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: under a white concrete dome on the shoreline is a replica of KI's first graffiti – a rock engraved with 'Expedition De Decouverte par le Commendant Baudin sur Le Geographe 1803' ('Expedition of discovery by Commander Baudin on Le Geographe 1803'). The original rock can be seen safely preserved at the Gateway Visitor Information Centre nearby.
Frenchman's Rock
Kangaroo Island
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.88 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
0.45 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…
18.84 MILES
Situated near Cape Jervis (which is 107km from Adelaide), Deep Creek Conservation Park has sweeping coastal views, a wicked waterfall, man-size yakkas …
13.35 MILES
About 28km southeast of Penneshaw (via an unsealed road) on a treeless headland, this tidy white turret started shining out in 1852 (SA's first lighthouse…
10.82 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…
17.95 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…
18.99 MILES
Out past Kingscote's cemetery, overlooking the shallow Bay of Shoals itself (yes, plenty of shoals), this established winery instills confidence with its…
Penneshaw Maritime & Folk Museum
0.82 MILES
Inside a 1922 stone school house, this salty museum displays artefacts from local shipwrecks and early white settlement (check out those girthsome…
Nearby Kangaroo Island attractions
1. Kangaroo Island Farmers Market
0.45 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…
2. Penneshaw Maritime & Folk Museum
0.82 MILES
Inside a 1922 stone school house, this salty museum displays artefacts from local shipwrecks and early white settlement (check out those girthsome…
7.06 MILES
A lovely protected beach, around 14km southwest of Penneshaw en route to American River and Kingscote. Good for a quick dip.
9.74 MILES
Loong beach between Penneshaw and American River, backed by rows of fancy beach houses. Go for a wander and see what's washed in on the tide.
10.82 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…
6. Cape Willoughby Lightstation
13.35 MILES
About 28km southeast of Penneshaw (via an unsealed road) on a treeless headland, this tidy white turret started shining out in 1852 (SA's first lighthouse…
17.95 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…
18.25 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…