Things to do in Kangaroo Island
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kangaroo Island
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Summer: warmest swimming and everything open, but peak prices, booked out ferries and the heart of fire season.
Autumn: warm sea, thinner crowds and golden light; the Fig Tree season ends around the end of April.
Winter: green, empty and cheaper, with whales passing, but short days, rough crossings at times and some closures.
Spring: wildflowers, active wildlife and prime walking, the best all round window on the island.
What's on
- SeaLink Kangaroo Island Racing Carnival and KI Cup mid to late February, Cup on a Saturday
The island's biggest social weekend at Cygnet River: country racing, fashions on the field and local food and wine, with beds and ferries under heavy pressure.
- Kangaroo Island Art Feast October
An island wide art event in most years, opening studios and exhibitions across the island in spring.
Best things to do in Kangaroo Island
Seal Bay Conservation Park
A ranger guided beach walk among wild Australian sea lions, the island's signature wildlife encounter.
Remarkable Rocks
Wind sculpted granite boulders on a dome above the Southern Ocean, best in early or late light.
Admirals Arch
A natural rock arch above a fur seal colony, reached by a cliff boardwalk at Cape du Couedic.
Stokes Bay
Australia's best beach of 2023 hides through a rock tunnel, with a calm rock pool for swimming.
Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
Guided koala walks by day and a nocturnal tour with kangaroos and wallabies after dark.
Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park
Hand feed kangaroos and meet koalas and wombats at the island's main wildlife park in Parndana.
Raptor Domain
Free flight raptor shows and reptile presentations on the road to Seal Bay.
Little Sahara Adventure Centre
Sandboard natural inland dunes, ride buggies or take a guided koala walk at the dunes' edge.
Where to stay in Kangaroo Island
Kingscote and the north coast
services, airport and the widest choice
The main town has the airport, supermarkets, hospital and most eating choices, plus Emu Bay swimming nearby.
Penneshaw and the Dudley Peninsula
ferry logistics, wineries and the lighthouse
Best for late arrivals and early departures, with cellar doors and Cape Willoughby in easy reach.
Parndana and the central island
central touring and wildlife sanctuary luxury
The middle of the island cuts driving both ways, but towns are small and nights are very quiet.
South and west coast lodge country
Flinders Chase and the south coast sights
Closest to Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch and Seal Bay, and a long way from any town or shop.
Think twice about
- Driving anywhere after dark
Wildlife is on the roads at dusk and after dark. Plan to be at your base before dusk wherever possible.
- The far west end as a same day base from an early ferry
Penneshaw to Flinders Chase is about 150 kilometres each way. Split the stay east and west instead.
Best restaurants in Kangaroo Island
The Enchanted Fig Tree
A long set menu lunch served inside a century old fig tree, in season from December to April.
Sunset Food and Wine
The island's first chef hatted restaurant, a local produce bistro overlooking American Beach.
Penneshaw Hotel
The classic island pub above the ferry town, with sea views, local wine and a reliable kitchen.
Vivonne Bay General Store & Bottle Shop
A general store takeaway famous for its fish and whiting burgers, the south coast's essential lunch stop.
Parndana Bakery
A true country bakery with pies, pastries and coffee at mainland prices in the island's centre.
Best bars in Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island Spirits
Australia's first dedicated craft gin distillery, with garden tastings and native botanical cocktails.
Dudley Wines
A clifftop cellar door near Penneshaw with tasting paddles, pizzas and the island's best lunch view.
False Cape Wines
A relaxed rammed earth cellar door with tastings, homemade pies, platters and a playground.
Best coffee in Kangaroo Island
Millie Mae's Pantry
A tiny pantry cafe steps from the ferry, serving the island's best arrival coffee and fresh food.
Cactus Cafe
Kingscote's best brunch and coffee by local verdict, with a creative cafe menu on Dauncey Street.
Outdoor things to do in Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail
A five day coastal walk through fire recovery country, past the island's icons to Kelly Hill Caves.
Kelly Hill Caves
A guided tour through decorated limestone caves, the island's best hot day and wet day excursion.
Cape Willoughby Lighthouse
South Australia's first lighthouse, with guided tours and a 360 degree view over Backstairs Passage.
Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures
Licensed boat trips to swim with wild dolphins in the sheltered north coast waters.
Emu Bay
A long, calm north coast beach you can drive on, the island's gentlest swimming near Kingscote.
Pennington Bay
A stunning south coast surf beach for experienced surfers and photographers, not for swimming.
Vivonne Bay
A long white south coast beach once ranked among Australia's best, with a jetty and a useful store.
Best hotels in Kangaroo Island
Oceanview Eco Villas
Two hosted eco villas near Kingscote with in villa dinners, ocean views and a private cove.
Ozone Hotel Kangaroo Island
The landmark foreshore hotel in Kingscote, practical and comfortable with a bistro and sea views.
Sea Dragon Kangaroo Island
A boutique luxury lodge on a private estate with its own secluded beach at Pink Bay.
Seafront Hotel Kangaroo Island
The hotel steps from the ferry terminal, ideal for late arrivals and early departures.
Seafront Holiday Park Kangaroo Island
Cabins, sites and camping by the ferry at Penneshaw, one of the island's few lower cost stays.
Ecopia Retreat
Rammed earth eco villas on a private wildlife sanctuary in the island's centre, off grid and secluded.
Southern Ocean Lodge
Australia's famous clifftop lodge, rebuilt after the fires, with meals, drinks and guided experiences included.
Hanson Bay Cabins
Self contained cabins over a wild bay, minutes from Flinders Chase, Kelly Hill and the koala walk.
Is Kangaroo Island expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | A$180 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | A$350 a person |
| Splurge | A$950 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Seal Bay Conservation Park: a few days ahead
- Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary: a few days ahead
- Raptor Domain: a few days ahead
- Little Sahara Adventure Centre: a few days ahead
- Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail: weeks ahead
- Kelly Hill Caves: a few days ahead
- Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures: a few days ahead
- Oceanview Eco Villas: weeks ahead
- Book vehicle ferry space well ahead in peak season, along with beds, Seal Bay beach tours, the Fig Tree and Sunset Food and Wine.
- Book accommodation before the ferry in summer, Easter and KI Cup week, when both sell out.
Is Kangaroo Island safe?
- Wildlife on the roads at dusk, after dark and at dawn is the island's main danger to visitors: slow down and avoid night driving.
- Rough weather can cancel ferries in any season, so keep a buffer around flights and fixed commitments.
- In fire season, check danger ratings daily, obey park closures on catastrophic days, and never light fires outside designated places.
- Most beaches are unpatrolled: swim on the north coast and inside the Stokes Bay rock pool, and stay with guides at Seal Bay.
Kangaroo Island travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Trying to day trip the island from Adelaide means hours on coaches and ferries and the west end at its most crowded.
- Assuming a restaurant will be open: many kitchens close some days, finish early and several of the best are seasonal.
- Swimming on the south coast at Pennington Bay or Hanson Bay, where surf and rips make them look and surf only.
Getting around Kangaroo Island: public transport and more
- There is no public transport to speak of, so a hire car is effectively mandatory unless you are on guided tours throughout.
- Penneshaw to Flinders Chase is about 150 kilometres, and Kingscote to Flinders Chase is over 100, so allow more time than the map says.
- Fuel and groceries are limited: refuel at half a tank, stock up in Kingscote, and download maps for patchy coverage in the west and south.
Who Kangaroo Island suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Kangaroo Island your trip
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