Kangaroo Island is Australia’s third largest island, just off the mainland, and is home to sea lions, koalas and diverse bird species.
In September 2024, it was the playground for our CREW for 6 days as we explored the island on foot, soaking up this special landscape and the ‘must do’ attractions on this beautiful island.
Our adventure began, as all our Adventures do, with our traditional Welcome Dinner on our arrival to Adelaide. With our CREW arriving from four different states, this was a wonderful opportunity for the group to get to know each other before we hit the trails.
An early start, a ride in our private transfer, a ferry trip and *voila* we arrived at the hiking paradise of Kangaroo Island.
Our first native animal encounter happened before the boat had even docked ashore: A lone sea lion ‘waving’ at us as he played in the shallows at Penneshaw, just as the Island came into view. It was the first of many sea lions we would see hiking Kangaroo Island. What a warm welcome!
Our first stop was the Emu Bay Lavender Farm. The CREW sampled the amazing local products on offer – it was a shopper’s delight!
Energised after a delicious lunch, we ventured west to Flinders Chase National Park and on to our lovely accommodation for the Adventure. Nothing like a short hike to stretch our legs, breathe in the fresh air, and get a taste of the excitement ahead of hiking Kangaroo Island.
Kangaroo Island trails are perfect for hiking. The tracks led us from clifftops to the beach and then back again. We took the time to do some beachcombing along the shore, collecting any rubbish we could find to help keep the beach pristine.
Imagine our delight as we found a Sea Dragon that had recently been washed up on the shore. How amazing to see this creature up close!
At our comfortable accommodation, we spent the mornings and afternoons searching the property for wildlife. Koalas, Tammar Wallabies and Cape Barren Geese (with goslings) were regularly seen, along with an abundance of birdlife.
We could have spent hours at Admirals Arch, watching the New Zealand Fur Seal Colony frolic in the surf, lazily lay on the rocks and swim in the rock pools. The walk from the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse was stunning as we took in the expanse and power of the Great Southern Ocean.
After a day of hiking through the coastal mallee, we arrived at the weathered granite boulders that are the Remarkable Rocks. There were lots of photos and selfies as we had fun trying to capture their abstract shapes. The sun was shining, the sky was a radiant blue, and it made the colours of the rocks were extraordinary. We can see how they got their name!
A visit to Kangaroo Island is not complete without a visit to Seal Bay. This is the only place in the world where you can walk amongst the Sea Lions on the sand. Our guide imparted a wealth of knowledge about these charming creatures while we watched them sleep, surf, and wrangle their impossibly cute babies. 
We completed a great cross-section of the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. We saw some of the most rugged, remote and spectacular coastlines in South Australia, along with majestic sugar gums and towering mallee. The variety of wildflowers was a surprise and offered a kaleidoscope of colours that we found delightful as we hiked through the winding trails.
On our final day the sun was shining, the wind dropped and some of the group braved the icy cold ocean for a swim at Secret Beach (voted Australia’s best beach in 2023!). What a treat to walk through the intricate formations of caves and boulders to this stunning beach.
Our last ‘must do’ before catching the ferry back to the mainland was a stop at KI Spirits for our private Gin Tasting session.
What an amazingly delightful Adventure to explore Kangaroo Island on foot in Spring! We can’t wait to revisit this incredible place again in October 2025 .
