KANGAROO ISLAND
Separated from the Australian mainland about 9000 years ago, Kangaroo Island remains one of the most unspoilt natural wonders of the world. You'll find seals basking on quiet beaches; koalas munching on gum trees; echidnas wandering in search of insects; and kangaroos, goannas, wallabies, penguins and birds at just about every turn. One third of the island is protected as conservation and national parks, and half the island has never been cleared of native vegetation.
You can walk among huge weather-sculptured granite boulders at Remarkable Rocks and roll down the white sand dunes of Little Sahara. Dodge the wildlife as you hike through bushland. Stretch out in your own secret spot along the island's 480 kilometres of coastline. And retire to your own lighthouse keeper's cottage for the night. Kangaroo Island is a 30-minute flight south from Adelaide, or less than two-and-a-half hours by car and ferry.
At 150 kilometres long and 55 kilometres wide, the island is Australia's third largest. It has four town centres: Kingscote, Penneshaw, Parndana and American River. A coach service runs twice daily between Kingscote, American River and Penneshaw to connect with ferry services (but bookings are necessary). There's a major sealed road right around the island, but many smaller roads are narrow, unsealed and edged with scrub.
Marvel at Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, just two of the many amazing land formations within the 33,000-hectare Flinders Chase National Park. There's also the 1909 Cape du Couedic lighthouse and wildlife aplenty, including kangaroos, koalas, echidnas and the endangered Cape Barren geese.
Join Little Penguins on their nightly procession from the waters around Kingscote and Penneshaw to cosy seaside burrows. The friendly folk of the Kangaroo Island Marine Centre in Kingscote run nightly tours, and will also show you around their illuminating saltwater aquariums, containing a huge variety of island marine life including seahorses, cuttlefish and reef fish.
Take your tastebuds on tour through the island's growing range of gourmet produce: from award-winning sheep milk cheeses at the Island Pure Sheep Dairy to pure Ligurian honey and olive oil. Watch free cooking demonstrations at the Fish gourmet seafood shop in Penneshaw every Thursday; select your own live lobster at Ferguson's in Kingscote; or grab a freshwater crayfish at Andermel Marron near Vivonne Bay. Taste the boutique wines of this young wine region at the Sunset Winery Cellar Door or the Dudley Wines beside Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, before tucking into the finest local produce at one of many great restaurants and cafes.
Walk among the nation's third largest and most accessible colony of Australian Sea-Lions as these creatures doze in the sun after lengthy fishing forays in the Southern Ocean. Various tours are available at the hugely popular Seal Bay Conservation Park: you can join a park ranger for a guided walk on the beach, or take a self-guided tour on the more accessible boardwalk.
Take a sand board and ride the razorback sand ridges of Little Sahara, a series of spectacular sand dunes that rise out of bushland in the centre of the island.
