Known as “a zoo without fences” for the accessibility and variety of its wildlife, or as just “KI” to locals, Kangaroo Island offers up endearing animal sightings pretty much everywhere you go. You’ll see spiny-backed echidnas scuttling close to the stunning Kelly Hill caves, joeys spilling from their mother’s pouches amid mobs of grazing kangaroos, and beady-eyed, fluffy-eared koalas eyeing us from gum trees at Hanson Bay wildlife sanctuary.
However, for sheer cuteness you can’t beat seeing a sea lion pup reuniting with its mum, as she slumps exhausted on the beach, after a long fishing trip out in the deep Southern Ocean. I catch this endearing scene from just 10 metres on a ranger-led tour at Seal Bay, on the island’s south coast.
With a significant portion of KI designated as national park and conservation area, the island remains incredibly well-preserved for wildlife and visitors alike. Flinders Chase national park covers much of the island’s west, encompassing lofty cliffs and remote beaches made for roaming on-foot, as well as the Remarkable Rocks, a collection of fractured, lychen-encrusted boulders that could grace an art gallery.
Also within the park is Admiral’s arch, a jagged window in the shoreline blasted by heavy seas and framing rock ledges where New Zealand fur seals loll like hungover adolescents. Those on the hunt for turquoise waters and white sands will find plenty of both in beautiful Vivonne Bay or, if you’re looking to spot birdlife, you’ll find flocks of stilts, ospreys and sea eagles around the Murray lagoon wetland area. Snorkellers will not be disappointed, either, by the shallow waters around the pier in the main town of Kingscote, which are home to leafy sea-dragons that look like something out of Arthurian legend and bizarre-looking, colour-changing cuttlefish.
The natural scenery can be enjoyed in sumptuous luxury from one of Australia’s top coastal properties, the Southern Ocean Lodge, sprawled lengthways across a clifftop on the south coast, or from four private cottages at LifeTime Private Retreats with equally dazzling views over the north coast. Both showcase the island’s gourmet streak, from succulent freshwater marron (a type of crayfish) and juicy American river oysters to sheep’s cheeses and excellent local wine.
With nearly 30 wineries across the island, it’s easy to intersperse wildlife experiences with visits to cellar doors, with Bay of Shoals, on the cliff-top close to Kingscote, among the most scenically located. And there is more island goodness – including honey from the island’s colony of rare Ligurian bees – in handcrafted gins, vodkas and liqueurs produced by Kangaroo Island Spirits, a boutique distillery.
Yet, for all its classy accommodation and produce, Kangaroo Island remains down-to-earth. Coastal campsites and beachfront cabins, such as those situated behind gorgeous Hanson Bay, afford some of the best views, and a former chef from London’s prestigious Ivy restaurant, Sue Pearson, fries up the freshest, tastiest take-away fish and chips at Fish in Penneshaw, where the mainland ferry arrives and departs.
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