Travellers Guide to Kangaroo Island

In 2019/2020, Kangaroo Island went up in flames.

I remember the ash drifting across Adelaide & settling on our outdoor furniture. You could only image the quantity of fire, that would have to burn to throw ash almost 400 kilometres away…

Here I am two years later, finally getting ready to head to Kangaroo Island & explore the place.

Coming with me this trip is Millie (my partner), we’re both pumped to get across & start exploring the remote corners of the island. Follow along for the journey.

Read further down for our complete travellers guide to Kangaroo Island.

Ferry to Kangaroo Island

Short of flying to Kangaroo Island, the easiest way to get there is across the Sealink Ferry which leaves from Cape Jarvis.

We got the earliest possible ferry, to give us the most time on the island that first day. The ride across was short & painless for us, however others were less fortunate.

As the ferry left the harbour & entered the swell, one man couldn’t handle it. He got up and ran to the bathrooms, however an untimely wave hit, causing him to stumble and trip. The lesson is, bring seasickness medication if you can’t stomach the ocean…

Getting around Kangaroo Island

We were adamant on getting out & about on Kangaroo Island, so we brought our car over on the ferry. However there are other options for getting around on Kangaroo Island.

If you want to do a trip without a car, that is possible too. The ferry drops you in Penneshaw, a major town. From here you can walk to see the town, or use public services to see other sections of the island. This could work quite nicely if you were just planning to spend a few nights in Penneshaw.

In my opinion, I would definitely advise bring your car - the freedom it gives you is amazing.

Accommodation on Kangaroo Island

This should be your number one priority before visiting Kangaroo Island.

There is limited accommodation on Kangaroo Island, especially during the peak season. I would recommend trying to book 3-6 months in advance, to give yourself the best opportunity to find accommodation.

I can’t speak for the quality of all accommodation on Kangaroo Island, but the place we stayed at was perfect.

It was called the House on The Hill. It was on the hill side, 500 metres behind the town of Emu Bay.

Despite being a stones throw from the town centre, it felt like you were alone. The house was surrounded by a grove of trees, so you were hidden from view. Yet you still had a stunning view over Emu Bay.

We filmed an in-depth review of our Kangaroo Island accommodation.

This is the view over Emu Bay.

Hikes on Kangaroo Island

Our favourite times on Kangaroo Islands were on some of the walks you could do. All of the walks we completed were fairly easy.

I’d advise good fitness, plenty of water & hats – but otherwise you’ll have a great time.

Snake Lagoon Hike

This hike reminds me of New Zealand, you follow alongside a creek all the way to the ocean. You weave your way through trees & over rivers. It spits you out onto a rocky beach, with a beautiful waterfall for swimming

If this is the only walk you do on Kangaroo Island, you’re doing well.

Read more about the Snake Lagoon Hike here.

This walk is full of wildlife.

Ravine Hike (Ravine des Casoars Hike)

If you want to feel small in comparison to the nature on Kangaroo Island, this is the hike for you.

This walk takes you along a ravine all the way to the ocean. You get to walk through fields of flowers & groves of trees - this walk has it all.

But the real highlight is at the end. When you get to the ocean, you are surrounded by cliffs & on a vast flat expanse of beach. It feels like you’re in the Colosseum.

The Best Wineries on Kangaroo Island

Now this list is obviously subjective, to our experience. But I will do my best to justify my answers.

1. False Cape Wines

This place is perfect, great wines, great views & in a great location.

It’s got everything to keep kids busy & amazing indoors & outdoors seating. No matter what the weather is, you’ll have a great time.

Learn more about False Cape Wines.

False Cape Wines has it all, check out that view.

2. Springs Road Wines

This place was great if you’re chasing a secluded, quiet winery with great wines.

The wine tasting here was amazing value, we tried 8-10 wines from memory for a very great price. All the wines were brilliant.

Springs Road is situated in the middle of a paddock of sheep, so the scenery is forever changing as they move around.

Learn more about Springs Road Wines.

3. Dudley Wines

If you want to see one of the best views on the island, this is the place.

Sit on a hill side & watch over the ocean, facing the Fleurieu Penisula. It is just spectacular.

We didn’t love the wine or the food, but this place cannot be ignored due to it’s great views.

Learn more about Dudley Wines.

Top Tricks for Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is a great place for a holiday, but it is still remote & away from civilisation. So there’s a few tips we recommend you follow.

1. Fuel up in Adelaide

The price of fuel on Kangaroo Island isn’t cheap, so make sure you fuel up in Adelaide or enroute to the island.

If you’re really short on cash, you can bring a few jerry cans.

2. Be prepared for long drives

Kangaroo Island isn’t small…

I thought it was going to be tiny, but it was absolutely massive. When driving to Flinders Chase National Park, we ended up driving 3+ hours each, to get there & back.

Staying in accomodation near the middle of the island can help make these drives smaller.

3. Stock up on food & drinks

Kangaroo Island has 1 major shop for you to purchase your groceries from. So to make it easy on yourself, stock up on groceries while you’re there.

The last thing you want to be doing is running out of food & drinks whilst on holiday.

4. Keep your Hat Safe

If you’re doing a lot of driving, and you own a broad brim hat, you know how painful it is to store them. So I recently invested in designing a hat holder to fit 4WDS (& most other cars).

It literally takes 2 minutes to install & will keep your hat safe forever. I designed it to fit underneath the grab handles of popular cars.

If you want to support me, this would mean a lot to me - check out my car hat holder.

Conclusion

I hope you guys enjoyed this travellers guide to Kangaroo Island. I’ll be updating this as I think of more things to add to this list.

Get out there & enjoy Kangaroo Island.