Kangaroo Island family-friendly travel guide

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About Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is the third largest island off the coast of Australia (after Tasmania and Melville Islands). Although only 155 kilometres east to west and 55 kilometres north to south, it is also one of the world’s great nature-based destinations. Here, you can take a guided beach walk among a colony of rare Australian sea lions, spot koalas dozing in lofty eucalyptus trees and marvel at the pelicans gliding across shimmering lagoons. Across the island, you will find soaring cliffs, national and conservation parks, towering sandy dunes, wetlands, untouched white sand beaches and plenty of fresh air and open spaces.

Accommodation options are wide and varied from caravan parks to luxury holiday homes and lodges, and your tastebuds will be delighted by the likes of freshly-caught King George whiting, oysters, Ligurian honey and an exciting range of small-batch varietal wines, beers, cider and award-winning gin.

There’s plenty of adventure and wildlife experiences for the whole family as well, including the Birds of Prey Show at Raptor Domain, sandboarding at Little Sahara, cuddling a koala at the KI Wildlife Park, kayaking on the Harriett River, fishing for salmon or quad biking at Vivonne Bay.

For 30 great reasons to visit Kangaroo Island, click here.

Lead image: Pennington Bay © Randy Larcombe/SeaLink

Destination facts

State

SA

Population

4,702

Time zone

GMT +9:30

Landmass

4,405km²

Currency

Australian Dollar

Emergency number

000

Helpful information

Where to go

Flinders Chase National Park

Now welcoming visitors following the devastating 2019-20 summer bushfires, which burnt 96% of the park, Flinders Chase is open for self-drive travellers and tour groups to share in the bushfire recovery journey from 9am until 5pm daily, with the last entry at 3pm. Visitor entry is free until further notice (as of August 2020). On your visit, you can stop at iconic tourist drawcards of Remarkable Rocks, Weirs Cove, Cape du Couedic Lighthouse and Admirals Arch.

You’ll have access to drive a safe road on the Cape du Couedic Road – including the section that has become one of the most Insta-famous roads in South Australia.

Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action

Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action located at Vivonne Bay offers great Quad Bike Tours with lots of outdoor action. Riders must be six years old and over, but no experience is necessary. Kayak tours and hire are also available with single or double kayaks and guided tours suiting beginners or experienced.

This business also offers sandboards, toboggans and guided bike tours at Little Sahara, large sandy dunes near to Vivonne Bay. Sit down or stand-up sandboards are available – no experience is necessary and helmets are also available. The new Carbon SUV e-bikes (‘Fatbikes’) are a lot of fun and tours can be tailored to your riding style and fitness level. The minimum age is eight years.

Kangaroo Island Marine Adventures

View dolphins in their natural environment and experience how welcoming they are as you cruise around their resting areas – the dolphins are very curious and will swim up alongside the vessel. For a closer look, you can jump in for a swim and snorkel among them. You’ll also be captivated by the long-nosed fur seal, Australian sea lion colonies, the white-bellied sea eagles, ospreys, cormorants, Pacific gulls, albatross, gannets, terns, eagles, falcons, giant petrels and even southern right whales and humpback whales from June to October!

Best time to go to

Best time to go to Kangaroo Island

Any time is a good time to go to Kangaroo Island for a family holiday.

Autumn is warm enough to enjoy the day outdoors then cosy up at night with a selection of your favourite produce.

In winter you’ll find waterfalls, lush pastures and bushland teeming with wildlife and birdlife, as well as little joey kangaroos and koalas peeking their heads out of mum’s pouch to see the world!

Spring is the time when the native plants blossom, wildlife goes into overdrive and the farming community puts out the welcome mat.

Summer is, of course, perfect for water babies. Kangaroo Island has a beach to suit every mood. Surf, swim, snorkel and bring the kids to run wild in the abundant space on offer – this is the perfect time for a family camping trip.

Getting in and around for families

Major airport

Kingscote Airport is situated 12 kilometres southwest of Kingscote and serviced by Rex Airlines and QantasLink, plus many charter flights. A runway upgrade and new terminal building were completed in May 2018.

Ferries

The majority of visitors to Kangaroo Island travel by SeaLink ferry. SeaLink operates two large, ocean-going passenger and vehicle catamaran ferries between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw. The trip takes just 45 minutes.

The ferries are able to carry cars, trucks, buses and all types of RVs. The most popular holiday is the self-drive holiday with either your own car or a hire car, followed by guided tours for those who do not have their own vehicle.

