📷 Photo by Ondrej Machart on UnsplashKangaroo Island
Australia's third-largest island, reached by ferry from Cape Jervis, combines sea lions, fur seals, koalas and kangaroos with granite coasts, white dunes and quiet farmland, much of it protected.
- State
- South Australia
- Best season
- Spring to autumn
- Suggested time
- 3–4 days
- Nearest town
- Kingscote
Before you go
- Book the ferry and vehicle space from Cape Jervis well ahead, especially in summer and school holidays.
- The island is large: Seal Bay and Flinders Chase are about 100 km apart, so plan at least three days.
- Watch for wildlife on roads at dawn and dusk, and fuel up in Kingscote or Parndana before heading west.
Wildlife and landscapes
Kangaroo Island has no foxes or rabbits, and wildlife is easy to see. Australian sea lions breed at Seal Bay, New Zealand fur seals gather at Cape du Couedic, and koalas, echidnas and tammar wallabies live in the bush. Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch are the best-known coastal sights.
Recovery after the 2019–20 bushfires
Bushfires in the 2019–20 summer burned a large part of the island, including much of Flinders Chase. The bush has regrown strongly, and wildlife and tourism have returned, although some areas still show fire scars. Check park and facility status locally before you plan.
Getting around
The ferry from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw takes about 45 minutes. Main roads are sealed, but many side roads are gravel. Kingscote is the main town; park entry for Flinders Chase and Seal Bay requires a fee or tour booking. Allow driving time, because distances are longer than they look.
FAQs
How do I get to Kangaroo Island?
Drive about 110 km from Adelaide to Cape Jervis and take the vehicle ferry to Penneshaw, a crossing of about 45 minutes. There are also flights from Adelaide to Kingscote.
Is it safe to swim at the beaches?
Many south-coast beaches have strong rips and big swells, and few are patrolled. Choose sheltered bays on the north coast, such as near Penneshaw and Kingscote, and follow local signs.
Can I see koalas and kangaroos easily?
Yes, especially in the evening: kangaroos, wallabies and echidnas are common, and koalas can often be spotted in eucalypts. Keep your distance and never feed wild animals.
Places to see
Seal Bay Conservation Park
One of the world's rarest sea lions, the Australian sea lion, breeds on this beach on Kangaroo Island's…
Remarkable Rocks
Huge granite boulders sculpted by wind, rain and lichen over about 500 million years, sitting on a dome…
© Bernard Gagnon · CC BY-SA 4.0Cape du Couedic and Admirals Arch
A natural limestone arch hung with stalactites, below an 1909 lighthouse on the island's south-west tip.…
Little Sahara
A field of pale sand dunes rising unexpectedly from the scrub on Kangaroo Island's south coast. Sandboards…
Vivonne Bay
A wide, white-sand bay with a historic jetty and a sheltered estuary on the south coast. Rips and large…
Kingscote Wharf Pelican Feeding
Kingscote is the island's main town and the site of South Australia's first official European settlement,…
Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park
Rugged cliffs, surf beaches, salt lakes and shipwreck sites at the toe of Yorke Peninsula, about 300 km…
