Australia 17 - Adelaide & South Australia (Chapter)

(Darren Dugan) #1
Adel Aide & South Au

Str Ali A

KANGAROO

ISLAND

Adel Aide & South Au

Str Ali A

SLEEPING

&EATING

Adel Aide & South Au

Str Ali A

SOUTH

COAST

ROAD

best swimming spots. Around 36km further
west, Stokes ̈Bay has a penguin rookery
and broad rock pool you access by scram-
bling through a 20m tunnel in the cliffs at
the bay’s eastern end (mind your head!). Be-
ware the rip outside the pool.
The view as you look back over Snelling ̈
Beach from atop Constitution Hill is awe-
some! Continue 7km west and you’ll hit the
turn-off to Western ̈River ̈Cove, where a
small beach is crowded in by sombre basalt
cliffs. The ridge-top road in is utterly scenic
(and steep).


4 ̈Sleeping ̈& ̈Eating


Western ̈River ̈
Cove ̈Campsite ̈ CAMPGROUND$
(www�kangarooisland�sa �gov �au;  unpowered sites
per  2 people $15,  extra  person $5) This self-
registration camp site is just a short walk
from the beach and a footbridge over the
river (it’s so tempting to dangle a line).
There’s a toilet block and a barbecue hut but
no showers.


Emu ̈Bay ̈
Holiday ̈Homes ̈ CABINS,RENTALHOUSE$
(%08-85535241; www �emubaysuperviews�com �au;
21 BayviewRd, Emu Bay; cabins$90, holidayhomes
$115-145,extra person$20; aW) Great-value (if
a little frilly) cabins and holiday homes in a
large flower-filled garden on the hill above
Emu Bay beach (great views!). The self-
contained cabins (caravan-park cabins with
a facelift, sans air-con) sleep four or six; the
holiday homes sleep six or 10.


Stone ̈House ̈ RENTALHOUSE$$$
(www�life-time�com �au;  North Coast Rd,  Snel-
ling Beach;dfrom $410;a) It’s pricey, but it’s
worth it: a gorgeous self-contained stone-
and-timber house on the hillside above
beautiful Snelling Beach (actually, it’s not
that pricey if there’s a few of you: from $460
for six people in three bedrooms). Floor-to-
ceiling windows, quirky artworks, a couple
of decks and daisy-studded lawns.


Rockpool ̈Café ̈ CAFE$$
(%08-8559 2277;  North Coast Rd,  Stokes Bay;
mains $15-27;h11am-5pm Tue-Sun, daily  during
schoolholidays) Don’t worry about sandy feet
at this casual, al fresco joint in Stokes Bay.
‘What’s the house special?’, we asked. ‘What-
ever I feel like doin’!’, said the chef (usually
seafood, washed down with local wines and
decent espresso).


South Coast Road
The south coast is rough and wave-swept
compared with the north.

1 ̈Sights ̈& ̈Activities
Seal ̈Bay ̈Conservation ̈Park ̈NATURERESERVE
(%08-8553 4460; www �environment�sa �gov �au/
sealbay; Seal  Bay  Rd;  self-guided tours  adult/
child/family$15/9/40,guided$32/18/80,twilight
$60/36/165;htours 9am-4�15pm year-round,ex-

tra tours Dec-Feb) (^) S ‘Observation, not inter-
action’ is the mentality. Guided tours stroll
along the beach (or boardwalk on self-guided
tours) to a colony of (mostly sleeping) Aus-
tralian sea lions. Twilight tours December
and January. Bookings advised.
Clifford’s ̈Honey ̈Farm ̈ APIARY
(www�cliffordshoney�com �au;  1157  Elsegood Rd, 
Haines;h9am-5pm) It’s almost worth swim-
ming the Backstairs Passage for the honey
ice cream (sourced from a colony of rare
Ligurian bees) at this charming, uncommer-
cial farm. A bit off the tourist radar (again,
charming).
Kelly ̈Hill ̈Conservation ̈Park ̈NATURERESERVE
(%08-8553 4464; www �environment�sa �gov �au;
SouthCoastRd; tours adult/child/family$15/9/40,
caving$65/39/176;htours 10 �30am,then hourly
11 �15am-4�15pm) This series of dry lime-
stone caves was ‘discovered’ in the 1880s
by a horse named Kelly, who fell into them
through a hole. Take the standard show ̈
cave ̈tour, or add on an adventure ̈caving ̈
tour (following the 2.15pm standard tour;
bookings essential). The Hanson ̈Bay ̈Walk
(9km one way) runs from the caves through
mallee scrub and past freshwater wetlands.
Emu ̈Ridge ̈Farm ̈
Eucalyptus ̈Distillery ̈ DISTILLERY,GALLERY
(www�emuridge�com �au;  691  Willsons Rd,  MacGil-
livary;admissionfree, self-guidedtours adult/child
$4 �50/2;h9am-2pm) (^) S A detour off Hog Bay
or Birchmore roads takes you past this self-
sufficient operation (all solar-, steam- and
wind-powered) extracting eucalyptus oil
from Kangaroo Island’s narrow-leaf mallee.
The attached craft gallery sells eucalyptus-
oil products.
Raptor ̈Domain ̈ AVIARY
(www�kangarooislandbirdsofprey�com �au; cnr South
CoastRd &Seal Bay Rd; birds of prey adult/child/
family $15/10/45, reptiles $10/8/32;h10 �30am-
4pm) Check out some KI wedge-tailed eagles,

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