Kangaroo Island, South Australia - May 2015

Elaine Simpson on 30 December 2016
Kangaroo Island, Australia’s third largest island at around 155 kilometers long, lies off the South Australian coast south of Adelaide. It has only 4,000 inhabitants, most of whom are farmers, fishermen or otherwise occupied in food or beverage production and it’s a pristine environment with clean air, a few empty roads and a fabulous mix of farmland and wildlife.

The ferry goes from Cape Jervis at the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula to Penneshaw and we have a nice calm crossing.

The wildlife-spotting starts as soon as we land! On the drive to our hotel, our driver points out distinctive dark brown kangaroos grazing on the hillside, much darker than their cousins on the mainland. We are spending the first night at the Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge in American River, right on the coast overlooking the sea and we have a lovely meal in their Reflections restaurant before retiring for the day.

First full day on Kangaroo Island and we’re ready for adventure! Our guides from Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours pick us up early and we split into 2 small groups, pile into the 4WDs and we have ourselves a convoy!

After an interesting drive across the island often on dirt roads, spotting lots of wildlife along the way, our first stop is Seal Bay. You have to stay on the boardwalks over the dunes if you’re alone, but as we have a guide we can walk right onto the beach where the sea lions are basking. On the walk down we pass a mother and suckling cub right next to the path, totally unconcerned by our presence.

On the beach, you’re not allowed to approach within 10 meters of the animals but if they approach you that’s OK! We all hold our breath when a very young pup passes within 3 meters of us and flops down into the sand for a nap. These sea lions spend 3 days out at sea hunting and feeding 24 hours a day without sleep so when they return to the beach for 3 days it’s no wonder that almost all they want to do is rest, although there is a bit of sporadic horseplay amongst the juveniles – just like teenagers!

After creeping about at Seal Bay, so as not to disturb the inhabitants, we were ready for a bit of action and excitement. So off to Vivonne Bay to K.I. Outdoor Action: they have quad biking, kayaking, sandboarding and mountain-biking adventures for all ages and experience. My group is quad-biking and it’s fantastic: a great range of terrain and speeds, really exhilarating!

K.I. Wilderness Tours have provided us with a home-cooked picnic lunch of chicken and salads accompanied by the local wine which we enjoy on the porch of Rustic Blue Art Gallery and Café, located out in the bush and surrounded by beautiful sculpture gardens with a bevy of resident kangaroos. The gallery closes for the winter while the owners, both artists, go motorcycle touring around the world.

Well-fed and watered we travel to the center of the island, Parndana, to visit K.I. Wildlife Park; where orphaned and injured animals are cared for until they can be returned to the wild. We met 2 orphaned joeys: one very inquisitive but the other just burrowed down inside the blanket; then we met Chloe the Koala: so placid and more than happy to be cuddled by the whole group. There are kangaroos and wallabies of all kinds here, including 2 albino wallabies that couldn’t survive in the wild as they are blind; plus many more animals and birds that need a little help, some temporarily, some permanently.

At the end of our first fabulous day on Kangaroo Island we are treated to drinks and nibbles watching the sunset at Seascape Lodge; a beautiful end to a superb day, thanks to Mandy and Paul, the owners.

Day 2 on K.I. – more seals today at Admirals Arch, this is where they come to pup, so there are lots of oohs and aahs! This region has very rough seas and is renowned for its shipwrecks. We then travel a bit further along the coast to Remarkable Rocks – a natural rocky outcrop which has been shaped by the elements into remarkable shapes – very sculptural: think of a fusion of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, a great place. Today’s lunch is a gourmet picnic at a rest area in the bush and while our guides set the tables and start the BBQ we wander off to spot koalas in the trees; they’re quite difficult to see because their colouring camouflages them against the eucalypts, but once you get your eye in you see that there are loads of them hanging around, just chillin’. On to Hansons Bay Wildlife sanctuary spotting more wildlife – no cages, just animals in the wild in a protected environment: koalas, echindas, kangaroos and all kinds of other critters. Later we visit Southern Ocean Lodge: one of the most exclusive hotels in Australia, in a fabulous setting with all the rooms overlooking the sea, none can be seen from another and the décor is beautiful. Fabulous bar/lounge area, superb spa facilities and extraordinary dining options: it’s truly luxurious. Unfortunately, we can’t stay and are driven to our rather more modest but very nice, hotel for our last night in K.I.

Day 3 and our last on K.I – a day filled with flavours, scents, and tastes. After a short walk at Pennington Bay we visit local artist Janine Mackintosh in her studio home where she creates lovely pictures from leaves and seeds that she finds in the bush; her husband Richard Glatz also shows us his etymology collection, which is quite fascinating.

Next stop is Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery: seems like a small business but their products are exported worldwide.

Then on to a secluded bushland clearing for another fantastic gourmet lunch cooked for us by our guide: it really is amazing what these guys can rustle up in the most unlikely of settings!

Then an afternoon of delights: first stop The Islander winery to sample their range of wines. Then on to K.I. Pure a sheep farm which produces great cheeses and yogurts. Finally stop is at KIS for a gin-tasting! We couldn’t fit in the honey producers – had a plane to catch back to Adelaide!

What wonderful place Kangaroo Island is!