How to Best Tour Kangaroo Island in South Australia

I was creeping quietly through the Australian bush when my guide, Tim, put out a hand to stop me. He pointed ahead to where a group of kangaroos were watching us intently, waiting to see what we were up to.

“These kangaroos may never have seen humans before,” Tim said quietly, explaining that this area had only recently reopened to visitors following the bushfire damage of the 2019-2020 season, isolating the animals from contact with people. 

I was on Kangaroo Island (KI) in South Australia, a small community and natural haven just off the coast of the mainland. Easily accessible via a half-hour flight from Adelaide (or a 45-minute SeaLink ferry out of Cape Jervis), the island is an ideal destination for animal enthusiasts — in fact, it’s sometimes called the Galapagos of Australia, thanks to its high populations of native species, including kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, marine mammals, quill-covered echidnas, some 260 types of birds and more. 

Thanks to this abundance of fauna, tracking down wild kangaroos was just one of many thrills during my time on KI, all facilitated through my touring host, Exceptional Kangaroo Island. The family-owned and -operated company provides single- and multiday island tours for small and private groups, and works extensively with travel advisors.

And, true to its name, the company delivers an exceptional experience — the team is not only knowledgeable about the destination, but is also entrenched in the local community, allowing the staff to create meaningful moments for guests during their tour.

“We have a layered approach to what we share with guests,” said Craig Wickham, co-owner (along with his wife, Janet) and managing director of Exceptional Kangaroo Island. “There is the high-level Australian element, in that Kangaroo Island delivers so many of the aspects that travelers expect in our country — red-dirt roads, a rugged coastline and beautiful deserted beaches, the weird and wonderful wildlife — and then [there is] the community. We want to connect people to our neighbors, whether they are farmers, winemakers, artists or ecologists.”

We want to connect people to our neighbors, whether they are farmers, winemakers, artists or ecologists.

On my tour, I saw how these local connections translate to opportunities for spontaneity; for instance, as we passed a local ranch, Tim explained that the owner was also a wood turner with an on-property gallery. Responding to the group’s excitement, he turned off the road for an unplanned stop, where we all met the owner and picked up handmade souvenirs.

Out on Tour With Exceptional Kangaroo Island 

Exceptional Kangaroo Island offers tours with a variety of focuses, from wildlife encounters to local food and beverage producers, active pursuits and custom options. Clients will see some seriously stunning landscapes, including Flinders Chase National Park and its Remarkable Rocks geological formation, sprawling sheep farms and striking coastline, while hearing about the history of the island. 

Along the way, guides pull over in quiet spots where wildlife is likely to be found — on at least a dozen stops, we saw koalas perched in eucalyptus trees, kangaroos and wallabies lounging in the shade, lone echidnas crossing roads or fields, bright pink galahs (a type of cockatoo) and more.

Tour-goers can also enjoy privileged access at Seal Bay Conservation Park, one of the island’s top draws. Home to a colony of Australian sea lions, the park offers a series of viewing platforms for visitors. With an authorized private guide, however, clients can walk down onto the beach for up-close views of sea lions of all ages playing, sleeping and otherwise enjoying the sand and surf. 

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The thrills of these encounters would have been plenty to satisfy me, but Exceptional Kangaroo Island has a few other tricks up its sleeve. During a koala-scouting stop, for instance, Tim set up mid-morning tea in a grove of eucalyptus trees, complete with a white tablecloth, steeped-to-order cups of tea and a container full of lamingtons (an Australian cake). 

Come lunchtime, the setup was even more impressive. On the first day, we enjoyed a coastal picnic on a cliffside overlooking the sea, sipping local wine and snacking on cheese while Tim assembled a homemade spread of chicken and salad with fresh veggies, zingy dressing and onion jam. The next day, we pulled into a farm paddock, where covered picnic tables awaited us. Again, Tim spread out a white tablecloth and poured wine before grilling up local fish, halloumi cheese and potatoes. 

Bushfire Recovery 

For any clients concerned about the destination’s bushfire recovery, they can rest assured that KI is on the mend, and is now at a point where the visitor experience won’t be negatively impacted. 

The fires are part of our story, but they do not define us.

“There is no doubt that people are still hurting from the fires … [but] the biggest fact that visitors need to understand is that nearly 60% of our island was not directly impacted,” Wickham explained. “So, the experiences and appearance of the landscape remain as they have for years: Heritage buildings, tall forests and large populations of wildlife are as accessible as they always were. The fires are part of our story, but they do not define us.”

Learning about the resilience of the environment and the community only made KI more endearing to me. Add to that the surprise and delight awaiting travelers at every turn, and clients will surely find, as I did, that Kangaroo Island is a destination that leaves a lasting impression.