Recently updated on January 22nd, 2020 at 10:04 pm
If Kangaroo Island isn’t already on your wish-list of places to go, that’s about to change; Australia’s third largest island, just off the south coast, is a pristine wilderness of wildlife-rich bushland, national parks and wetland, and a sprawling 509 kilometres of untouched coastline. Naturally, kangaroos have their place in the habitat here, but so do long-nosed fur seals, platypus and koalas, among many more resident species. Then there’s the food, another of the island’s great draws with an extraordinary wealth of locally grown and sourced produce. We take a look at the best things to do on Kangaroo Island, while savouring these enticing characteristics.
In part owing to the island’s isolation, but also due to the careful protection of its natural environment, Kangaroo Island is simply teeming with wildlife. Testament to this is the island’s name, which was adopted in 1800 by Captain Matthew Flinders due to the land’s abundance of roaming kangaroos. These kangaroos are still here to this day, along with the world’s third largest colony of long-nosed fur seals at Seal Bay Conservation Park, which – alongside a colony of Australian sea lions – bask on the white sand shores. Local specialists lead visitors to the conservation area on guided walks to see these marine mammals up close.
Both sea lions and long-nosed fur seals can also be seen on the shores around Kangaroo Island’s two most iconic landmarks; Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch both sit within Flinders Chase National Park, the first of which is believed to have been sculpted by the elements over the course of 500 million years. Within the park, over 7,000 fur seals breed around Cape du Couedic alone; wallabies and kangaroos can be seen along the park’s trails, with koalas hidden in the eucalyptus trees; and platypus can be spotted basking in the park’s waterholes.
It’s also the island’s isolation and the islanders’ reverence for their natural environment that affords Kangaroo Island its wealth of local produce. Continuing the legacy of many previous generations, islanders grow produce on the verdant land, fish in the surrounding waters and produce small-batch artisanal food and wine. In the island’s laidback hubs, such as the small town of Penneshaw, people tuck into freshly caught lobster, oysters that have been foraged from the seabed, sheep’s cheese made by local farmers, and the island’s own honey, washed down with wine from the vineyards dotted along Fleurieu Peninsula.
One of Kangaroo Island’s great culinary prides is marron (freshwater crayfish), which are best eaten at their source, Andermel Marron farm. Here, guided tours of the farm are followed by tastings of the crayfish. The Marron Café serves up fresh marron and other seafood – the Poachers Platter encompasses oven baked Andermel Marron with scallops, Szechuan spiced prawns, and salt and pepper squid – with house-made bush tucker sauces and Two Wheeler Creek wines from the adjoining vineyard.
Perhaps the best way to follow such a feast is by stopping off at South Australia’s only boutique distillery, Kangaroo Island Spirits. Award-winning gin, vodka and liqueurs, which are all crafted from native Australian botanicals and locally sourced or grown ingredients, are showcased through the distillery’s cellar door experience. Don’t miss out on the distillery’s greatest pride, wild gin made in a copper still with native juniper berries.
With any spare time, it’s worth simply soaking up the unique spirit of this island; with underground caverns and shipwrecks off the coast (signalling the history to which this island owes many of its French place names), and a vibrant arts community, you know there will always be plenty of things to do on Kangaroo Island.
Visit Kangaroo Island on the Taste of Southern Australia trip.
Image credits: Cover photo of Kangaroo Island © iStock / 4FR. Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island © iStock / twobluedogs. Wild kangaroos © iStock / 4FR. Remarkable Rock © iStock / swissmediavision. Pennington Bay © iStock / Oliver_Koch.