Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
KANGAROO
ISLAND
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
INFORMATION
Adel Aide & South Au
Str Ali A
KANGAROO
ISLAND
88 Information
Goolwa Visitor Information Centre(%1300
466 592; www �visitalexandrina�com; 4Goolwa
Tce; h9am-5pmMon-Fri,10am-4pmSat &
Sun) Insidean 1857 post office,with detailed
local info (includingaccommodation)�88 Getting ̈There ̈& ̈Away
Premier Stateliner(www�premierstateliner�
com �au)runsbusesdailybetweenAdelaideand
Goolwa($22,twohours,onetothreedaily)�
Seep749forinfoontouriststeamtrainsrun-
ningbetweenGoolwa,VictorHarborandthe
AdelaideHills�KANGAROO ISLAND
From Cape Jervis, car ferries chug across the
swells of the Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo
Island (KI). Long devoid of tourist trappings,
the island these days is a booming desti-
nation for wilderness and wildlife fans −
it’s a veritable zoo of seals, birds, dolphins,
echidnas and (of course) kangaroos. Still,
the island remains rurally paced and under-
developed − the kind of place where kids
ride bikes to school and farmers advertise
for wives on noticeboards. Island produce is
a highlight.
See http://www.tourkangarooisland.com.au.History
Many KI place names are French, attribut-
able to Gallic explorer Nicholas Baudin who
surveyed the coast in 1802 and 1803. Bau-
din’s English rival, Matthew Flinders, named
the island in 1802 after his crew feasted on
kangaroo meat here. By this stage the island
was uninhabited, but archaeologists think
indigenous Australians lived here as recent-
ly as 2000 years ago. Why they deserted KI
is a matter of conjecture, though the answer
is hinted at in the indigenous name for KI:
‘Karta’, or ‘Land of the Dead’. In the early
1800s an indigenous presence (albeit a trag-
ically displaced one) was re-established on
KI when whalers and sealers abducted Abo-
riginal women from Tasmania and brought
them here.2 ̈Activities
The safest swimming is along the north
coast, where the water is warmer and there
are fewer rips than down south. Try Emu
Bay, Stokes Bay, Snelling Beach or Western
River Cove.For surfing, hit the uncrowded swells
along the south coast. Pennington Bay has
strong, reliable breaks; Vivonne Bay and
Hanson Bay in the southwest also serve up
some tasty waves. Pick up the Kangaroo Is-
land Surfing Guide brochure from visitor
information centres.
There’s plenty to see under your own
steam on KI. Check out http://www.tourkangaroo
island.com.au/wildlife/walks.aspx for info
on bushwalks from 1km to 18km.
The waters around KI are home to 230
species of fish, plus coral and around 60
shipwrecks − great snorkelling and div-
ing! Kangaroo ̈Island ̈Dive ̈& ̈Adventures
(%08-8553 3196; www �kangarooislanddiveandad
ventures�com �au; guided shore/boat dives from
$195/320,snorkelling/divingequipmenthire from
$45/120) runs diving trips and offers gear
hire.
Skidding down the dunes at Little ̈Sa-
hara is great fun. Kangaroo ̈Island ̈Out-
door ̈Action (%08-85594296;www �kioutdoorac
tion �com �au; Jetty Rd, Vivonne Bay) rents out
sandboards/toboggans ($29/39 per day),
plus single/double kayaks ($39/69 for four
hours).
There’s plenty of good fishing around the
island, including jetties at Kingscote, Pen-
neshaw, Emu Bay and Vivonne Bay. Fishing
charter tours (half-/full day from $100/200)
include tackle and refreshments, and you
keep what you catch. Try Kangaroo ̈Island ̈
Fishing ̈Adventures (%08-85593232;www �
kangarooislandadventures�com �au).T ̈Tours
See also Tours on p715. Stay at least one
night on the island if you can (one-day tours
are hectic). A few operators:Surf ̈& ̈Sun ̈ WILDLIFE(%1800 786 386; www �surfandsun�com �au) (^) S
Two-day all-inclusive tours ex-Adelaide/KI
($445/309), with a strong focus on wildlife
and activities.
Kangaroo ̈Island ̈
Adventure ̈Tours ̈ GUIDEDTOUR
(%08-8202 8678; www �kiadventuretours�com �
au) Two-day, all-inclusive tours ex-Adelaide
($389) with a backpacker bent and plenty of
activities.
Kangaroo ̈Island ̈Marine ̈Tours ̈WILDLIFE
(%0427 315 286; www �kimarineadventures�com)
S Ninety-minute boat tours ($82.50) and
longer half-day jaunts ($165), which include