Kangaroo Island Guides Attractions Events in South Australia

American River is a small town tucked into native bushland overlooking Eastern Cove and Pelican Lagoon. Its natural surroundings, lack of crowds or hustle and bustle make it a haven for wildlife and birdwatching.

At night the town comes alive with nocturnal animals such as wallabies and possums. The town and surrounds are dotted with self guided walking trails that are the perfect setting for prolific birdlife and native flora.

For those seeking peace and quiet amongst nature, American River is an ideal central location for touring Kangaroo Island.

With the integration of bushland and accommodation, the nightlife in American River is naturally wild. A leisurely walk with a torch will reveal an array of native life including Tammar Wallabies and Brush-tailed Possums.

Organised nocturnal tours are available, incorporating Little Penguins at Penneshaw. The bushland surrounding the village is habitat to the endangered Glossy Black Cockatoo, which are often seen in the area. Eastern Cove, the outer bay, offers excellent sailing and fishing in semi-protected waters. The village of American River supports these pursuits with an excellent boat ramp, barbecue and picnic facilities, fishing charters and boat hire.

The Kangaroo Island oyster industry is based here and oysters are available, seasonally. Pelican Lagoon, the inner bay, is a natural fish nursery and is protected as an Aquatic Reserve. The islands within the lagoon are important bird-breeding habitats. Black Swans, Cape Barren Geese, Australian Pelicans and other birds make the area an excellent bird-watching destination. The foreshore and the Fish Cannery Walking Trail are great places to pursue this.

Emu Bay is a popular bay on Kangaroo Island. It is an ideal destination for holiday makers. Accommodation is available overlooking a beautiful beach, with four-and-a-half kilometres of clean white sand.

Emu Bay offers a jetty for relaxing fishing and also fishing charters, with guides showing you the best areas to land a catch.

Emu Bay is on Kangaroo Island's North Coast, only 10 kilometres on a sealed road from the island's main town of Kingscote.

Kangaroo Island itself is South Australia's nature wonderland, where you can see fascinating wildlife in the wild including seals, koalas, kangaroos, echidnas and much more. Explore its conservation parks and its natural wonders, including Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch, Kelly Hill Conservation Park and Seal Bay.

There are daily ferry services to Kangaroo Island and you can take your car across. There are also flights from Adelaide.

Kangaroo Island more than earns its ranking as Australia’s fourth major tourism icon. You simply can’t beat its wildlife and wilderness. Being in South Australia, the wine is pretty good too.

Kangaroo Island (KI to the locals) is a short flight from Adelaide or a ferry ride from Cape Jervis. There’s so much to do on this island. Explore untouched bushland, fish on pristine beaches, see the wildlife, and go on an eco tour or charter.

Kangaroo Island is rich in history. In 1802, British explorer, Matthew Flinders landed near Kangaroo Head on Dudley Peninsula. French explorer, Nicolas Baudin, followed soon after and mapped most of the island. Kangaroo Island became Australia's first free settlement, with sealers, escaped convicts and runaway sailors calling the island home.

Today, life on Kangaroo Island is a lot easier. The locals are a happy and friendly lot.

Wildlife surrounds Kangaroo Island. The ocean is teeming with fish, sea lions and little penguin colonies. Stand on the shore in the cooler months and watch migrating southern right whales and their calves.

This place is like a zoo without fences, with rare bird life, tammar wallabies, short-beaked echidnas and plenty of kangaroos and koalas.

There are loads of accommodation options, from simple lodgings to breathtaking luxury. Be pampered with a day spa and beauty treatments, then go straight to the dining table for exquisitely prepared regional produce.

Sleep in a swag under the stars. You’ll have no trouble finding a beautiful place to camp. The clarity of the night sky on Kangaroo Island is something you’ll never forget.

Absorb Kangaroo Island’s heritage and natural beauty at your own pace by car or four wheel drive. Go on a self guided audio tour, coach journey, four wheel drive adventure, boat trip or fishing charter.

