Activities on Kangaroo Island - things to do and see
These are the activities we did with our children and our review of them. I am sure every individual will have their own experiences but I have done the best I can to represent the activities we experienced this year.
Kelly Caves
Location: South Coast Road, Flinders Chase
Opening Hours: 10-4.15pm
Telephone: (08) 8553 4464
This is a short drive from Flinders Chase National Park and comprises of a large cave system surrounded by a couple of bush walking trails (all easy, suitable for children but not in prams).
The general tour takes you through one large cave and lasts about 30 minutes. As my children had never been in a cave before, it was quite exciting for them and they were interested in everything. Adults who have been in caves before, may find this to be a bit more mundane in the world of caves.
I think part of the enjoyment of the caves is also dependent upon your guide. Friends had this very positive, upbeat guide who made the tour very enjoyable and entranced the children with his stories. Our guide, seemed to be bored and barely tolerating the small group she had to lead. We got the distinct impression she could not wait to get the tour over and done with. No doubt, you need to be passionate about the caves to be a guide, but on the day we visited, that passion and enthusiasm was lacking.
Recommended? Yes, for children and those who have never been in caves before. If you have been to say, Naracoorte or Jenolan caves, I would probably recommend not to be too fussed if you run out of time for these.
Birds of Prey/Raptor Domain
Location: Corner of Southcoast Road & Seal Bay Road.
Public Show Times: Public displays will be held at 11.15am 7 days a week including public holidays. Group bookings available.
Telephone: (08) 8559 5108
Close to Seal Bay, you will find Birds of Prey or Raptor Domain, a one hour show displaying birds of the Island in an open arena. Such birds as wedge tail eagles, kookaburras, falcon, hawks and owls are brought out and spoken about and the birds fly free, in and around you, and the surrounding trees.
You learn a great deal about the birds, the environment and the birds habitats. Most of the children will get the opportunity to have a bird perched on their arm or have a bird jump on you.
This tour was great value for money and thoroughly entertaining. The whole family was entertained and informed for the hour, and we wished it went on longer. The presenters of the show are passionate, entertaining and very knowledgeable on these birds, and welcomed questions from the audience.
Recommended? Definitely a must see for everyone.
Clifford's Honey Farm
http://www.cliffordshoney.com.au/
A small honey shop tucked away off the main road through KI, this shop sells an array of honey products – something for everyone. They provide plenty of information on the process of honey making and you can see the bees in a glassed hive. The homemade honey icecream is delicious!
Run by a friendly couple, this is a nice little sidetrip and will allow you to pick up a taste of Kangaroo Island.
Recommended? Yes. Buy some KI honey and sit outside with a little tub of the honey icecream.
A small honey shop tucked away off the main road through KI, this shop sells an array of honey products – something for everyone. They provide plenty of information on the process of honey making and you can see the bees in a glassed hive. The homemade honey icecream is delicious!
Run by a friendly couple, this is a nice little sidetrip and will allow you to pick up a taste of Kangaroo Island.
Recommended? Yes. Buy some KI honey and sit outside with a little tub of the honey icecream.
Seal Bay
View from Seal Bay Lookout
Seal Bay is home to one of the biggest colonies of seals in the world and is a very well established set-up for visitors.
There are 2 options when you visit – buy a ticket to go to lookout and on the boardwalk that overlooks the beach OR buy a ticket that allows you to go with a guide onto the beach itself and get closer to the seals. This latter ticket also allows you to utilise the boardwalk and lookout.
Whilst it is not cheap ($82 for family of 4), we went with the guided tour as it is a one-off experience and the chances of coming back again are slim. You have come this far, you might as well pay to see the seals as close as you can.
This is a very popular sightseeing activity, and bus tour after bus tour came when we were there. The good news is that they do not put other paying customers with a tour, so you will not be grouped in with a bunch of 20 people on tour. So don’t freak out when you see large groups all together and think “I am going to be with them!” They will have their own separate tour.
If you can, come first thing in the morning or after 2pm in the day. Why? Because this is the least busy time of day for tours. Mid morning and early afternoon, you may have a bigger size group and it can be harder to hear the guide, the more of you there are. We went on a tour around 2pm, and it was just us and one other family (ie. 8 of us all up). We just all sat on the beach near the seals with the guide and it was a lovely peaceful tour. The bigger groups – this is not possible.
There is a souvenir shop, toilets and disabled access at the Reception/Information centre. There are no food or drinks available here. (Closest place to get some food is Seal Bay Cottages and Cafe – very basic food and overpriced for what you get. Might be worthwhile to pack a picnic lunch this day or bring plenty of snacks)
Recommended? Yes. As mentioned, you probably have travelled a fair distance to get to Seal Bay, so spend the extra to get the whole tour. Children will love it – especially if the seal pups are there.
There are 2 options when you visit – buy a ticket to go to lookout and on the boardwalk that overlooks the beach OR buy a ticket that allows you to go with a guide onto the beach itself and get closer to the seals. This latter ticket also allows you to utilise the boardwalk and lookout.
