Discover The Best Of Australian Wildlife And Much More On Kangaroo Island

Australia's 3rd largest island is Kangaroo Island, following the islands of Melville and Tasmania. It is located just 112 km from the large city, Adelaide, and has 4,200 residents. Tourists to this beautiful place will find Kangaroo Island accommodation plentiful and diverse.

The biggest town on Kangaroo Island is Kingscote which was known as Reeves Point when it functioned as a settlement area in 1836 for Europeans. Its name was changed when a pitch was made that the town serve as South Australia's capital. Sadly this did not happen because Kingscote didn't have sufficient resources to support its increasing population. Instead, Adelaide became the capital of South Australia.

Much of Kangaroo Island's economy comes from agriculture. This includes beef farming; potato, canola and grain farming, as well sheep grazing. Cattle which are reared within the high rainfall areas produce beef that is known for its excellent quality.

Travel as well as the fishing industry are also significant for the economy. Kangaroo Island is visited by 140,000 tourists yearly. About 25 percent of them are European tourists. The island is famous for the unequaled size of the southern rock lobsters which are caught off the coast. South Australia's only producer of eucalyptus oil is found on the Island.

The climate is mild in this part of the world. June - September are the winter months which are wet and mild. October - May are the summer months which are warm and dry. Summer temperatures hover around 25C thanks to cooling ocean breezes. Winter can be quite chilly with temperatures ranging between the 13 to 16C mark. You'll want to pack a jersey if you are visiting at this time of the year.

Native vegetation covers more than half the island. A large portion consists of wilderness protection areas, conservation parks and national parks. These They are the Seal Bay Conservation Park, Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area, the Cape Bouguer Wilderness Protection Area, the Gape Gantheaume Conservation Park and Flinders Chase National Park. These are all popular tourist sites.

At Seal Bay you can take a guided walk to watch sea lions basking in the sun. During a visit to Flinders Chase National Park, you can see the Remarkable Rocks. These massive boulders have been incredibly sculpted by Mother Nature. Other places of interest are the Kelly Hill Caves, Cape Willoughby, and the big sand dunes at Little Sahara.

Watch endearing penguins at the Kangaroo Island Penguin Center in Kingscote. And for a amazing abundance of bird life, visit Murray Lagoon. On Mount Thisby there is a lookout which was constructed in 2002 as a mark of respect to Matthew Flinders who was the 1st navigator to go around Australia. From the lookout you'll be able to see breathtaking 360 degree views.

There is no shortage of Kangaroo Island accommodation. Book a beachfront cottage at Stokes Bay, Emu Island, Island Beach or Snelling Beach. There are several backpackers' lodges where you may share comfortable, clean accommodation. Every lodge has bedrooms, a dining room, a large living area and a fully equipped kitchen. Other accommodation alternatives include hotels and resorts, caravan and camp sites, motels, holiday apartments and B&Bs.