go anywhere. Be prepared to pay prices starting at around $80 per day for a small car.

It is important to clarify insurance arrangements when hiring a car as both Hertz and Budget have more complicated systems on the island than on the mainland. This is due to a high number of collisions with animals, in particular during the late afternoon, evening, and early morning. Again, consider travel insurance rather than relying on the rental car policy. It is generally cheaper anyway.

[edit] By bus

There is a shuttle service between Kingscote, American River and Penneshaw. Booking is necessary. An Airport shuttle operated by KI Transfers meets all daily flights from Kingscote Airport and can arrange transfers to anywhere on the Island. For details visit [6]

[edit] By bicycle

Both Bicycle Rental and Bicycle Tours are available on Kangaroo Island. Bike rental is available when you get there, but if you are looking at booking a tour then Australia By Bike [7] offer fully catered tours of the Island. Take in to consideration that the island is large (155km long) and appropriate fitness is necessary if you want to ride the island.

[edit] By tour

Most tours run between 1 and 3 days and operate from Adelaide. If you make your own way to the island you can normally join a tour group at a reduced cost.

There are the "adventure" tour style, and the more traditional style tours stopping at they produce providers and major island sites on a fairly fixed itinerary. It is even possible to do a day tour from Adelaide.

Extended backpacker style tours of 2 and 3 days combine camping, budget accommodation, adventure and wildlife viewing, some even offer surfing.

• Kangaroo Island Tours [8]

• SeaLink Travel Group also offers day tours, coach tours and group tours of the island. [9]

• Exceptional Kangaroo Island, PO Box 169 KINGSCOTE South Australia 5223, ☎ +61 8 8553 9119, [10]. Small group or private four wheel drive tours, food wine and wildlife in the wild.  edit

[edit] By transfer

There are two transfer company's on Kangaroo Island, they can arrange for you to be transferred to anywhere on the island

• KI Transfers, [11].  edit
• Smart Car, [12].  edit

[edit][add listing] See

[edit] Wildlife

Koala at Vivonne Bay

You will see wildlife on Kangaroo Island, both in the National Parks and reserves, and just in the farmland surrounding the roads. Most wildlife are most active at dawn and dusk.

• Koalas were introduced onto the island in the 1980s, and a (possibly misguided) way of preserving a species that was considered threatened on the mainland. The population thrived on the island, to the extent that they have been causing ecological damage on the island. They used to be common in Flinders Chase National Park, but since the 2007 bushfires, they are being caught and removed to the mainland, to allow the area to regenerate. There are still plenty elsewhere on the island, but they are often difficult to spot. You can still see them if you are lucky around Vivonne Bay and elsewhere. There is a free 20 minute walk close to the campsite. Try your luck.

• Echidna are very common on the island. You can usually see a couple in the wild near the visitors centre at Flinders Chase, if you manage to avoid them on the roads on the way there.

Echidna in Flinders Chase Nt. Pk

• Wallaby and Kangaroo. There are no Red or Grey Kangaroo on the island, but there is a separate Kangaroo Island species, as well as Tamar Wallaby. Many of these are roadkill, so stay alert, as some of the Kangaroo are of a fair size. You should have no problems viewing these next to the roads if you keep a look out.

• Platypus. Another introduced species to KI. There is a platypus walk going to a viewing area about an hour's walk from the Flinders Chase Visitors centre. Dawn or dusk are the best times, and patience and a certain sense of fate is always necessary for platypus watching.

• Penguins. There are guided evening tours at Kingscote and Penneshaw, and the the paths near to the penguin parades are closed a dusk without being escorted. Still, you could get the idea with a binoculars from behind the fence line.

• KI Penguin Centre, Kingscote Wharf, phone 0885533112. The local aquarium in Kingscote. Has giant cuttlefish, seahorses and little penguins. There are daily guided tours to see the local penguins. (tours start 7.30PM and 8.30PM in winter and 8.30PM and 9.30PM in summer) The tour includes the centre as well as some interesting explanations about the southern night sky.
• Penneshaw Penguin Centre - Lloyd Collins Reserve, Pennyshaw, phone (08)85531103. Guided tour to see the penguins in Penneshaw. Tours start at 7.30PM and 8.30PM in winter, an hour later in summer.

Australian Sea Lions on the Beach at Seal Bay

• New Zealand Fur Seals. Hang out under Admirals Arch in Flinders Chase National Park. Steps and cliff walks get you quite close to their habitat, and their antics should keep you amused for a while.

• Australian Seal Lions are at Seal Bay Conservation Park, [13]. Daily 9AM-5PM except Christmas. Located in the south of the island, this park gives you the opportunity to see wild Australian seals while resting on the beach before returning for feeding on the sea. You can take an unguided walk along the boardwalk and to the lookout at any time. The beach is only accessible with guided tours. Entry fee is $12.50/$8.00 for access to the boardwalk and lookout only, or $27.50/$16.50 including the beach tour as well. Discounts for students, seniors and groups.

