Kangaroo IslandKangaroo Island Attractions Fauna Flora Remarkable Rocks
Only 110 km south of Adelaide and 16 km off the coastline of South Australia is Kangaroo Island. Surrounded by unspoilt beaches, with one third of the island conserved in 21 National Parks, and teeming with wildlife, this unspoilt wilderness area is a must visit.
There is so much to see and do on the island, that visitors often remark “We didn’t realise the Island is so large” and just like us, we could have stayed twice as long.
It’s Australia third largest island at 155 km long, 55 km wide, and covering an area of 4,500 square kms. With a rich diverse flora and fauna, free from some of the problems of the mainland, there is much to see and enjoy.
September through October is an ideal period to enjoy the flowering flora with the wildlife that call this island home, including: goannas, koalas, kangaroos, Tammar Wallabies, Brushtail Possum, Western and Little Pygmy Possum, Sooty Dunnart, Bush and Swamp Rat, Short Beaked Echidna, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Rosenberg’s Sand Goanna, Platypus, Black Tiger Snake, Pygmy Copperhead, Australian Sea Lion, New Zealand Fur Seal, Australian Fur Seals, Dolphins, and Whales just to name a few.
Then there is the bird life, with over 200 recorded bird species. These include: Superb Fairy-wren, Noisy Rainbow, Purple-crowned Lorikeets, Crimson Rosella, Honeyeater, Bush (Southern) Stone-Curlew, Southern Emu-Wren, Firetail, Bassian Thrush, Western Whipbird, Hooded Plover, White Bellied Sea-Eagle, Osprey, the popular Little Penguins, and the rarer Glossy Black Cockatoo.
Remember, to increase your chances of seeing the wildlife throughout the island, you should be aware that many of the mammals are nocturnal, that ‘wild animals’ frighten easily, and successfully viewing is usually from a distance, especially when you do not interrupt their natural behaviour.
Also found on the island are the unique Ligurian Bees. Twelve hives of the Ligurian Bee was brought to the island in 1881, by August Fiebig, from the Italian Province of Liguria. He established an apiary near Penneshaw and since then no other breeds of bee have been introduced to Kangaroo Island. The present-day honey bees on the island are now all descendants of those twelve hives and unique in the world. Renown for their gentle nature and golden colour, the Ligurian Bees on Kangaroo Island are used for breeding and exported interstate and overseas. Take the time to taste some of the honey and many other local produce.
If fishing is your interest, there is much to enjoy from just dangling a line from a jetty, fishing from the beaches, rocks, rivers, or charter a deep sea boat.
One of the key attractions on the island, in the Flinders Chase National Park, is Remarkable Rocks. These fantastic granite boulders, have been sculptured over 500 million years by rain, wind and pounding waves, and provide some stunning photo opportunities.
Kangaroo IslandKangaroo Island Attractions Fauna Flora Remarkable Rocks
South AustraliaSouth Australia Fauna Adelaide Hills Alberrie Creek Algebuckina Bridge Belair National Park Kangaroo Island Kanku–Breakaways Conservation Park Mount Gambier Oodnadatta Oodnadatta Track Orroroo Port Augusta Port Germein Wabma Kadarbu Conservation Park William Creek Wilpena Pound Witjira National Park Woomera