Kingscote is Kangaroo Island's largest town, sitting on the north coast. It has a view across Nepean Bay to the mainland in the distance.

A feature of the town is the tidal rock-surrounded swimming pool on the foreshore. Delightful Little Penguins have established themselves in the sandstone and clay cliffs in front of the town. Guided by Kangaroo Island Marine Centre, tours are conducted after dusk to see the penguins returning from their day's fishing. Watch the hungry pelicans at 5pm every night - they have the biggest beak of any bird in the world!

Situated on the shores of the beautiful Nepean Bay, with a panoramic view of the boat-studded harbour, Kingscote is the commercial and business hub of the island. To the north, there are steep cliffs that descend steeply to Reeves Point (old Kingscote), one of the most important heritage sites in South Australia.

The jetty nearly always yields a feed of fish for the keen and patient angler. Kingscote has a large commercial fishing fleet and associated depots. There is a long and much used fishing jetty and a slipway.

Established in 1836, Kingscote was the first settlement in South Australia. Close by is Reeves Point, the landing site of the South Australia Company settlers, as well as the first Post Office in South Australia, the first tree planted by Europeans the Old Mulberry Tree, the Pioneer Cemetery and Hope Cottage Museum.

Centrally located on Kangaroo Island, Pardana is a hub that provides access to the north and south coasts of the island, Seal Bay and Flinders Chase National Park.

Often described as a typical Australian country town, wildlife can often be seen on road verges. In late winter and spring, the verges are covered with wildflowers. The Soldier Settlement Museum is also here, featuring a historical display of the development of the island's heartland by returned soldiers. Parndana was the town centre for the Soldier Settlement Scheme. The scheme commenced in 1948, when the country was cleared for rural purposes.

The town has a small shopping centre, bakery and churches. Wilderness Tours conduct Koala Tours at night.

Parndana is on the Playford Highway, 40 kilometres from Kingscote.

The Spinners and Weavers Guild conduct a wool spinning demonstration and sell hand-spun knitwear every Thursday afternoon.

Penneshaw is a pretty coastal village on the north east Dudley Peninsula on Kangaroo Island, with spectacular views of the South Australian mainland.

The regular SeaLink ferry service from the mainland arrives here, making it the perfect location from which to explore the rest of Kangaroo Island. You'll find a great array of accommodation, right in the heart of Penneshaw or one of the surrounding bays. There are also good shops and friendly places to dine at.

Try your luck at fishing off Hog Bay Jetty - tommy ruff, trevally, snook and King George whiting are common here. Walk along the coast into Baudin Conservation Park and see wallabies sheltering under the bushes to escape the heat. Other activities include boat fishing or swimming off one of the safest beaches on the island.

At night, head out to see Penneshaw's colony of Little Penguins – tours are conducted nightly from the Penguin Interpretive Centre. Please contact the tour operator as some tours may not be running at certain times of the year.

When Sydney University evaluated 10,000 beaches across Australia, (rating them on aspects such as clarity of water, privacy and cleanliness), Kangaroo Island's Vivonne Bay came out on top.

Vivonne Bay's long, curved, sandy beach is a superb site for picnics, beachcombing, surfing and fishing. Experienced surfers enjoy the wonderful turquoise waters. Fishing from the jetty, beach, boat or the Harriet River mouth is excellent.

The beach can be reached by taking the road just past the Vivonne Bay store. Safe swimming areas can be found near the jetty and boat ramp, or the sandy-bottomed Harriet River that enters the bay nearby. On the other side of the river, Point Ellen provides photographers with spectacular views of the Southern Ocean, sending its waves crashing onto the cliff-face.

Vivonne Bay is the only safe harbour on the south coast of Kangaroo Island and is the base for crayfishing boats from November to May. You'll find barbecue and picnic areas, toilets, and camping area.

Kangaroo Island itself is a nature and adventure paradise. Take your family and friends to discover Seal Bay, Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch, Little Sahara, Kelly Hills cave and so much more.