Occupying a former Mexican restaurant (glad they kept the 'Day of the Dead' mural!), Cactus is a progressive Kingscote cafe run by a couple of ex-Southern Ocean Lodge employees. KI wines and beer complement interesting cafe fare – the likes of homemade Portuguese custard tarts and a prosciutto-and-pear open sandwich with salsa verde, goats' curd and rocket. Buzzy street-side terrace.
Cactus
Kangaroo Island
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
29.45 MILES
'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…
17.83 MILES
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:…
12.95 MILES
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
17.39 MILES
Has baked goods, chutneys, seafood, olive oil, honey, eggs, cheese, yoghurt and of course wine and dodgy buskers (including, once, a certain Lonely Planet…
26.42 MILES
Check out some KI wedge-tailed eagles, barn owls and kookaburras (all in optimal condition) at a one-hour birds-of-prey display (11.30am and 2.30pm), or…
11.76 MILES
In a big tin boatshed near the American River jetty, the timber ribs of the new US Schooner Independence are slowly starting to resemble a hull. A…
15.7 MILES
Down a well-maintained dirt road south of American River, this remote beach is just the spot for a little soul-searching, a breezy paddle in the brine or…
1.28 MILES
Out past Kingscote's cemetery, overlooking the shallow Bay of Shoals itself (yes, plenty of shoals), this established winery instills confidence with its…
Nearby Kangaroo Island attractions
0.62 MILES
Built on the hill in 1859, this cottage is now a fastidiously maintained National Trust museum decked out in period style, with a reconstructed Masonic…
0.98 MILES
Runs 20-minute factory tours where you can study up on passive, hard-working Ligurian bees and bee-keeping, then stock up on by-products (bee-products?)…
1.28 MILES
Out past Kingscote's cemetery, overlooking the shallow Bay of Shoals itself (yes, plenty of shoals), this established winery instills confidence with its…
2.09 MILES
One of SA's original gin distillers (there are now more than 20!), this fiesty little moonshiner makes small-batch gin with KI native juniper berries,…
7.28 MILES
Started by a renegade Frenchman in 2000, Islander Estate is now a veteran in the KI wine scene, bottling-up un-oaked chardonnay, shiraz and a very fruity…
7.53 MILES
Lavender is yet another species that thrives in KI's Mediterranean climate. Follow the purple haze to this cute little roadside farm, where you can sniff…
7. Emu Ridge Farm Eucalyptus Distillery
10.37 MILES
A detour off Hog Bay or Birchmore roads takes you past this self-sufficient operation (all solar-, steam- and wind-powered) extracting eucalyptus oil from…
11.76 MILES
In a big tin boatshed near the American River jetty, the timber ribs of the new US Schooner Independence are slowly starting to resemble a hull. A…