For more information on how to get to Kangaroo Island with SeaLink, visit their website where bookings can be made online.

Taxis

There are no taxi services operating on Kangaroo Island. SeaLink can assist you with transfer and touring options.

Buses

As there is no public transport on Kangaroo Island, it is best to either bring your own car on the ferry, hire a car on arrival, or take a guided tour. Recommended tour operators are SeaLink Tours, Kangaroo Island Odysseys and Kangaroo Island Adventure Tours.

The SeaLink Connection bus operates twice a day from Adelaide to Cape Jervis (ferry departure point) and the SeaLink Shuttle bus operates on Kangaroo Island between Penneshaw (ferry arrival point) to American River and Kingscote.

Food and drinks that kids will love

Kangaroo Island’s pristine environment and isolation provides a fertile ground for the growth of premium wines and produce. A stunning array of foods are produced on the island, from pure honey, olive oils and eggs to handcrafted condiments, ice-creams and some of the finest meat and sustainable seafood in Australia.

When visiting try out Clifford’s Honey Farm for the honey ice cream, The Oyster Farm Shop for freshly shucked oysters, Dudley Wines for a wood oven whiting pizza, Cactus cafe for their signature corn fritters, Emu Bay Lavender Farm for their famous (and huge) lavender scones, Ferguson Australia to pick out a lobster for dinner or some fresh King George whiting, Fat Beagle Coffee Shop for their amazing custard slices, Millie Mae’s Pantry for delish coffee and The Rockpool Cafe at Stokes Bay for salads and sweets… to name just a few!

Shopping

There are four main towns on Kangaroo Island.

Penneshaw
Where the SeaLink ferry arrives. There are no retails shops but there is a hotel, a few cafes and an IGA Store where you can load up on supplies.

American River
Does not have any shops however the Post Office does provide some basic staple food items.

Kingscote
The main town of Kangaroo Island where the majority of the population reside. There are some retail shops here including clothing stores, butcher, coffee shops and cafes, hotels, restaurants, shoe shop, knick-knacks, art gallery, bakery, chemist, hardware, gift shop, Post Office, Council Chambers and a large Foodland supermarket.

Parndana
Located in the middle of the island offers a grocery store and bakery and hotel.

Customs

Tipping

When travelling around Kangaroo Island, you will notice that local resident motorists often give the ‘Kangaroo Island Wave’ which is the lift of a few fingers from the steering wheel to acknowledge the motorist heading towards them.

What to wear

Kangaroo Island has four distinct seasons. The climate is Mediterranean, so you can sun yourself on the picture-perfect beaches in summer, enjoy a brisk scenic walk in autumn, keep warm with a cosy fire in winter and taste the fresh seasonal produce in spring.

Climate	Autumn	Winter	Spring	Summer
Average max temp	22°C	15°C	21°C	27°C
Average min temp	12°C	7°C	10°C	15°C
Average mon rainfall	40mm	56mm	35mm	20mm

Casual and comfortable clothing is the order of the day and it is advisable to always wear comfortable walking shoes and layered clothing so you can peel layers off to take you through from a cool morning to a warm day and a cool night.

Electricity

Mains voltage in Australia is 230V AC, 50Hz. Use a two-pin (shaped like a “V”) or three-pin adaptor (different to British three-pin adaptors).

Most photographed places

Remarkable Rocks

Perched above the sea in Flinders Chase National Park, the impressive Remarkable Rocks form what appears to be a cluster of precariously balanced granite boulders. This stunning work of nature has been shaped by the erosive forces of wind, sea spray and rain over some 500 million years. The golden orange lichen covering some of the rocks offers visitors wonderful photo opportunities at different times of the day.

Seal Bay Conservation Park

No visit to KI is complete without a visit to Seal Bay, home to an Australian sea lion population for thousands of years and a wonderful nature-based experience. This is the only place in the world where you can see Australian sea lions at close quarters and walk on a beach where pups play, bulls fight for supremacy and resting mothers suckle their young. During your visit, you will be given unique insight into how these endangered animals fish, surf, rest, interact with their pups and defend their territory.

Admirals Arch

A natural rock arch created by amazing forces of nature situated within Flinders Chase National Park. Take the easy walk on the boardwalk around the cliff face which leads you to a viewing platform overlooking the arch, which is sculpted by weather and erosion from the sea over thousands of years.

Long-nosed fur seals often play among the rocks, feeding at sea and returning to land to rest and breed. In summer, each of the large males establishes his territory with several females. You can also often see the pups playing near the rock pools beneath the arch.