Kangaroo Island
A scenic drive through the Fleurieu Peninsula and a short ferry trip south from Adelaide will find you in the pristine wilderness of Kangaroo Island, an ecological paradise with an abundance of native Australian wildlife.
Referred to as ‘KI’ by the locals, here you can enjoy exploring the diverse landscape that encompasses dense forest, sand dunes, towering cliffs and stretches of sandy beach. Just 13 kilometres from the mainland, you’ll feel a million miles away in this natural wonderland.
Once attached to the mainland, it’s believed that Kangaroo Island was once inhabited by native Aboriginals as long as 16,000 years ago. Intriguingly, the mainland indigenous people refer to the island in their native language as ‘Karta' or ‘Land of the Dead’ however why and how they departed remains a mystery. The island was formed due to the rising sea level after the last glacial period and resettled by European whalers in the early 19th century who found the island to be uninhabited, proven by the lack of campfires and tameness of the wildlife.
On an island almost 7 times the size of Singapore, there’s plenty to see and do. Walk amongst the free roaming kangaroos and the colony of Australian sea lions at Seal Bay and keep your eyes peeled for adorable koalas snoozing high up in the fragrant eucalypt trees at Flinders Chase National Park - a highlight for animal lovers!
Kangaroo Island is also home to stunning natural rock formations such as the Remarkable Rocks, an ancient formation perched on the cliff edge of the island, and Admirals Arch, a cliff face sculpted by weathering and erosion over thousands of years. If the timing is right, from a viewing platform you can observe New Zealand fur-seal pups playing beneath the arch.