Kangaroo Island Wildlife & Conservation, South Australia

Arrival on Kangaroo Island by plane or ferry (own arrangements). After arrival on the island transfer to your hotel from the airport or harbour. Welcome to Kangaroo Island! This experience has been designed to showcase the best of Kangaroo Island – the lifestyle of the islanders, the produce, diverse landscapes and unique wildlife shaped by isolation. Your accommodation while on the island is the Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge, located in the quiet coastal town of American River.

After an early breakfast, we head straight to Cygnet Park, a private conservation area that supports a biodiverse ecosystem. We meet with one of the ecologists from not-for-profit conservation group BioR to take part in bird banding as a means of research. This is a great opportunity to take a close look at some of Kangaroo Island’s bird life, including the endangered Kangaroo Island glossy black-cockatoo, which lost approximately half of its habitat in the 2020 bushfires. Break for morning tea while learning more about these large cockatoos – far more subdued than the typically rowdy birds. Next up is Stokes Bay, where we explore a beautiful hidden beach through a magical tunnel – a great adventure for all. Enjoy a barbecue lunch at a private bush camp featuring King George whiting, grilled haloumi, fresh salads and local wines. Continue to Seal Bay and take a private tour into an Australian sea lion colony – look out for pups nursing, young males practising their wrestling and big bulls staking out their territory – all only metres away on a beautiful sandy beach in an experience reminiscent of the Galapagos Islands. Return to Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge.

After an early breakfast we travel to a private wildlife refuge, in the island’s north-west, which escaped the 2020 bushfires. We’ll check out wildlife surveys using daylight and infrared camera traps, targeting tiny endangered mammals and get an introduction to the bush. This provides important context for the fire ecology discussions later in the day. Break for an elegant picnic lunch in the bush, featuring marinated poached chicken, fresh salads, cheeses and boutique South Australian wine, beer, soft drinks and spring water. After lunch, travel into Flinders Chase National Park via the West End Highway, stopping to learn how the bush has adapted to fire. Explore south-west peninsula around Cape du Couedic, including the lighthouse precinct and our most iconic coastal landscapes. Explore the massive shapes of Remarkable Rocks, a natural sculpture perched impossibly on top of a granite dome emerging from the ocean. Evidence of the power of the Southern Ocean swell continues at Admirals Arch – a coastal grotto that provides a haul-out area for a large colony of long-nosed fur seals that swim effortlessly through the crashing waves. Upon arriving back at the lodge, enjoy dinner (at own arrangement).

After breakfast at the hotel, we drive to the D’Estrees Bay region to meet with local entomologist, Dr Richard Glatz, who is currently working to save the endangered green carpenter bee. We drive further south to the spectacular coastline at Point Tinline, which features an osprey nest that was first sketched by a crew member of Osmanli, which was shipwrecked in 1853. This nest has been in regular use since then. Break for another elegant alfresco picnic lunch at a secluded clifftop location. Take a stunning coastal hike along the clifftops of Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park, with a range of wildlife opportunities, including spotting western whipbirds, shy heathwren, southern emu-wren and long-nosed fur seals. The marine lagoon at Wheatons Beach is always worth a look as international migrants like red-necked stints, ruddy turnstones and resident hooded plovers are regular seasonal encounters. Return to the Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge for your final night.

Tour ends after breakfast transfer to the airport or transfer to the ferry at Penneshaw.