Flinders Chase wilderness

Kangaroo Island is a treasury of wildlife animals, and the wildlife within Flinders Chase National Park are particularly well represented. Visitors may see kangaroos, emus, koalas, wallabies, platypus and possums appear in the bush at night. The large rock formations of Kangaroo Island, known as the Remarkable Rocks, formed into their exceptional shape gradually by wind and wave erosion. Nearby these formations is Admiral's Arch, a shaved-off in an arch shape, where the New Zealand fur seals can often be spotted sunning themselves.

Head for the bush

If you want to leave the mundane world behind you and go for a long bush walk among prolific flora and fauna, Kangaroo Island is the perfect setting. The special thing about it is that because of its isolation from the mainland, much of Kangaroo Island woodland and coastline is pristine with abundant flora and fauna, offering a rare bushwalking, camping and wildlife-spotting experience.

For the fit and prepared Kangaroo Island offers a great number of walking possibilities. There's plenty of room for it - Kangaroo Island is 155 kilometres long, up to 55 kilometres wide and covers 4,500 square kilometres. Much of this, in fact 30 per cent, is national park.

Camping is permitted in designated areas within the 21 national parks, and in approved local government areas. Here you can camp and take walks to appreciate beautiful coastline and wildlife where it should be - in the wild.

Flinders Chase National Park and Kelly Hill National Park offer fine walking and hiking trails - your sojourns here can be short or overnight. On your wanderings you may glimpse delightful fur seals, wallabies and possums, and some walkers have been known to glimpse the elusive platypus, and echidnas.

Guided walks are also extremely rewarding on Kangaroo Island. You can take one into the Kelly Hill Caves, or if you are more adventurous, you can organise a more in-depth caving experience. You can also take a guided walk through the seal colony at Seal Bay, and take a longer walk at your own pace along Bales Beach.

Seal Bay wildlife sanctuary

Kangaroo Island was part of the Australian mainland until sea levels rose 10,000 years ago. Now, its isolation means it is a safe home to abundant, undisturbed wildlife. One of the best examples of this is Seal Bay, a colony of around 600 rare sea lions. The population here, on the south coast of Kangaroo Island, is believed to represent ten per cent of their kind in all the world. These mammals use the beach as an important resting break and breeding haven between foraging expeditions. Their breaks, of around three days at a time, must be undisturbed as they are essential for their survival.

Here at this beach they are both protected and showcased to travellers. While fishing and swimming are prohibited here, visitors are offered guided tours walking among the sea lions as they loll in the sun on the beach. You can get as close as six metres to these fascinating mammals - take a camera! For a bit of solitude try nearby Bales Beach, also in the Seal Bay Conservation Park, where you can go for a long walk on a beautiful beach, and stop for a picnic at Bales Cottage Picnic Area.

They are not the only examples of carefree wildlife on the 450 kilometres of coastline on Kangaroo Island. Head for Flinders Chase National Park on the western end of the island, which encompasses many kilometres of rugged coastline and bush, sheltering many New Zealand fur seals, more sea lions, sea eagles and osprey, and bush kangaroos, wallabies, possums, echidnas, goannas, platypuses and sleepy koalas.

Unique accommodation

Kangaroo Island is just 30 minutes by air from Adelaide or a pleasant, 45-minute ferry ride from the mainland. The island's isolation has allowed all sorts of native animals to flourish, protected from feral predators and blights.

Set in clean, ultramarine seas, Australia's third-largest island was discovered in 1802 by English sea captain Matthew Flinders, who never travelled without his cat, Trim. Flinders and Trim found Kangaroo Island uninhabited, although stone tools discovered since indicate that people lived there about 10,000 years ago.

Today, activities include wildlife observation, birdwatching, wetland wading, adventure caving, snorkelling, scuba diving, farm visits, fishing and aerial sightseeing. Areas to be explored include Flinders Chase National Park, a 74,000 hectare wilderness, home to kangaroos, wallabies, possums, goannas, echidnas, koalas, platypus, fur seals and many birds, including rare Cape Barren geese.

