We head on the ultimate camping adventure to one of Australia’s last true wilderness sanctuaries with a toddler in tow.
Forget palm-fringed beaches, resort pools and cocktail bars; Kangaroo Island is far from stereotypes, says jennifer ennion. It’s a Noah’s Ark of native animals, where you fall asleep to bickering koalas and wake to the rustling of blonde echidnas.
Ferry hopping
Anticipation is palpable as we drive from our campsite on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula to Cape Jervis, the departure point to Kangaroo Island. Caravans, motorhomes, cars and big trucks line up at the SeaLink terminal, and my son and I wait on the top deck of the ferry as drivers play Tetris, slotting vehicles neatly into place on board. Our 12-foot caravan and Toyota Prado is dwarfed by large lorries. Once secure, our family of three nab a front-row seat in the main lounge, and are whisked across the rolling Backstairs Passage to an island known as one of Australia’s last true wilderness sanctuaries.
From east to west
We disembark in Penneshaw on the eastern end of KI (as the locals call it), but we don’t spend long here. Instead, we’re keen to check out the main town of Kingscote, where we top up our groceries and let our two-year-old Wild One stretch his legs at the large Memorial Park playground. We grab a couple of treats from the bakery for later and pop into a few shops before once again hitting the road, bound for Western KI Caravan Park & Wildlife Reserve, the family-friendly caravan park which will be our home for the next five nights.
KI is larger than we realise. It takes more than two hours (155 kilometres) to travel from east to west, and 45 minutes north to south, so we quickly learn to plan our days to avoid criss-crossing the island. There is a lot to check out, so we put all the major stops (honey farm, wildlife parks and beaches) at the top of our itinerary.
But first, it’s time to set up camp. Western KI Caravan Park is a sprawling 17-hectare bush camp of red dirt and towering eucalyptus trees, and not long after unhitching we’re saying ‘g’day’ to our first local, an echidna with blonde spines searching for ants among fallen pine cones. The shy mammal is followed by tame wallabies, Cape Barren geese that visit at dusk, large koalas that argue up gums behind our caravan and possums that run across our solar panels in the dark of night. It’s wonderful and soon Wild One knows them all by name.
Searching for seals
When day breaks, it’s time to search for seals and the best place to see them is the world’s third-largest Australian sea lion colony, Seal Bay Conservation Park (FYI, sea lions have bigger flippers than seals and visible ear flaps). The beauty of this protected park is impressive, with a 900-metre timber boardwalk weaving over
grassy hummocks and creamy sand dunes to a rugged shore, where sea lions recuperate after days hunting. You can’t get to the beach without a guide, so we sign up for a private tour and are led to within metres of the creatures as they slumber. As gorgeous as sea lions are, I’m more fascinated with the seabirds and I scan the flocks until I spot the small, endangered hooded plover – a rare sight.
Another great place to see seals is Admirals Arch, in Flinders Chase National Park. Named for a cave-like rock formation eroded by a wild ocean, Admirals Arch is home to a colony of more than 7,000 long-nosed fur seals. Another boardwalk leads visitors over a cliff, where seals bask on rock platforms. They captivate my husband and son, but I’m mesmerised by the huge waves marching into shore, curtains of spray cascading over their peaks. I could stay here for hours.
Surfing & swimming
As my attention is drawn to the surf, we spend plenty of time checking out KI’s coastline. Pennington Bay, not far from Penneshaw, captivates with its aqua water and pretty rock pools. Husband jumps at the chance to grab his surfboard down from the roof racks, while Wild One is intent on scaling the rocks and messing about in the sand. When we go for a family swim, the water is refreshing and we lap up salt and sea.
Vivonne Bay is another great beach to call in to for a surf or paddleboard, and there’s a general store and bottle shop off the main road if you need to grab a few emergency supplies.
Another afternoon, we head down a dirt track to Hanson Bay, where more turquoise water gently laps the sand and beach shacks hide among dunes. If your children are timid in the sea, this is the place to come for a gentle swim.
For great views of the coastline, we head to another one of the island’s main tourist attractions: Remarkable Rocks. A collection of boulders that have been wonderfully eroded over 500 million years, this is a must-visit – just keep a firm hold of little ones venturing too close to the cliffside.
Birds & bees
On one of our last days on the island, we head to Raptor Domain, a centre for injured and orphaned birds. It turns out to be one of our favourite stops, as Wild One is not only introduced to a plethora of native birds but gets to hold a boobook owl. The absolute pleasure on his face as he gently strokes the owl is something Mum and Dad will never forget, and Wild One talks about the experience months afterwards. Raptor Domain is a fabulous place and the staff does a great job with the regular show, during which visitors are introduced to stunning and clever birds of prey such as falcons.
As the oldest bee sanctuary in the world and where the Ligurian bee has been protected since 1885, a visit to KI wouldn’t be complete without calling in to Clifford’s Honey Farm. Sample the various flavours of deliciously thick honey before taking a pot home as a souvenir.