Australia Kangaroo Island

Over a third of Kangaroo island is protected in nature reserves. It is home to native wildlife like sea lions, koalas, echidnas, wallabies, fur seals, a diverse assortment of bird species and of course kangaroos. In the west, Flinders Chase National Park is known for penguin colonies and striking coastal rock formations, like the sculpted Remarkable Rocks.  The island is home to 4,500 human residents, many who are engaged in cottage industries that enhance the natural attractions. This 3 days island adventure can be join in coach or private car touring. To truly understand the lure of Kangaroo Island, it must be experienced, and the only way to do that is to allow yourself extra time to slow down and take pleasure in all of the popular sights and sounds of the island.

2023 Departure Dates & Cost

October to March - Daily departures 

May to September 4 X per week - Tues/Thurs/Sat & Sun 

Join in group 2 day trip (1 night): $ 670 CAD / $ 550 USD
Join in group 3 day trip (2 night): $ 890 CAD/ $ 730 USD
Private for 2 or more - ask for supplement

Trip Highlights

• Explore the pretty coastal town of Penneshaw, with spectacular views of the South Australian mainland
• Join a guided tour of South Australia’s first lighthouse, rich in maritime history, at Cape Willougby Conservation Park
• Enjoy the stunning views of Eastern Cove and the amazing food at Sunset Food & Wine, while dining from either the a la carte or degustation menu (closed May to September - check opening hours on their website before visiting)
• Discover the quiet, friendly fishing village of American River nestled on a hillside of native bushland
• Discover the local successful honey industry ~ see the bees, learn about the extraction process and taste the honey flavours produced at Clifford’s Honey Farm or Island Beehive
• Walk around the Nursery while you wait for your gourmet pizza made with fresh produce from their garden at Frogs & Roses Garden Centre
• Visit Islander Estate Vineyard’s Tasting Room at Cygnet River and discover why these European style wines are so popular
• Explore Kingscote, the commercial hub and largest town on Kangaroo Island ~ with a population just over 2000, it was originally known as Queenscliffe and is a short distance south from Reeves Point
• Taste the award winning wines and enjoy the nautical delights at Bay of Shoals Winery, located just north of Kingscote, overlooking the Bay of Shoals and Reeves Point
• Stroll along the beach with your guide through a wild seal colony at Seal Bay Conservation Park, home to around 1000 of the rare Australian sea lions
• Hire a sandboard or toboggan and experience the thrills and spills of sandboarding down the spectacular white sand dunes of Little Sahara
• Take a picnic or go beachcombing along the long, curved, sandy beach at Vivonne Bay
• Marvel at Remarkable Rocks, a grouping of majestic granite boulders carved by nature, standing as sentinels over the Southern Ocean
• Watch the fierce ocean swells at Admirals Arch, a natural archway framing Long-nosed Fur Seals basking on the rocky shoreline
• Experience the wildlife up close and personal at Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary where you can take a guided nocturnal tour or stroll down Koala Walk ~ Koalas guaranteed!
• Visit the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park just out of Parndana and see a large range of Australian native animals ~ handfeed Kangaroos and Wallabies, get up close to Koalas and enter the Reptile house if you dare!
• Feast on a delicious seafood platter and enjoy the absolute water frontage, cliff-top views at Penny’s Restaurant in Penneshaw

Itinerary

Day 1: Adelaide - Kangaroo Island (L)

This morning you are transferred from your hotel in Adelaide to Cape Jervis where you will board the Sealink ferry to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. Upon arrival, you will be met by your knowledgeable local guide for your full day tour. Kangaroo Island is sparsely populated and offers superb scenery, beautiful sheltered beaches along the north coast and a rugged, wave-swept south coast. There is an abundance of wildlife on the island and the two animals who have become synonymous with Kangaroo Island are Seals, and of course Kangaroos. With over 215 resident birds species and many seasonal visitors it is also a haven for bird watchers and ornithologists. The island is also one of the few places in Australia, where you have the chance to spot koalas in the wild.

Today’s highlights include a walk among the seals at Seal Bay. Famed worldwide, this beach is the home of the 2nd largest breeding colony of Australian sealions in the country. At the spectacular Seal Bay Conservation Park, your guide will escort you on a memorable walk along the beach. This bay is home to a healthy Australian sea lion colony. Walk among the sea lions as they bask on the beach or among the sand dunes after their extensive fishing expedition. With your guide you are able to stand at a safe distance to these wonderful endangered creatures and hear them sigh and watch them at play. This is a truly unforgettable experience -- one that you will treasure forever.

Enter our exclusive Heritage-listed natural bush property to enjoy a delicious gourmet picnic style lunch with South Australian wine. Follow your lunch with a pleasant bushwalk or a stroll along the beach. Travel through the island’s interior keeping an eye out for koalas and echidnas. Explore the spectacular beaches and enjoy a bushwalk. Listen for Australia’s rarest cockatoo, the Kangaroo Island glossy black cockatoo and watch out for the Tammar wallaby, with its small fine features, in its natural habitat. Later in the afternoon, as the day draws to a close, see the kangaroos leave the safety of the bush to begin grazing on the open pastures. Your day concludes at your accommodation for your overnight stay on Kangaroo Island. Accommodation: OZONE HOTEL or similar (2 nights)

Aurora Ozone Hotel is located on the beautiful foreshore at Kingscote. The original section of this hotel on Kangaroo Island has a Victorian facade and amenities that blend with the refined atmosphere of old world charm. Enjoy the extensive menu made up of local produce and seafood as well as the panoramic views over Nepean Bay while dining at the bistro restaurant. Dolphins can often be spotted in the calm waters over breakfast. Sample some of the Islands’ finest wines from either the bistro or Ozone Cellars.

Optional tour: enjoy a nocturnal tour to see the rare fairy penguins

Day 2: Kangaroo Island ~ Flinders Chase National Park, Fur Seals, Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch (B,L)

Travel to the western end of the island and discover the Flinders Chase National Park, one of the oldest and most important national parks in South Australia. The park incorporates almost 20 per

cent of the island and much of it is a Wilderness Protection Area. See at close range some of the 10,000 healthy Long-nosed Fur Seals in their colony at Cape du Couedic and discover the formation of Remarkable Rocks. These large granite boulders balance dramatically on the cliff edge, which plunges 75 metres into the turbulent Southern Ocean below. At Admirals Arch see where the powerful forces of nature have cut through the headland to create this natural geological formation.

A delicious gourmet style picnic lunch with South Australian wine will be served in a secluded bush setting. During the day koalas can be observed peacefully existing in their treetop habitat.

By special permit, enter the Kelly Hill Conservation Park to see kangaroos and other native wildlife emerge from the safety of the bush land to graze on the open plains. Bring your binoculars to watch the antics of the pups playing in the sheltered waters below the cave, known as the nursery.

Day 3: Kangaroo Island - Adelaide (B)

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the ferry terminal. Take the Sealink ferry back to Cape Jervis, where a coach awaits to take us to the Deep Creek Conservation Park. Comprising approximately four and a half thousand hectares, with 18 kilometres of spectacular coastline, Deep Creek is home to a unique range of flora and fauna. Lunch at picturesque Victor Harbor located 1.5 hours drive from Deep Creek Conservation Park. Drop at your hotel (not included but can be requested.