A Day Trip To Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Admirals Arch

Kangaroo Island is a serene getaway abundant with wildlife and natural beauty. KI (how the locals call it) is located off the coast of South Australia, about 40-minute ferry ride away from Port Jervais. The island is far enough away from the city that it keeps the commercial businesses out and this 90 mile long escape quiet. Many people stay overnight at one of the small hotels because there is a lot to see with over a third of the island being a national park. However, because we only had one day we kept our itinerary to only the-must-sees.

From Adelaide, we drove an hour to Port Jervais and then took the 10:00AM SeaLink Ferry, docking in Penneshaw, KI a little before 11:00AM. Our first stop was Seal Bay Conservation Park which was about 60 miles from Penneshaw. Admission was about US$12 and you were allowed to observe the seals from the boardwalk. The seals were very cute and the beach the conservation was located on was beautiful. You could pay more to have a guide take you onto the beach and get a closer look at the seals but we decided it was too pricey.

Seals resting at Seal Bay

Our next stop was Vivonne Bay which is one of the most pristine beaches I have ever seen. From Seal Bay it was about a 30 minute drive. If you go to KI, Vivonne Bay is absolutely a must especially on a clear sunny day. The water is a beautiful aquamarine color and the beach has bright fine sand; like something out of a small remote island in the Philippines. We even saw people snorkeling around the rocks.

Lookout from Vivione Bay

After the breathtaking views of Vivonne Bay, we drove just a short distance away to the Vivonne Bay General Store to grab a casual lunch. I would recommend the Whiting Burger which tastes like it’s been caught fresh. Shortly after lunch, we drove into Flinders Chase National Park which had a $11 per person admission and went to Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks. Both sites are spectacular and only 5 minute drive away from each other.

Remarkable Rocks

Admirals Arch does get a bit windy so leave your hat in the car. There is a boardwalk and a set of wooden stairs you take to get down to the arch and along the way you can see seals. We actually saw the seals at a much closer distance than at Seal Bay and I would recommend to anyone who is on a budget or short on time to skip Seal Bay and just go to Admirals Arch to see some seals. Remarkable Rocks reminds me of images from a lunar landscape. They are beautiful, bizarre and a must-see while on KI.

Remarkable Rocks

The thing that makes Kangaroo Island amazing is that there is so much to see on such a little island. With little commercialization, it’s the perfect nature lover’s escape.