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Woman enjoying the scenery while sitting on the edge of the cliff at Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, South Australia 1301764622 vacation

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Overview

From Cape Jervis, car ferries chug across the swells of the Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island (KI). Uninhabited when Brit explorer Matthew Flinders named the island in 1802 and long devoid of tourist trappings, KI is today a booming destination for wilderness and wildlife fans. It's a veritable zoo of seals, birds, dolphins, echidnas and (of course) kangaroos. Still, the island remains rurally paced and underdeveloped − the kind of place where kids ride bikes to school and farmers advertise for wives on noticeboards. Island wine and produce is a highlight.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island, South Australia 873806000 formation, rock, flinders chase

    Flinders Chase National Park

    Kangaroo Island

    Occupying the western end of Kangaroo Island, Flinders Chase National Park is one of SA’s top national parks. Much of the park is mallee scrub, but there…

  • Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia, Australasia 148621964 animal, animal themes, animals in the wild, day, focus on foreground, horizontal, nature, no people, one animal, outdoors, sea lions, seal bay conservation park, seals, sky, tranquil scene, tranquillity, water, wildlife, Australasia, Australia, South Australia, Kangaroo Island, Seal Bay

    Seal Bay Conservation Park

    Kangaroo Island

    'Observation, not interaction' is the mentality here. Guided tours stroll along the beach (or boardwalk on self-guided tours; adult/child/family $16/13/42…

  • Snelling Beach, Kangaroo Island. Beautiful aerial view at sunset. 1131182815 beach, kangaroo, island, australia, travel, south, water, sand, nature, north, summer, coastline, midday, river, sea, blue, vacations

    Snelling Beach

    Kangaroo Island

    The best swimming beach on the north coast, with a lovely arc of powdery white sand and sheltered shallows. There's not much else at Snelling by way of…

  • "Located in Flinders Chase National Park, the impressive Remarkable Rocks are a cluster of precariously balanced granite boulders which have been shaped by the erosive forces of wind, sea spray and rain over some 500 million years." 178488085 "Stone, Flinder's Chase National Park, Textured, Grooved, Remarkable Rocks, Balanced Rock, Geology, Scenics, Nature, Kangaroo Island, South Australia, Australia, Boulder, Rock, Granite, Stack Rock, Rock Formation, National Park, Sea, Eroded, Nature, Travel Locations, Landscapes, Landmarks, Geological Feature, Flinders Chase National Park"

    Remarkable Rocks

    Kangaroo Island

    At Kirkpatrick Point, a few kilometres east of Cape du Couedic, the much-photographed, rather Dalí-esque Remarkable Rocks are a cluster of hefty, weather…

  • Frenchman's Rock

    Frenchman's Rock

    Kangaroo Island

    When intrepid French explorer Nicholas Baudin surveyed the KI coast in 1803, he came ashore at what's now Penneshaw for a look around. He left his mark:…

  • Clifford's Honey Farm

    Clifford's Honey Farm

    Kangaroo Island

    It's worth swimming the Backstairs Passage for the honey ice cream (sourced from rare Ligurian bees) at this charming, uncommercial farm, which is a bit…

  • Kangaroo Island Farmers Market

    Kangaroo Island Farmers Market

    Kangaroo Island

    Has baked goods, chutneys, seafood, olive oil, honey, eggs, cheese, yoghurt and of course wine and dodgy buskers (including, once, a certain Lonely Planet…

  • Ravine des Casoars

    Ravine des Casoars

    Kangaroo Island

    At Harvey's Return near Cape Borda, a cemetery speaks poignant volumes about the reality of isolation in the early days. From here you can drive to Ravine…

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