Most beautiful Kangaroo Island sights in Australia with the Wildlife National Park near Adelaide. If you ask most tourists on the outbound flight to Australia what they would like to see in Australia, you usually hear “a kangaroo”. For me too, kangaroos are one of the most interesting animals on earth. My itinerary for Adelaide included a trip to Kangaroo Island, so I was hoping that I would at least see a kangaroo.

I also saw real Australian kangaroos at Taronga Zoo on my first visit to Australia in Sydney, but it must be even more impressive in the wild, right? If you’re only in Adelaide and can’t make a trip to the offshore island, you can of course also see the kangaroos at Adelaide Zoo or the surrounding wildlife reserves. I have already presented my top sights in Adelaide in more detail.

Getting to the island

I was full of anticipation for Kangaroo Island and even had an extra bag for one night in my luggage for the short flight, as you are only allowed to take 15 kg of luggage on board. Of course, it wasn’t as comfortable as my outward flight with Qatar Airways to Adelaide, but with a flight time of 35 minutes, you hardly notice the flight.

What’s more, we were picked up at the hotel in Adelaide shortly before six in the morning and everyone was still a little sleepy. Alternatively, you can of course travel by ferry, but we had a full program waiting for us and every extra minute on the island was worth choosing the flight.

Kangaroo Island sights

Kangaroo Island is one of the most beautiful places in Australia. Approximately 4250 people live on 4405 square kilometers on Australia’s third largest island. The island has over 500 kilometers of coastline and offers mostly unaltered nature. Basically, the entire island consists of various national parks, except for the larger towns.

Kangaroo Island Odysseys Tours

On Kangaroo Island you can observe many animals in their natural habitat without fences, but it is advisable to be accompanied by someone who is very familiar with the animals and the region. Our small group was greeted at the airport by Nikki, who belongs to Kangaroo Island Odysseys Tours, and our private wildlife tour began.

South coast of Kangaroo Island

We first headed south and all we could see far and wide was nature and barely populated areas. Throughout our tour, we took a closer look at the south coast of the island. We passed Seal Bay, which we wanted to take a closer look at the next day, on our way to our first stop…

Vivonne Bay

We were allowed to enjoy our tea on this beautiful beach and by now we were all wide awake. We could now really enjoy having arrived on Kangaroo Island. I can understand why it’s perfect for swimming and surfing.

A long, curved stretch of beach with turquoise water. Here you can picnic in peace or go fishing. The only stretch of beach and safe southern harbor on the island that is ideal for fishermen. Here you can buy fresh fish from the predominantly crab fishermen and prepare it on one of the barbecue areas.

Although the cliffs, such as those at Point Ellen, are just as interesting for photographers, they are less fun for fishermen.

Flinders Chase National Park

At the western end of Kangaroo Island lies Flinders Chase National Park with its impressive and rugged coastline. Here you have the feeling of being in the middle of pristine nature. With over 74,000 hectares (740 square kilometers), this is the largest national park in Australia. The park was named after the discoverer of Kangaroo Island: Captain Matthew Flinders.

Remarkable Rocks

They are located in Flinders Chase National Park and are huge granite rocks that have been shaped by wind and weather. The view from the 75-metre-high rocks is well worth the effort.

Admirals Arch

Another highlight in Flinders Chase National Park is Admirals Arch. You walk over wooden walkways from which you can watch some sea lions. At least we were lucky at the time and were able to photograph the rather lazy-looking animals at a distance. But the natural bridge itself is also well worth seeing.

Rocky River

In the middle of the park is Rocky River, the perfect place to take a picnic break. Nikki conjured up a gourmet picnic lunch for us and we were able to really enjoy our lunch break in the great outdoors. If you’re lucky, you might even see your first koalas in the wild.

Conservation Park

After all our impressions of the coast, we were now completely focused on koalas and kangaroos. Thanks to Nikki, we got relatively close to some of the animals at Grassdale without alarming them. This is exactly where you are glad to have someone with you who knows about wild animals and will say “stop” if you get too close. It really was extremely impressive to get so close to kangaroos and koalas.

Overnight stay in Kingscote – Nepean Bay

After so many impressions, our small tour group headed back to the capital, Kingscote. Our first impression of Kangaroo Island was very positive. There was a lot of rugged nature, peaceful animals and good food. The region is also known for its special wine, honey, eucalyptus oil, chestnuts and sheep’s cheese production.

Our hotel was the modernized Aurora Ozone Hotel Overnight Aurora Ozone Hotel & Apartments (7 Kingscote Terrace Kingscote SA 5223), which was located directly on the coast, Nepean Bay. We spent the evening at Café Bella with a delicious dinner and wines from the region.

Before we met up with Nikki again the next morning, I had a look around Kingscote. Almost in front of the hotel, a few pelicans were waiting for the returning fishing boats – something you don’t see every day. A 20-minute walk north takes you to Reeves Point. A mulberry tree has stood here since the town was founded in 1836 and still bears fruit today.

Nature reserves and plenty of coastline

For us, however, today was not about Kingscote, but we set off into the wilderness again. Today we went with Nikki from Kangaroo Island Odysseys towards Seal Bay to see the sea lions and koalas.

Seal Bay Conservation Park

Home to 1,000 sea lions, or about 5% of the world’s sea lions. There are only 14,700 sea lions left in the world. Reason enough to preserve a sanctuary for sea lions in their natural environment since 1972. Visitors can visit the area with guides and learn about the endangered species.

Visitors can marvel at some sea lions in the dunes on wooden walkways leading to the beach. There was plenty more to see on the beach itself. Young animals calling for their mothers. Older bulls fighting out their power struggles. It’s amazing how fast these animals can move and how loud they are.

I would have liked to walk around for longer, but the time to say goodbye was approaching. All too soon we were on the plane back to Adelaide. The trip to Kangaroo Island was to remain a special highlight of our trip to Australia for all of us. We would all love to come back and spend a little more time on the island.

Conclusion – Kangaroo Island Wildlife National Park near Adelaide

Kangaroo Island in Australia is always worth a visit. Whether comfortably by plane or by ferry and boat – I would want to return to this natural island at any time. However, I would also always choose a guide who can convey a love of the island and the animals. It makes a big difference in understanding nature and the natural habitat of the animals. I look forward to seeing you again!