• Birdwatching. Murrays Lagoon. Bald Hill walk and Timber Creek walk offer 1/2 an hour to an hour walks to see the birdlike of the lagoon.

• Pelican Feeding occurs everyday at 5PM just behind the KI Marine Centre. It's a good place to hang out just before the Marine Centre opens. There is no charge but donations are appreciated.

If luck isn't going your way, and you don't want to leave the island without seeing the wildlife, try Parndana Wildlife Park. You'll be able to walk amongst the animals and have the kangaroos crowd around you while you feed them.

Remarkable Rocks

[edit] Rocks

• Remarkable Rocks, (in Flinders Chase National Park). True to their name, the rocks have remarkable formations. You can climb under them, over them and around them, and they really are interesting. The formation is around 500 metres from the carpark, and is wheelchair accessible. Don't let the kids run ahead, as the formation is on the edge of a lichen covered cliff, which gets steep deceptively quickly. (-36.049099,136.756439) edit

• Kelly Hill Caves, (in Kelly Hill Conservation Park), [14]. Open daily 10am to 5pm, tours depart. A nice set of caves. Probably nothing here of particular interest if you have visited limestone caves in the past. (,136.868191) edit

• Admirals Arch, (in Flinders Chase National Park). A dramatic natural rock arch. Views back to the Remarkable Rocks.  edit

[edit] Lighthouses

Cape Willoughby lighthouse

There are three lighthouses on KI, of which two are open for inspection (you can do to the top, and outside). The one that isn't open, unfortunately, is the one that has the original interiors left untouched. The two open ones have had the wooden steps replaced with modern steel and concrete. The tours of the lighthouses are included in the National Parks combined ticket.

• Cape Willoughby is a half an hour drive from Penneshaw. You can walk around the lighthouse area for a small fee, or go to the top, and get a tour with the history of the site for a little more. They have a Chance Bros, Class 1 glass on display in one of rooms below. The area is exposed, and usually very windy. The open air view at the top is bracing.

• Cape du Couedic Lighthouse is near Admirals Arch, at the end of the Cape du Couedic Road. You can just see it from the outside, and you certainly won't miss it when you are visiting the fur seals at Admirals Arch. A short walk from the lighrhouse you can see the remains of storerooms and a flying fox used to get stores up to the lighthouse - when they were delivered every three months.

• Cape Borda Lighthouse also runs tours, but probably doesn't see as many visitors as Cape Willoughby, due to a more remote location. It is of a different shape and style to the other two.

[edit] Lookouts

• Prospect Hill is on Hogs Bay Road, at the narrow stretch of land that links the two halves of the island, about 20 minutes west of Penneshaw. Matthew Flinders first ascended the peak, and it will take about 20 minutes to climb if you are of reasonable fitness. Steps the whole way, and a 360 degree view from the top.

• Reeves Point is the site of the first settlement in South Australia, just a 2 minute drive or 15 minute walk from downtown Kingscote. The lookout is nice, and there is a mulberry tree (bush?) first planted as part of a farm here during early settlement. Other interpretive signs pointing out the history of the area, and where things were. You will need a good imagination to bring it back to life though. Nice view over Kingscote.

[edit][add listing] Do

Sandboarding at Little Sahara

• Swim. Spring and Autumn are too cold to swim on KI, and the swimming season is really just the summer school holidays. The best swimming beaches tend to be on the north side of the island, the south side offering less sand, and more waves crashing into cliffs.

• Dive. The clear blue waters around Kangaroo Island make it one of the best spots for scuba diving in temperate waters.

• Kangaroo Island Diving Safaris, 80 Grange Road Welland, SA, ☎ +61 8 8346 3422, [15]. Kangaroo Island Diving Safaris runs Dive Charters out of Western River Cove. Diving with Seals and many other marine creatures including the famous Leafy Sea Dragon. Cost includes 2 Dives with tanks and weights and lite lunch onboard. Departing Western Rive Cove. $320.  edit

• Sand-boarding in Little Sahara off South Coast Road. Sand-boards and toboggans are available for rent from Vivonna Bay Store, about 6km down the road, they are expensive, at over $50 to hire. Don't try it on a bit of cardboard, as it just doesn't work: it wastes your time and the cardboard. If you want to sandboard, hire the board, wax it up, and go down the hill. If you aren't prepared to fork our the cash, don't bother.

[edit][add listing] Buy

Souvenir shops can be found in Kingscote and Penneshaw. You can buy your supplies at supermarkets in those to centres too. Expect to pay more at small general stores selling food and drinks around the island. If you are going to camp in the remote parts of the island it is better to buy ahead since shops are rare and expensive (usually limited to camp sites and resorts selling a few things) especially in the west of the island.

As well as the ubiquitous wineries, there are a couple of produce places around the island.

