A must see destination for visitors to Australia

Widely regarded as Australia's Galapagos, Kangaroo Island is the best place in Australia to see the widest range of free roaming native animals in their natural habitat - kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, seals, sea lions, penguins, echidna, platypus and goannas, to name but a few.

Situated in South Australia (southaustralia.com) Kangaroo Island is 155 km long and 55 km wide with a 540 km coastline making it Australia's third largest island. Almost a third of the Island is pristine wilderness or conservation parks, 21 in total, having retained its rich diversity of flora and fauna, much of which is not found on the mainland. This is why Kangaroo Island is considered to be a 'must see' destination for all first time visitors to Australia.

HISTORY - Captain Matthew Flinders recorded the first European sighting of Kangaroo Island in March 1802 during an exploration along the Australian coastline on behalf of the British Government. The following month information was exchanged with Nicolas Baudin, commander of the French corvette, Le Geographe, who was also exploring the area. Baudin visited Kangaroo Island that summer and mapped much of the south and west coastlines which today still bear a number of French names.

Sealers, escaped convicts and runaway sailors were among the first Europeans to live on the island during the early 1800s. They were joined by Aboriginal women transported from Tasmania and mainland Australia to help with the difficulties of a self-sufficient life in a remote location.

In July 1836, the island's first official settlers arrived on board the "Duke of York", creating Australia's first free settlement at Kingscote. Lack of water and suitable building materials resulted in the settlement being abandoned in favour of Adelaide.

Sheep farming became the core industry during the late 1800s as wool could be shipped easily to the mainland. Barley and other grains were grown and the island's residents made use of natural resources, felling timber, snaring possums, kangaroos and wallabies, and distilling eucalyptus oil.

After the Second World War the population of Kangaroo Island proceeded to increase as a result of the government's war service land settlement scheme. Ex-soldiers and their families arrived to farm undeveloped land in the island's central plateau and the numbers of inhabitants rose.

Kangaroo Island has preserved a number of its historic attractions, allowing visitors to delve more deeply into its past. These include South Australia's oldest lighthouse, Cape Willoughby, built in 1852 and standing 27 metres high on the island's most easterly point, as well as The Maritime and Folk Museum housed in Old Penneshaw School which highlights the numerous ships wrecked off the coast, the first of which was recorded in 1847.

NATURAL ATTRACTIONS - FLINDERS CHASE NATIONAL PARK is set in 74,000 hectares and is internationally renowned for its array of native Australian animals. It is also home to Remarkable Rocks and Admiral's Arch. The instantly recognisable Remarkable Rocks consist of huge granite boulders shaped over centuries by the weather and perched on a dome that rises 75 metres out of the sea. Further along the rugged southern coastline at Cape Du Couedic, Admiral's Arch is an impressive landmark that leads the way to a nursery of around 6,000 native New Zealand fur seals. Here visitors can watch them bask on the sun-drenched rocks or dive into the sea.

North east of Cape Du Couedic is KELLY HILL CONSERVATION PARK. A network of walking trails lead along an undulating limestone ridge towards sinkholes and caverns until they reach the surreal Kelly Hill Caves where amazing limestone formations await.

Further east along the south coast, SEAL BAY CONSERVATION PARK is one of only two places in the world in which visitors have the opportunity to walk amongst a breeding colony of rare Australian sea lions. National Park Rangers guide people on to the large sandy beach, through dune areas and a boardwalk, to view the beautiful creatures as they nurse their young or rest in the sun after feeding at sea for days at a time.

Nearby, the area known as LITTLE SAHARA provides a stark contrast to the lush conservation areas and rugged coastline. A series of expansive white sand dunes surrounded by bush vegetation give the impression of being in the middle of an inhospitable desert, rather than a flourishing island.

Keen ornithologists will find MURRAY LAGOON worth visiting. Located on the edge of the Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park, it features a network of walking trails that highlight the habitats of numerous species of water birds.

DUCK LAGOON is yet another area in which naturalists delight. Koalas can often be seen in the trees and there are lots of opportunities for bird watching. The unspoilt area of D'ESTREES BAY also attracts visitors who come to see the shore wading birds and pelicans feeding on long stretches of beach and to hunt for shells along the shoreline.

The towns of PENNESHAW and KINGSCOTE both lay claim to colonies of little penguins that nest in sandhills and rockfaces and can be seen as they return to the burrows at dusk, after fishing off shore. Penneshaw is a pretty Cornish-style settlement known for its safe, clean beach, while Kingscote is the island's commercial hub and consequently the largest town.

BEACHES - with a 540 km coastline it is no wonder that the Island boasts many stunning beaches, the most notable being Stokes Bay, Vivonne Bay, Snelling Beach and Hanson Bay.

WILDLIFE CALENDAR December-February (summer)

- Kangaroos and tammar wallabies are seen predominantly at dawn and dusk.
- Little penguins moult all their feathers and can lose up to half their body weight.
- New Zealand fur seals give birth to chocolate-brown pups.
- The Australian sea-lion breeding season begins with pups born from January to June.
- Heath goannas lay 10-17 eggs in termite mounds which act as the perfect incubator.
- Koalas, wallabies and kangaroos give birth to tiny young, which are naked and blind.

March-May (autumn)

- Glossy black cockatoos and little penguins begin nesting.
- Black swans begin their courtships with wing-raising, neck-stretching and loud trumpeting.
- Fungi start to appear on damp ground and rotting wood.

June-August (winter and the best time to visit)

- Land mammals, predominantly night/dawn/dusk feeders, frequently come out by day.
- Koalas emerge from the mother's pouch and begin to ride on her back.
- Kangaroo and wallaby joeys start to emerge from the mother's pouch to feed.
- Echidnas form 'mating trains', up to eight males will follow a female for up to four weeks.
- Waders, on their migration from Siberia, begin to arrive.
- Ospreys show off to their mates in spectacular courtship fights.
- Southern right whales pass from Antarctic waters to the Great Australian Bight to calve.

