Kangaroo Island, Australia's third-largest island is 155 km (96 miles) long and 55 km (34 miles) wide. Located 16 km (10 miles) off the Fleurieu Peninsula, the island was the site of South Australia's first official colonial settlement, established at Reeves Point in 1836. The settlement was short-lived, however, and within just four years had been virtually abandoned. The island was then settled by degrees during the remainder of the 19th century as communications improved with the new mainland settlements.

There is no public transport on Kangaroo Island and visitors must travel on a tour or by car. Though the roads to the main sights are good, many roads are unsealed and extra care should be taken.

Sparsely populated and geographically isolated, the island has few introduced predators and is a haven for a wide variety of animals and birds, many protected in its 19 conservation and national parks. At Kingscote and Penneshaw fairy penguins can often be seen in the evenings, and the south coast windswept beach of Seal Bay is home to a large colony of Australian sea lions. In Flinders Chase National Park, kangaroos will sometimes approach visitors, but feeding them is discouraged.

The interior is dry, but does support tracts of mallee scrub, and eucalypts. The coastline, however, is varied. The north coast has sheltered beaches ideal for swimming. The south coast, battered by the Southern Ocean, has more than 40 shipwrecks. At Kirkpatrick Point to the southwest stands a group of large rocks. Aptly named Remarkable Rocks, they have been eroded into weird formations by the winds and sea.

Sea Rout: Sea Link ferry connection from Cape Jervis.
Information Center: The Gateway Information Centre, Howard Drive, Penneshaw
Phone: (08) 8553 1185.