Quick Answers
Where is Kangaroo Island?
13 km off the Fleurieu Peninsula, south of Adelaide. It is Australia’s third-largest island.
What wildlife will I see?
Kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas, sea lions, fur seals, little penguins and many birds.
What should I see first?
The Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, in Flinders Chase National Park.
“Kangaroo Island is Australia before people — a place where the wildlife outnumbers the visitors and wildness is everywhere.”
South Australia’s Wildlife Island — Raw, Remarkable and Utterly Unforgettable
Kangaroo Island lies just 13 kilometres off the Fleurieu Peninsula south of Adelaide, yet it feels like a world unto itself. Australia’s third-largest island covers 4,405 square kilometres of dramatic coastline, ancient eucalyptus scrubland, and pristine beaches that see more wildlife than footprints. Kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas, sea lions, fur seals, little penguins and hundreds of bird species live here in extraordinary abundance, in some cases, found nowhere else on earth in such numbers.
Flinders Chase National Park and the Remarkable Rocks
At the island’s western end, Flinders Chase National Park protects Kangaroo Island’s most spectacular landscapes. The Remarkable Rocks, great granite boulders sculpted by 500 million years of wind and water into impossibly dramatic shapes, sit atop a 75-metre cliff above the Southern Ocean, glowing orange and red in the light of sunset. Admirals Arch, just a few kilometres away, frames a colony of New Zealand fur seals through a natural rock gateway draped in stalactites. Walking the park’s trails in the early morning, it is entirely possible to be the only human for kilometres in every direction.
Seal Bay and the Island’s Wildlife Encounters
Seal Bay Conservation Park offers one of Australia’s most intimate wildlife encounters, a boardwalk and guided beach walk that takes you among a colony of Australian sea lions resting, playing and nursing pups on a protected stretch of beach. These are wild animals going about their lives, observed respectfully and at close range in a way that is both thrilling and profoundly moving. Elsewhere on the island, koalas doze in the manna gums above Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, and Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park protects nesting little penguins on its rocky southern shore.
Visiting Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is reached by the SeaLink ferry from Cape Jervis (approximately 45 minutes, with car transport available) or by regular flights from Adelaide Airport to Kingscote. A car is essential, distances are significant and public transport is limited. The island is best explored over at least two or three days. Spring (September to November) and autumn (March to May) are ideal, though the island is beautiful in every season.
Where to Stay on Kangaroo Island
Browse and compare accommodation across Kangaroo Island, from hotels to holiday rentals, on the interactive map below.
A Hot Getaways destination. Where Care is Our Compass.
Travel Kindly
At Hot Getaways, care is our compass — and a little kindness makes every journey better. When you visit Australia, we gently ask you to:
- Care for the land and sea — tread lightly, take your rubbish with you, and help keep Australia’s wild places pristine.
- Respect the wildlife — admire our unique animals from a distance, never feed them, and give them room to be wild.
- Support local — choosing local operators, cafés and guides helps this beautiful place thrive.
- Honour Country — we travel on the traditional lands and sea Country of Australia’s First Peoples, with gratitude and respect to the Traditional Custodians past and present.
- Be kind to each other — a smile, a little patience and a helping hand make the day lovelier for everyone.
Small acts of care add up to something wonderful. Thank you for travelling kindly.
