Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island; Island of cuddliness

With a name like that, you know you’re going to get right down to business. Kangaroo Island is exactly that, and much more. It’s an animal lover’s delight.

To begin, there is plenty to see and do. Besides the obvious, Kangaroo Island is a major fishing island and also is home of the oldest bee sanctuary in the world. In 1881, Ligurian bees were brought in from Italy and now this Island has the only pure strain of this type of bee left. This is why there is a ban on bringing in honey or bees from the mainland (in case you wondered).

Seals bask in the sun at Seal Bay, and you can get a ranger guided tour amongst them if you’d like. The tour is the only way you can get onto the beach itself, so it’s worth your while as Seal Bay is the most popular tourist attraction in Kangaroo Island. Little Sahara is a mini desert on the south coast of the island with enormous sand dunes, and on the opposite end of the scale, Kelly Hill Caves can get you a guided cave tour. Aquatic bird life on the island congregates at Murray Lagoon and you can get a 360 degree view of the Island from the top of Mount Thisby (alternatively named Prospect Hill).

Now that we have the other stuff out of the way, let’s back to the kangaroo’s and koalas. Kangaroo Island is a major park for travellers, not only for its camping sites and trails, but for the numerous endangered species that inhabit the area. From this site you can also access Admiral’s Arch, the lighthouses at Cape Borda and Cape du Couedic as well as the Remarkable Rocks (left).

The biggest township on Kangaroo Island is Kingscote, where you can find all the things you’ll need, banks, petrol, food etc. just be aware that is tough to find a petrol station open after 6pm.

Only Hertz car rental will allow you to rent a car and drive it on the ferry to Kangaroo Island, so be sure to book with them so you don’t spoil your arrangements. Other suppliers might void your insurance if you travel there and this can get pricey if you get down and dirty Aussie style during your trip on the Island.