September-November (spring)

- Wildflowers are in abundance with around 40 endemic floral species to be found.
- Eucalyptus oil is in peak production. One tonne of leaf can produce up to 30 litres of oil.
- Cape Barren geese nest on top of the native iris grasses to incubate their eggs.
- Platypuses lay two eggs in a burrow up to 20 metres long.

VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
Island Pure Sheep Dairy offers visitors the chance to observe sheep milking and cheese production demonstrations and to try some of the special cheese and yoghurt produced on the farm.

Kangaroo Island is thought to be the only place in the world where a pure strain of the placid ligurian bee exists. Clifford's Honey Farm is a 600-hectare property where more than 10,000 kilograms of honey is produced each year and Island Beehive produces organic honey extracted at low temperatures to retain the natural colours and flavours, and to protect the many nutritional qualities.

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery allows visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the processes involved in transforming one of the island's natural assets into an oil that can be used as a solvent, cleaner, disinfectant and insect repellent, to name just a few of its uses.

Other options include Parndana Wildlife Park and Kangaroo Island Penguin Centre at Kingscote.

GALLERIES - They say nature makes a fine muse, so it is little wonder that the Island inspires so many fine artists. From painters to potters, writers to woodworkers and spinners to silk painters, the art and crafts of local artists very much reflects their island life. Fine Art Kangaroo Island and the Kangaroo Island Gallery in Kingscote and KI Artworks in Baudin Beach exhibit and sell only Island-made works. There are over half a dozen other galleries visitors can pop into.

FOOD AND WINE
Kangaroo Island, home to 30 vineyards and 18 labels, already has a reputation for its dynamic food and wine culture - pure Ligurian honey, exceptional seafood, cheese, olive oil - the list goes on. In 2007 Kangaroo Island was named Australia's best regional food destination at the "Vogue Entertaining and Travel Audi Produce Awards".

2 Birds And A Squid and Fish were both set up and are run by renowned British born chef Sue Pearson.

Kangaroo Island's Food & Wine Trail highlights food producers and the growing wine industry, and gives Internet users the chance to view video and audio interviews, together with still images and 360-degree virtual reality scenes designed to showcase the best the island has to offer - goodfoodkangarooisland.com.

Epicurean Adventure is a food safari tour from Exceptional Kangaroo Island focussing on the island's diversity of produce and the passion of the producers. A full day can incorporate seafood, artisan cheese, olive oil, honey, marron (an Australian freshwater crayfish), native spices, yoghurt and wine. For example, Sue and Dan Pattingale are renowned olive oil producers - their herbaceous, peppery oil is harvested from ancient, gnarled tress from across the Island.

Sunset Winery was the Island's first cellar door. Now there are several locations where visitors can sample the local wines and enjoy a platter of local produce, including Bay of Shoals and Two Wheeler Creek, Dudley Wines and Chapman River Cellar Door.

Kangaroo Island Spirits, a recently established distillery, is South Australia's first and only boutique distillery producing a range of quality liqueurs and spirits including some made from local ingredients.

Andermel Marron Farm features a great cafe and interesting dishes using native herbs grown on the property.

ACTIVITIES - Over and above wildlife spotting, which includes nocturnal wildlife tours, activities include fishing, surfing, hiking, trekking, camping and scuba diving - of interest both to wildlife enthusiasts as well as wreck divers.

ACCOMMODATION - The Island's flagship property is undoubtedly SOUTHERN OCEAN LODGE (southernoceanlodge.com.au) a luxurious world class eco-wilderness lodge that opened in April 2008 to instant success and international acclaim. In 2009 it was named "Hotel Of The Year" in the prestigious Tatler Travel Guide and made Condé Nast Traveller's "Red Hot List" featuring the world's best new hotels. The publication likened arriving at Southern Ocean Lodge to "standing on the prow of a great liner with water and sky all around". Meanwhile, Lodge owner and creator, James Baillie, made Condé Nast Traveller's list of "10 Hot Hoteliers".

Over and above Southern Ocean Lodge, the extensive range of accommodation options ensures there is something to appeal to all tastes and budgets: caravan parks, camping grounds, backpacker hostels and b&bs, farmstays, hotels, self-contained houses, lighthouse keepers' and cottages.

Of particular note is Lifetime Private Retreats who specialise in offering a personal, customised service in a secluded landscape. Lifetime consists of three individual upmarket retreats with beach access - Cliff House, Sky House and Stone House. A chef is on hand to serve meals on request at a choice of locations, whilst accommodation packages can include daily yoga and meditation, snorkelling, massage, mud treatments, diving, cooking lessons, tours and fishing expeditions - life-time.com.au.

ACCESSIBILITY - Regional Express and Air South fly daily from Adelaide; SeaLink operates up to 10 daily 45-minute passenger and vehicle ferry crossings from Cape Jervis, 90-minutes drive south of Adelaide. Car hire is also available.

DID YOU KNOW?

- Kangaroo Island is large enough for everybody in the world to lie down on at once. SA resident Dr Roger Murphy has mathematically demonstrated that all six billion of the earth's people could lie down on the island at the same time
- Kangaroo Island is seven times the size of Singapore.
- 300kg of salt falls across Kangaroo Island per hectare per year.
- The island was separated from the mainland over 10,000 years ago. Animals and plants have evolved differently over this time creating species found nowhere else in the world. Kangaroo Island even has its own sub species of kangaroo.

For further information on Kangaroo Island go to tourkangarooisland.com.au .

For further information on South Australia, see southaustralia.com.