Kangaroo Island: Coast LineKangaroo Island is in South Australia. It is a romantically unruly place, its character environmental and historic comprehensively shaped by the unforgiving force of the Southern Ocean. But you will find that along side its rough and rugged features, such as towering cliffs, windswept plains and gnarled coastal scrub, the island offers pockets of peace and tranquillity, sandy coves where, in good weather, the sappphire waters are as calm and clear as those in the tropics. Within two hour's
drive of Adelaide, Kangaroo Island offers the sparse beauty, vast skies and remote atmosphere so characteristic of the South Australian Coast line.

The Island is Australia's third largest island. Kangaroo is a popular tourist destination, but remains free of major development. There are only small towns, no resorts, shacks and the odd heritage lighthouse, sandwiched between scenic stretches of coastline where various forms of wildlife, including famously
large colonies of sea mammals, thrive. The opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast are endless, with walking, fishing, diving, camping, surfing and sailing all on offer. We love it as for families, there are protected calm-water coves for picnics and bathing. A real family holiday.

Kangaroo Island is treasure for its wildlife. More than half the island has never been cleared of vegetation,and numerous reserves and conservation parks, including five significant Wilderness Protection Areas guarantee that it will remain wild and spectacular. These measures and the absence of foxes and rabbits combine to provide safe habitats for an extraordinary variety of wildlife, some of which have disappeared from the mainland.

How to get there

The Island is a 30 minute flight from Adelaide. The airport is 13 km from Kingscote, the island's principal town transport is available, but you have to make sure you arrange it at the time of booking your flight.

When you are a first time visitor to Kangaroo Island there are two things that will strike you. First, the island's large size: it covers over 4409 sw km, and stretches 156 km from east to west, certainly more than can be managed in a day trip. Second the pervading air of isolation: the island , just 16 km from Cape Jervis in South Australia's South East, is of another era entirely. We found Low-key villages service the needs of the 4000 residents and 120,000
annual visitors, but there are no traffic lights and few sealed roads. Half the island remains uncleared and parks and reserves claim a good third of the total area. By community consent there are no resorts. The accommodation on offer- campsites, caraven parks small motels, intimate B and Bs, suit most who visit the Island.

If you love beaches, Kangaroo Island is a must to visit. I have picked some of the Island's best beaches that we got to visit on our trip, of course there are more but these are my best pick:

Vivonne Bay voted by marine scietists as one of Australia's best beaches is long and curved, with safe swimming, surfing, fishing and snorkelling.

Stokes Bay is a large enclosed rock pool that provides protection from the surf. Great for the kids and family.

Emu Bay is a 4 km stretch with vehicle access, fishing and safe clear water for swimming.Emu Bay Beach

Kingscote, the Towns Beach, is great for picnicking, wading and shallow swimming, another must to visit if you
have young children.

Chapamn River flows into Antechamber Bay and offers safe estuary swimming

Penneshaw Beach is know for it's great views across Backstairs Passage and safe swimming for all ages.

D"Estrees Bay if you love camping this is a must. Swimming and fishing along this unspoilt coastline is also
frequented by shore-wading birds.

Wildlife Watching on Kangaroo Island

If you are a lover of Wildlife Watching as we are Kangaroo Island is well known for this. Because the island has been isolated and the absence of predators for many years, it has given Kangaroo Island one of Australia's most impressive concentrations of Wildlife. On the South Coast, Seal Bay Conservation Park is home ot around 500 Australian Sea lions. These are amazing to watch. We got to experience these with a Ranger led Tour to the beach, The tour gives visitors an up-close, and personal encounter with these impresessive creatures as they sunbacke feed their young, and embark on fishing trips. We found out that the Island is home to 15,000 Koalas, several hundred thousand ammar wallabies, numerous platypuses and possums, and the Kangaroo Island Kangaroo, a species endemic to the island. Visit Flinders Chase to see this creature in the wild, or wildlife centres in Parndana and Stokes Bay. Waterbird watching opportunities are plentiful and amazing. Little Penguin tours operate daily from Kingscote and Penneshaw, pelicans are handfed in Kingscote and waders and native ducks can be spotted in the wild at Murray Lagoon in Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park.Koala on Kangaroo Island

