Kangaroo Island Adventure - 5 Days

Welcome to Adelaide! Or Tandanya in the language of The Kaurna people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Adelaide is now located. Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and your gateway to the delights of Kangaroo Island. You'll have a welcome meeting at your hotel in Adelaide at 9 am where you’ll link up with your local leader and the other travellers joining you on this adventure. Find out what’s in store over the coming days, then board your transfer bound for Cape Jervis (approximately 2 hours), from where you’ll jump aboard a ferry and travel to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island (approximately 45 minutes). Be sure to keep an eye out for dolphins swimming alongside the ferry! From the ferry landing, it's a short walk to your hotel. Drop your luggage, then perhaps get to know your group over lunch on the island. In the afternoon, get your first taste of the island’s unique nature by joining your leader and heading out onto the Kangaroo Island Sculpture Trail, positioned in the dunes overlooking Hog’s Bay. Keep an eye out for wildlife! This evening you'll visit the Penneshaw Penguin Centre for an evening walk to search for the world’s smallest variety of penguins.

Australia’s third-largest island, Kangaroo Island is a veritable paradise for wildlife lovers. It’s not just kangaroos you can find here – wallabies, sea lions and echidnas are all locals too. Evidence suggests Aboriginal life existed on the island as far back as 16,000 years, but it was uninhabited by the time Europeans arrived in the early 19th century. The island is now home to 4000 people, and today will be spent diving into local culture and history. First up, head out onto Dudley Peninsula and get a real taste of Aussie culture when you pay a visit to a sheep farm to see how sheep are shorn and meet the owner’s super sweet kelpie dogs. Stop by the Cape Willoughby Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in South Australia. If you’re feeling extra adventurous today, you’ll have the chance to climb the 500 steps to the top of Prospect Hill, the highest point on Kangaroo Island. Next up are visits to some local producers, such as a family-owned eucalyptus oil refinery and a honey farm, a third-generation family business and home to the only pure strain of Ligurian Bee in the world. Then head to the Kangaroo Island Gallery, a community Gallery specifically for the promotion, encouragement, and exposure of artists and craftspeople of Kangaroo Island. Time permitting there may be the option to also visit a local winery and try some of their wines. Finally, head to Kingscote, the largest town on the island, check into your hotel and put your feet up.

After breakfast, swing by Salt Lagoon to snap some pictures of this scenic spot, then continue towards Emu Bay Beach. If the group fancies, you’ll have the chance to pop into the lavender farm to try some delicious lavender scones. Spend some time stretched out on the white sand or paddling in the pristine, clear waters, then beach hop over to the secluded Stokes Bay, a gorgeous spot for a swim, and voted Australia's most beautiful beach in 2013. Early 2020 saw bushfires ravage Kangaroo Island, with the Stokes Bay region being particularly badly hit. The Stokes Bay Community Hall served as a centrepiece for the settlement since 1952 but was completely destroyed by the fires. Today the area is in recovery, and the National Trust is working with the local community to restore the hall, as well as natural habitats for wildlife. After an afternoon on the beach, return to Kingscote and enjoy an evening at leisure.

Start the day with a visit to Seal Bay. There are no actual seals here, but there are plenty of sea lions! The sea lion colony you see today has existed at Seal Bay for thousands of years. Join an up close and personal ranger-led wildlife experience which will allow you to observe the lives of these endearing creatures as you watch them swim, play and bask in the sun. Continue on to Little Sahara, named for its rippling sand dunes that resemble the North African desert. While here you may have the chance to hire a sandboard and ride your way down the dunes. Next up is something really special – head to Vivonne Bay, which is not only one of the most stunning beaches on Kangaroo Island but the whole of Australia. Venture into the Flinders Chase National Park and come face to face with the aptly named Remarkable Rocks, made up of naturally sculpted granite boulders. You’ll also check out the impressive Admirals Arch and take some time to explore the park before heading back to Kingscote.

Start the day by heading to American River (not actually a river, or American, but a little town on the northeast coast of the island), where you’ll find a schooner boat first built in 1803 called 'Independence'. Learn about the boat’s history and see how it’s being rebuilt, then take a scenic walk through coastal scrub towards the remains of an old fish cannery built at the end of the 19th century, keeping an eye out for the rare and striking glossy-black cockatoos along the way. Get ready to say goodbye to Kangaroo Island as you make the drive back to Penneshaw and catch the ferry back to the mainland. Dock in Cape Jervis and hop on our private transfer back to Adelaide (approximately 2 hours). You can expect to arrive back at our hotel in Adelaide at around 4.30 pm at which time the tour comes to an end.