Attractions

The island is bigger than you might think, and you can spend a fair bit of time getting from one place of interest to the next. Of the many places to see on the island, Flinders Chase National Park is one of the most important. Your first stop should be the Flinders Chase Visitors Centre, where you can purchase park entry, view the interpretive display, dine at the licensed cafe, purchase souvenirs, and obtain parks information. After 30 years of lobbying, reluctant politicians finally agreed to preserve this region of the island in 1919. Today, it makes up around 17% of the island and is home to true wilderness, some beautiful coastal scenery, two old lighthouses, and plenty of animals. Birders have recorded at least 243 species here. Koalas are so common that they're almost falling out of the trees. Platypuses have been seen, but you'll probably need to make a special effort and sit next to a stream in the dark for a few hours for any chance of spotting one. The Platypus Waterholes walk is a 2-hour walk that's great for all ages. It begins at the Flinders Chase Visitors Centre and has a shorter option that's suitable for wheelchairs. This walk offers the best opportunity to see the elusive platypus. Kangaroos, wallabies, and brush-tailed possums, on the other hand, are so tame and numerous that the authorities were forced to erect a barrier around the Rocky River Campground to stop them from carrying away picnickers' sandwiches!

The most impressive coastal scenery is at Cape du Couedic, at the southern tip of the park. Millions of years of crashing ocean have created curious structures, like the hollowed-out limestone promontory called Admiral's Arch and the aptly named Remarkable Rocks, where you'll see huge boulders balancing on top of a massive granite dome. Admiral's Arch is home to a colony of some 4,000 New Zealand fur seals that play in the rock pools and rest on the rocks. During rough weather this place can be spectacular. A paved road leads from Rocky River Park Headquarters to Admiral's Arch and Remarkable Rocks, where there are a parking lot and a loop trail. There's a road, parking lot, and trail system around the Cape du Couedic heritage lighthouse district.

You shouldn't miss out on the unforgettable experience of walking through a colony of Australian sea lions at Seal Bay. The Seal Bay Conservation Park (tel. 08/8559 4207) was created in 1972, and some 100,000 people visit it each year. Boardwalks through the dunes to the beach reduce the impact of so many feet. The colony consists of about 500 animals, but at any one time you might see up to 100 basking with their pups. The rangers who supervise the area lead guided trips throughout the day, every 15 to 30 minutes from 9am to 4:15pm. If you come here without a coach group, you must join a tour. Tours cost A$14 (US$11/UK£5.50) for adults and A$8 (US$6.40/UK£3.20) for children.

Lathami Conservation Park, just east of Stokes Bay, is a wonderful place to see wallabies in the wild. Just dip under the low canopy of casuarina pines and walk silently, keeping your eyes peeled. You're almost certain to spot them. If you're fortunate, you may even come across a rare glossy cockatoo -- it's big and black and feeds mainly on casuarina nuts.

Another interesting spot, especially for birders, is Murray Lagoon, on the northern edge of Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park. It's the largest lagoon on the island and a habitat for thousands of water birds. Contact the NP&WSA for information on a ranger-guided Wetland Wade.

If you want to see little penguins -- tiny animals that stand just 33 centimeters (13 in.) tall -- forget the touristy show at Phillip Island near Melbourne. On Kangaroo Island, you can see them in a natural environment at both Kingscote and Penneshaw. The NP&WSA (tel. 08/8553 2381) conducts the tours. Call ahead to confirm times, which are subject to change. Nightly tours in Kingscote depart from the reception desk at the Ozone Seafront Hotel and cost A$7.50 (US$6/UK£3) for adults, A$6 (US$4.80/UK£2.40) for children. The Penneshaw Penguin Centre, adjacent to the beach and Lloyd Collins Reserve, has the largest penguin colony on the island. Tours depart twice per evening and cost A$6 (US$4.80/UK£2.40) for adults, A$4.50 (US$3.60/UK£3.30) for kids, free for children under 12.

For fabulous, though pricey, fishing for everything from King George whiting, trevally, and snapper to mullet and mackerel, contact Kangaroo Island Fishing Charters (tel. 08/8552 7000; www.kifishchart.com.au). Prices for a day out start at A$125 (US$100/UK£50), including lunch; a half-day trip costs from A$90 (US$72/UK£36), and you keep what you catch. They also run coastal wilderness tours, looking for birds, seals and whales in season. American River Fishing Charters (tel. 0417/869 346 mobile) also runs trips.

Finally, Kangaroo Island is renowned for its fresh food, and across the island you'll see signs beckoning to you to have a taste of cheese, honey, wine, or the like. One place worth a stop is Clifford's Honey Farm (tel. 08/8553 8295), which is open daily from 9am to 5pm. The farm is the home of the protected Ligurian honeybee, found nowhere else on earth but on the island. Island Pure Sheep Dairy (tel. 08/8553 9110) is another worthwhile stop. Tours and tastings are conducted at milking time (1-5pm). It's a great chance to sample delicious sheep's milk, yogurts, and mouthwatering halloumi cheese. Ask at the tourist office for directions to both.

Culling Koalas -- A National Dilemma

Koalas are cute. They're fluffy, they're sleepy, and they're awesomely cuddly. They also eat an awful lot. In the early 1920s, 18 koalas were introduced to Kangaroo Island. Over the years, without predators and disease, and with an abundant supply of eucalyptus trees, they have prospered. By 1996, there were an estimated 4,000 koalas, and their favorite trees were looking ragged. Some of the koalas were already suffering; some people even claimed the animals were starving to death.

The state government decided that the only option was to shoot Australia's ambassador to the world. The public outcry was enormous; Japan even threatened to advise its citizens to boycott Down Under. But what could be done? Some scientists maintained that the koalas could not be relocated to the mainland because there were few places left to put them. Conservationists blamed Kangaroo Island's farmers for depleting the island of more than 50% of its vegetation. The koala is endangered; the smaller northern variety is threatened with extinction in New South Wales; the larger subspecies in Victoria, which includes the Kangaroo Island koalas, is also under threat. A compromise was reached: The koalas are to be trapped and neutered, a few thousand per year, until their numbers stabilize. A few conscientious farmers will plant more trees. Other farmers will, no doubt, continue to see the koalas as pests.