• Honey, at Clifford's Honey Farm. They have an interesting sparkling honey drink called Fresco. Pay $2 to go into the back room and see a hive and a couple of pictures of bees. Stay in the shop area and buy lots of honey products and souvenirs. For 20c you can have a piece of chocolate covered honeycomb, which if you like chocolate covered honeycomb, may just be the highlight of your visit to the island. For 40c, you can have 2 pieces, and for just $2 you can have 10 pieces. It just doesn't get any better. Try the honey ice-cream as well. It doesn't taste like honey, but it is really creamy and sweet.

• Eucalyptus Oil. At Emu Ridge Distillery. You can visit the shop - selling a wide range of Eucalyptus products. Do they really produce the lollies on site, or have they gone to the factory on the mainland and been shipped back to the shop? Who knows. They have a wallaby and a kangaroo which jump around in the shop, although the shop owner insists they are free to come and go as they please. They also sell feral cat skins for a few dollars, hunted locally. It is an environmentally friendly, albeit diminutive answer to the lion skin in front of the fireplace.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Restaurants and cafes are limited to Penneshaw, Parndana, American River and Kingscote and some small cafes along the way on the south coast.

• Ozone Seafront Hotel - phone (08)85532011 - offers a nice view on the local bay, serves seafood, local cheeses. Open daily from 7AM to late. Located in the centre of Kingscote.

[edit][add listing] Drink

The Penneshaw Hotel is country style pub, and gets busy serving food. Has large TV screens etc. It doesn't really maximise its location on top of the hill at Penneshaw, the place seems designed to stop you seeing the view.

There are also pubs in Kingscote, and American River.

There 28 vineyards throughout the island. Varieties grown are Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.

Wine tastings and cellar door sales are available at Sunset Winery near Penneshaw, Dudley Wines at Cape Willoughby, False Cape Wines at the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, Bay of Shoals Wines near Kingscote, and Two Wheeler Creek Wines at the Andermel Marron Farm south west of Parndana. Many of the local wines are on sale at the supermarkets, the pubs, and even the general stores like the one at Vivonne Bay.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Sleep!

Accommodation ranges from basic hostel rooms, B&B to motel style accommodation in Penneshaw and Kingscote. There is large range of rental home accommodation, catering to families. Camp sites are available as well.

You can stay in Lighthouse cottages at Cape Borda and Cape Willoughby.

[edit] Campgrounds

There are council run campgrounds at Vivionne Bay and American River.

[edit] South Coast

• Southern Ocean Lodge (Southern Ocean Lodge), Hanson Bay, Kangaroo Island, ☎ +61 2 9918 4355, [16]. A splurge destination! For very special occasions. Sits along the coastline with great views. Huge communal dining, drinking and relaxing area. There's a spa retreat.  edit

[edit] Kingscote

• Central Backpackers - Murray St. phone +61 8 8553 2787 Clean hostel with a friendly atmosphere, only three minutes walk to penguin colony, beach and pelican feeding. Offers a communal kitchen and a communal lounge. Doubles are around 60 Australian Dollars, dorm rooms are available.
• Kangaroo Island Seaview Motel - Chapman Terrace. Offers a wide range on available room types. Guestrooms start at 75 Dollars, Oceanview Units at $135, Suites and Apartments are around $155. See [17] for more details.
• Queenscliffe Family Hotel [18] - Dauncey Street, phone +61 8 8553 2254.
• Aurora Ozone - Kangaroo Island Hotel [19] - The Foreshore, Kingscote, SA 5223, +61 (8) 8553 2011 located on the beautiful foreshore at Kingscote. Online booking at the website.

[edit] Stay safe

Kangaroo Island is a pretty safe place but care should be taken when driving around the island by car. Slow down (less than 80 km/h is advised) specifically around dusk and dawn but also during the night since wildlife is most active at this time. None of the car rental services cover damage caused by collision with animals so be extremely careful. Road conditions are good - most roads are sealed - though some tourist locations can only be reached on unsealed roads which are usually well graded. Unsealed roads are often made with an ironstone top which can making cars skid when turning or stopping at speed. Drivers inexperienced on unsealed roads should be extremely careful during wet conditions as traction in a standard two wheel drive vehicle is very poor. The island itself is approx 150km x 50km; allow plenty of time to travel to your destination.

Peninsula tiger snakes are common in parts. Particular in areas around Cape Willoughby - where some grassy areas are even closed to the public. Stick to paths if possible.

[edit] Contact

There is an internet terminal in the public library as well as in the Aurora Ozone Hotel in Kingscote ($1 for 10 min). Also, a terminal plus wireless access at Sha's Colour Impact in the main street of Kingscote. At Penneshaw, both the Gateway Visitor Information Centre and post office have internet access.

Mobile phone coverage on the island is quite limited with GSM services provided by Telstra, Three Mobile and Optus around the population centres of Kingscote and Penneshaw and the road between them. Telstra provides limited coverage in the regional areas. Vodafone has no coverage on the island.