Accommodation highlights include historic lighthouses, the luxurious Southern Ocean Lodge with 21 spectacular suites, and LifeTime Private Retreats, with three secluded hideaways offering total pampering and amazing coastal views. The island's imposing Ozone Seafront Hotel fronts the beach and backs onto the main street of Kingscote town. Built in 1907 with equipment ferried from the mainland, the hotel burned to the ground 11 years later. Only the walls - made of locally quarried stone - were left standing. The owner died the week after the fire and his ghost is said to haunt room 16. The hotel was rebuilt in 1920 and has recently been completely renovated. You can also watch fairy penguins returning to their burrows on a night tour run by the Kangaroo Island Marine Centre.

Walk with sea lions

Kangaroo Island, a wilderness refuge with a unusual past off the coast of South Australia, is the best place in Australia to view sea lions. Seal Bay Conservation Park on the island is home to a population of up to 600 Australian sea lions, which can be observed at close quarters on ranger-guided tours. Seal Bay is 40 minutes away from Kangaroo Island's main town, Kingscote. The conservation park was proclaimed in 1972 to help protect the Australian sea lion in its natural habitat.

Kangaroo Island, believed to have been inhabited by Aborigines as far back as 10,000 years ago, was discovered by Europeans in 1802 when English captain Matthew Flinders was navigating the southern coast of Australia. It was settled later that century by sealers, escaped convicts and runaway sailors, who sought refuge on the food-rich island.

The island is a lot quieter now, but no less fascinating. National Parks and Wildlife South Australia (NPWSA) rangers guide tours along Seal Bay beach, where you can encounter sea lions resting after their long fishing trips. A boardwalk enables visitors to view the animals at a safe distance with minimal disturbance. There's a visitor centre as well.

One part of Seal Bay Conservation Park, Bales Bay, is a delightful beach with sheltered barbecue facilities. Not far away you'll find Little Sahara, with its incredible inland sand dunes. Part of this geological monument lies within the reserve and forms some of the largest inland sand dune systems on Kangaroo Island.

Wildflowers above, diving below

The beautiful by wild landscapes of Kangaroo Island offer plenty of activity in and out of the ocean. Take time and feel the true nature. In Kangaroo Island, the more you stay, the more you can experience the activities. Original flora and fauna remain abundant, cliffs and beaches are unsullied, and many roads are deliberately left unsealed.

Diving off the unspoiled beaches and rock shelves of KI is particularly popular in the warmer, summer months. See sea dragon, sea lions, fur seals and swim with dolphins in a pristine wilderness area with spectacular views.

4WD tours, fishing, horse riding, the bush walking are other popular land-lover activities on KI. Accommodation styles include motels, B&Bs, cottages along the seashore neighborhoods. Campsite and farmstays are also available, but need to be planned ahead.

Wildlife wonderland

Kangaroo Island is Australia's third largest island and a haven of unspoiled parks, reserves, beaches, dramatic coastal cliffs and isolated beaches.

Many local farmers have turned their hand to niche food and wine production, and cafes and restaurants are keen to promote local fare. The Kangaroo Island wine region has around a dozen wine producers and two cellar doors (others open by appointment), with main varieties including Chardonnay and Riesling. Choose your own lobster at Fergusons in Kingscote. Taste honey from what is believed to be the last population of pure Ligurian bees in the world. And enjoy marron (a delicious freshwater crustacean), sheep cheeses and yoghurt from a dairy where you can watch sheep being milked.

The island is popular for four-wheel drive touring, self-drive and cycling with accommodation in delightful lighthouse cottages, small motels, bed and breakfasts, and camping grounds. Join a personalised tour with a local who has given up farming for tourism. The fishing and diving are excellent with established tour operators.

Koalas have also flourished. You only need to look up to see one curled up and sleepy in a fork of branches. The island is a sanctuary for kangaroos, wallabies, possums, bandicoots, goannas, dolphins, echidnas, platypus, a multitude of birds and a large colony of rare sea lions which frolic at Seal Bay oblivious to human presence. Cute little penguins come ashore every evening and the majestic southern right whale arrives in winter to mate and breed. The landscape is unusual with creeping sands, lagoons, caves and the amazing Remarkable Rocks sculptured for centuries by wind and rain.