Water Activities on Kangaroo Island

You will find that Kangaroo Island has endless opportunities for outdoor activitities.Anglers are extremely well catered for, with very good onshore jetty, rock platform and beach locations. The jetty at Kingscote is one of South Australia's best, yielding King George whiting in consistent numbers, particularly Western River, after dark. Small boat anglers enjoy the sheltered waters of American River where, again the whiting is very reliable. You will find that Kingscote, American River, Western River, Penneshaw and Emu Bay are all bases for Charter operators, who take visitors out among the sharks, blue fin tuna and yellowtail kingfish.

If you are a diver you can explore the natural beauty and maritime heritage of the surrounding waters. The clear waters of the north, coast have underwater landscapes of coral walls, coves, swim-throughs and ledges. We where amazed as some 240 species of fish, leafy and weedy sea dragons, seals and dolphins keep divers company. At least 50 ships have been wrecked off the island's coastline. Not all are accessible to divers, but those
that are include Portland Maru off Cape Torrens and Fanny M, the remains of which lien in an accessible 5 to 7 m of clear water offshore from Kingscote. Shore diving is also very popular on Kangaroo Island. Dont worry if you are not an experienced diver there are many schools on the island that can cater for you. Other Water Activities on the Island include, surfing and sailing.

Camping on Kangaraoo Island

This is a favourtie of ours. We love to camp. Permits are required to camp and are readadly available on the Island. We camp at the Rocky River Campground every two years. The Rocky river has water, showers, gas barbecues and a store for supplies. Walking tracks lead off from the major visitor areas. But you must remember that Areas of the West Coast are remote: stick to the tracks or trails, carry sufficient water and advise a responsible person of your itinerary.

When to go

Year round. The mainland heats up in Febuary, but coastal breezes keep temperatures manageable, Kangaroo Island is subject to cool and blustery condtions during winter.

Must see, must do

Dive on Aldinga Reef
Stroll amount the Australian Sea lions at Seal Bay
Walk Kangaroo Island's west coast
Fish offshore
Dine on the cliff tops at Port Willunga.

Penguins at nightThe highlight of my trip to Kangaroo Island was the Penguins. Join Little Penguins on their nightly procession from the waters around Kingscote and Penneshaw to cosy seaside burrows. The friendly folk of the 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, amazing cuttlefish and reef fish. After dodging seals, sharks and outboard motors all day to find food to feed their chicks, these fairy penguins are about to do what is for them the scariest thing of all. They are coming ashore for the night.

As the birds move closer to the beach, a few brave individuals at the front hit the shallows and find their feet. Then suddenly, the whole group bursts out of the water in a great mass and goes furiously waddling up the beach towards the safety of their burrows.

Every day at four o'clock, Kingscote's pelican population gathers on the foreshore to await the arrival of Milton Turner, a fourth generation islander and his assistant. They know Milton carries a supply of fish morsels they so covet. Rain or shine, the spectacle occurs every day on this, South Australia's island
zoo without bars.

See the Seal's

SealsSeal Bay Conservation Park is situated on the south coast of Kangaroo Island, approximately one hour's travel (one way) from the main town of Kingscote on a sealed road.

Seal Bay is home to a colony of wild Australian Sea-lions. It is one of the few places in the world where these animals are relatively tolerant of people, and
visitors are privileged to be able to observe their natural behaviour. Australian Sea lions spend two to three days at sea foraging for their food and return to shore where they sleep and rest for two to three days.

The stunning scenery at the nearby Bales Beach in Seal Bay Conservation Park makes it ideal for a long walk. The Bales Cottage Picnic Area is great for a relaxing picnic.

