FLINDERS CHASE

KANGAROO ISLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

At the wild west end of an already pretty wild island, Flinders Chase is home to many of the iconic Australian mammals anyone would want to see on a visit Down Under: koalas, western grey kangaroos (said to be ‘stockier’ than their mainland counterparts and with ‘luxurious, chocolate-brown fur’) and the two egg-laying monotremes – echidnas and platypuses (stake out the series of platypus waterholes close to the visitor centre at dawn or dusk).

Cape Barren geese – a species only found at the tip of southern Australia (including Tasmania) – should also be on your ticklist. Look out for them feeding on coastal grasslands, perhaps while hiking the 60km, five-day Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail. Don’t miss the spectacular rock formation of Admiral’s Arch at Cape du Couedic (a short diversion from the trail), or the Australian fur seals and sealions on the beach below. Between June and October you may even glimpse southern right whales out at sea, on their way to the Great Australian Bight.