Whilst it is not cheap ($82 for family of 4), we went with the guided tour as it is a one-off experience and the chances of coming back again are slim. You have come this far, you might as well pay to see the seals as close as you can.
This is a very popular sightseeing activity, and bus tour after bus tour came when we were there. The good news is that they do not put other paying customers with a tour, so you will not be grouped in with a bunch of 20 people on tour. So don’t freak out when you see large groups all together and think “I am going to be with them!” They will have their own separate tour.
If you can, come first thing in the morning or after 2pm in the day. Why? Because this is the least busy time of day for tours. Mid morning and early afternoon, you may have a bigger size group and it can be harder to hear the guide, the more of you there are. We went on a tour around 2pm, and it was just us and one other family (ie. 8 of us all up). We just all sat on the beach near the seals with the guide and it was a lovely peaceful tour. The bigger groups – this is not possible.
There is a souvenir shop, toilets and disabled access at the Reception/Information centre. There are no food or drinks available here. (Closest place to get some food is Seal Bay Cottages and Cafe – very basic food and overpriced for what you get. Might be worthwhile to pack a picnic lunch this day or bring plenty of snacks)
Recommended? Yes. As mentioned, you probably have travelled a fair distance to get to Seal Bay, so spend the extra to get the whole tour. Children will love it – especially if the seal pups are there.
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Seal Bay
Admirals Arch/Remarkable Rocks
Located within the Flinders Chase National Park, these are must-see locations. Admirals Arch has a long boardwalk (and steps) to see more seals, this time being the New Zealand Fur Seals. Remarkable Rocks are also accessed via a Boardwalk and then you climb up to the rocks themselves. Ensure you read all the safety signs regarding taking care on the rocks, especially with young children – never leave them unaccompanied at this location.
Recommended? Yes. It is one of the iconic areas of the Island, and definitely should be done by all visitors. Note: The toilets at Remarkable Rocks were VILE when we were there. Go to the toilet before you get there in case they are always like that!
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NZ Fur Seal at Admirals Arch
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Remarkable Rocks
Penguin Night Walk
Penneshaw rookery
http://www.kipenguincentre.com.au/
There is a penguin walk at Kingscote and also Penneshaw, and we visited the one at Kingscote Wharf. You meet around 7pm at night (with first viewing at 7.30pm) and are taken in groups to a locked penguin colony with a guide who tells you about the penguins, their habits, history and also an astronomy guide (which I found to be the most interesting part of the tour( I learnt quite a bit.).
There are 2 tours per night – 7.30 or 8.30pm. Small children should definitely go on the earlier tour. Our children were fading near the end, and lost some interest due to tiredness and standing around.
It was a moonlit night, and that is not so good for penguins apparently – too bright. So if by chance you can go there when there is no moon, you might be better off!! Bit hard to plan around the moon cycles though.
My children saw around 25 penguins on the tour – though none are very close to you and sometimes you had to peek into burrows from behind the fence. This is all for the safety of the penguins, so understandable. They can be noisy little birds too. Children are encouraged to be at the front of the group, so on the tour they see the most. As I was near the back of the group of around 15-20 people by the time I got to the point where everyone had seen the penguins with a special torch, I no longer could see them! It didn’t really bother me as on a previous trip to KI, we had just gone out on own to a beach not far from Vivionne Bay (on advice from locals) and sat down on a rock and saw them come out of the water and head to burrows. It wasn’t a tour, but it was just one of those moments that happens when you are quiet and in an isolated part of the Island. We found that experience to be more enjoyable than this tour, but for children – at least you are guaranteed of seeing the penguins if you pay!
Recommended? For children and adults alike who love fairy penguins, I would say worth going. Tour guides are very keen and knowledgeable about these penguins, so added bonus. If you not keen on penguins, give it a miss.
Prospect Hill
View from top of Prospect Hill
A hill between Penneshaw and American River which gives you a great overview of the vast area surrounding Prospect Hill. First climbed by Matthew Flinders in 1802, it really is worth the climb of 512 steps to see the scenery and get an idea of the immediate area. It overlooks beautiful Pennington Bay, which is a short drive from the Hill, and is a very pretty beach and worth a look. To get to the Bay, exit Prospect Hill carpark to the right, drive about 50-100 metres, and take the dirt road through to the coast.
Recommendation: Do make the effort to climb this hill. Its free, open 24/7 and not that hard a climb as the steps are wide and spaced out. Great views will be your reward!
Parndana Wildlife Park
See our blog on our thoughts on this park. Overall, I regretted going to it and after reading blog maybe you can understand why. I think it will come down to a personal decision for everyone.
Note – it does not take credit cards or EFTPOS, so bring your cash!
Vivonne Bay
Turn off to this beautiful bay is by the General Store of Vivonne Bay. This is a very tranquil, pretty beach and nice just to sit down and take in the views, or stroll along the frequently isolated beach.
Recommended for its beauty and pristine condition. Council run camping is here, but very basic.
Pop in here for some KI Haloumi