Marine Tours

From environmentally focused pleasure cruises to full-throttle Ocean Extreme rides, Kangaroo Island Marine Tours has something for everyone. Join a one-hour, half or full-day excursion from Kingscote or Emu Bay and soak up the fun and meet the marine life on this comfortable, purpose-built craft.

Tours on the Island

There is a wide range of tours on the Island. Tours enable you to sit back and allow someone else to do the driving, and your guide can provide great Kangaroo
Island knowledge. Coach tours are available or, alternatively, more personalised four-wheel drive tours. Most tours will pick-up from your accommodation, ferry terminal or the airport. Alternatively fully escorted touring from Adelaide is available.

Below is one of the organised tours that we took. And the day to day activities on the tour. There are many you can take this is just one of them.
Wilderness Island All Over Four Day Tour - KIWT4

Join one of our local guides for four days of touring on this wonderful island.

Experience wildlife in its natural environment, view the spectacular scenery and icons and enjoy sumptuous food, delightful wine and travel in the comfort of our luxury seven seat four wheel drive vehicles.

With this package you will enjoy the Wildlife, Wildscapes, East Coast and North West Coast Tours . Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours operate flexible, personalised, small group, four wheel drive vehicle touring packages designed to bring you closer to the island's unique wild animals and nature. .

Day One

Pick up from Kangaroo Island Airport or accommodation.

Then off to the Seal Bay Conservation Park. Learn how the Australian sealion survives the rigors of the Southern Ocean. The colony of bulls, cows and pups rest on the beach where you can walk amongst them. We then enjoy a visit to the spectacular and vast sand dunes of Little Sahara.

From the South Coast we traverse the rural areas of the middle of the island via the Parndana Wildlife Park. North Coast beaches, Snellings and Stokes are perfect for a leisurely stroll to enjoy the sound of waves breaking on the pristine, sandy coast.

Nature walk through the drooping She-Oaks of Lathami National Park and observe the kangaroos and wallabies. This is also the habitat of the rare Glossy Black Cockatoo, and great country for the elusive Echidna. .

Day Two

Depart accommodation.

We arrive at Rocky River, headquarters of the Flinders Chase National Park. Here, kangaroos laze and Cape Barren Geese graze. The Chase is home to all our varieties of native animals and birds.

On to Admirals Arch, an ancient limestone formation close to the ocean, a perfect haul-out area for an active colony of New Zealand Fur Seals. Then to Remarkable Rocks, via the spectacular coastline of Cape du Couedic, where the forces of nature have carved modern sculptures out of the granite.

Travel out of the park to visit Koala Avenue, and a stroll through Grassdale Historic Farm. A short bushwalk searching for the Echidna and observing the colourful Kangaroo Island endemic Crimson Rosella.

Continue to Vivonne Bay, its crystal clear water supports a colony of Little Penguins. Your guide will take you to Point Ellen where you can fossick for shells on the beach and possibly sight a penguin in its rookery. .

Day Three

We head over to the east of the island and the little township of Penneshaw, then have lunch alongside the Chapman River.

We stroll along the beautiful Antechamber Bay to look for penguins and fossick for shells. Climb up the oldest lighthouse in South Australia at Cape Willoughby on the far eastern tip of the island.

Visit Pennington Bay, and the south-eastern coastal area where there will be plenty of great photographic opportunities. Visit a winery and enjoy sensational views while tasting local wine. We visit Cliffords Honey Farm, and if time allows, the main town of Kingscote.

Day Four

Today we travel to the north-eastern end of the island and check the spectacular view from Scott's Cove looking over Investigator Strait.

Stretch your legs, and in season, look for exquisite native flora. A great day in the bush for those enjoying the isolation and great outdoors. Wallaby on Kangaroo Island
Return to accommodation.

Operates: . All year by arrangement, except Christmas Day,

Accommadation on Kangaroo Island: http://www.acacia-apartments.com.au/ This is one of our favourtie Accommadation
apartments on kangaroo Island. And it is resonable priced to suit everybodies needs.

Exploring Australia's Kangaroo Island asin: B0002VO1FW