Kangaroo Island is an island wilderness with only one major city, Kingscote, which harbors a population of less than 2,000 people. More than one-third of the island is either a conservation or national park, allowing visitors to experience unadulterated nature at their fingertips.
The island is certainly one of Australia's best-kept secrets. The sheer diversity of the flora, fauna, scenery and tourism infrastructure on the island, referred to as "Australia's Galapagos," make it a must-do on any Aussie itinerary.
Flinders Chase National Park covers 180,000 acres/72,845 hectares and is home to the Remarkable Rocks, a group of granite boulders that appear to be balanced precipitously on bare rock threatening to tumble into the frothing Southern Ocean. Natural processes have left the massive granite cavernous in some areas, shaped by wind, rain and ocean spray some 500 million years in the making. As part of Kangaroo Island Wilderness Tours’ Wilderness South Coast itinerary, visitors are given several hours inside the park, including a stop by the rocks.
At Seal Bay Conservation Park, which is the only area in Australia where sea lions can be observed in close proximity, a 2,600-ft/806-m boardwalk, often frequented by seals and pups, winds its way to the sandy beach and turquoise waters. Visitors can wander across white sand to get a closer look at the sea lions surfing the waves or basking under some Aussie sunlight. Australian Wildlife Walkabouts features a two-day Seal Slide tour featuring the Seal Bay Conservation Park as its first stop. http://www.australianwildlifewalkabouts.com.au.
After a day in nature, some gastronomic goodies might be in order, and Kangaroo Island doesn’t disappoint. Exceptional Kangaroo Island tours offers customizable food tours for visitors interested in the local fare. Tours are customizable and can include stops to taste honey from the last-remaining population of Ligurian bees in the world, freshly caught seafood, artisan cheeses, and wine from wineries otherwise inaccessible to the public. http://www.exceptionalkangarooisland.com.
Kangaroo Island might be an isolated wilderness off the coast of Oz, but it doesn’t have a lack of activities. Epic landscapes, boundless wildlife and palate-pleasing delights await the intrepid explorer—all within the confines of an island just 1,700 sq mi/4,400 sq km, about the size of New York's Long Island.
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