Exploring Kangaroo Island

A Q&A between FWP Newsletter editor, Elle Finch and Hilary McAllister

What inspired/motivated you to visit Kangaroo Island, and how did you plan/prepare for being in such a remote location?

Kangaroo Island has always been on my ‘visit someday’ list – I think its beautiful, sweeping beaches and turquoise water embedded itself in my brain as somewhere I think I’d love to explore.  My desire to visit Australia’s third-largest island only increased after seeing the devastation the Black Summer bushfires had on the island.  Because I work two jobs, I had to take time off for Pilliga Ultra, and after the event, I was exhausted and knew that come summer holidays, I needed a proper break.  So being marooned on a big, beautiful, remote island seemed like a great idea! Plus, it’s only a short (9hr!) drive from where I live, so it’s relatively accessible compared to my other favourite summer destination, Tasmania.

To prepare, I made sure I had all the gear (hiking, camping, etc.) I needed before taking the ferry from Cape Jervis. Once on the island, there were plenty of places to buy food, coffee, and locally made produce such as gin, honey, and oysters—all of which I sampled, of course!

Kangaroo Island is known for its wildlife, and you posted some incredible Koala videos to IG. Can you tell us about the animals you encountered and whether there were any particularly memorable interactions?

I learnt so much about the native wildlife during my time on KI – there are lots of handy resources everywhere you go, educating people about the diverse and unique flora and fauna of KI.  As the island has been separated from mainland Australia for about 10,000 years, some of the fauna, such as the kangaroo, have become a sub-species.  Endemic KI subspecies that I encountered include the KI suburb blue-fairy wren, KI tiger snake and the KI echidna.  I did my best to try and spot a KI Glossy Black Cockatoo (which is endangered) but with no luck! I had some incredible encounters with koalas, mainly in trees around car parks and campsites! However, after learning more about the koalas on the island, these adorable interactions lost their sheen. Koalas were introduced onto KI in the 1920s to boost numbers as they were declining on the mainland.  However, during the Black Summer bushfires, approximately 80% of the island’s koala population (around 41,000 koalas) perished.  Pre-fires, many of the koalas lived in abandoned blue gum plantations, which were the result of the island’s failed timber industry.  When the fire tore through these plantations, thousands of koalas died.  Locals told me that even though the koala population was decimated, there is insufficient food for the remaining population, and they are starving. I saw eight koalas in a stand of three medium-sized gum trees – and the adjoining trees were stripped bare by hungry koalas.  It’s incredibly concerning to see such vulnerable, beautiful creatures continue to be impacted by poor management of plantation forests and the ravages of bushfires years on.  If anyone is keen to learn more about this, I highly recommend the documentary ‘Lost in the Woods’ on Binge, which explores into the issue in great detail.

Did you learn much about the history of Kangaroo Island, and can you share any learnings with us?

Kangaroo Island has a fascinating history, which I really enjoyed learning about.  Like many Australian places, Kangaroo Island was named by early British explorer Matthew Flinders, who ‘discovered’ the island in 1802 and was met by a mob of kangaroos, which they promptly killed and ate.  Charming.

But it wasn’t until 100 years after colonisation that it was discovered that aboriginal people had inhabited the island.  ​​Archaeologists unearthed aboriginal stone hammers and discovered that indigenous occupation on the island dates back 16,000 years.  Subsequent studies showed that indigenous inhabitants disappeared from the island as recently as 2,000 years ago – for reasons unknown.

 These early inhabitants were the Kartan people, named after Karta Pintingga, which is KI’s Aboriginal name and means ‘Island of the Dead’. They were descendants of the Ramindjeri and Kaurna tribes of the Fleurieu Peninsula, who were hunters and gatherers and would have explored KI when it was part of the mainland.

After Flinders, and soon after Nicholas Baudin’s ‘discovery’, the island became home to sealers, who took advantage of the abundance of seals on the island.  Sealers were known to steal Aboriginal wives from Tasmania and bring them to Kangaroo Island as domestic and sexual slaves.  I read a fictional book, ‘Heart of the Grass Tree’ that tells the story of three such women.  In the first South Australian census of 1841, thirteen Indigenous women and children were recorded as living on the island, with a total population of 90 people.

After the Second World War, war veterans were provided with 1,2000 acres of farm as a way to develop the land as part of a soldier settlement.  From the late 1940s to the early 1960s, around 200,000 acres of once-untouched land in the central and western sections of Kangaroo Island were cleared for sheep and pasture production.  Thankfully, some of the remaining bushland was recognised for its environmental significance, making Flinders Chase National Park one of the oldest in Australia, established in 1919.

 This is just a brief overview of Kangaroo Island’s tumultuous history, which I loved learning about during my time there

How has the island’s recovery from the 2020 bushfires progressed?

I hadn’t done much research before tackling the KIWT, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find luxurious camping facilities at each camp. These included timber tent platforms, a substantial cooking shelter with a sink and running water (!!!), picnic tables and food lockers. This made for a very comfortable and relaxing experience, making it a wonderful hike for people who might be new to overnight hiking.

 Interestingly, I learnt that the busiest tourist season for KI came in 2020, right after the fires, when COVID meant that people couldn’t travel interstate.  South Australians flocked to the island, and since then, whilst tourism numbers have been good, they have settled to a more sustainable number.  However, being an island, resources are still limited, and the increasing popularity of ultra-luxury resorts and cruise ships in Penneshaw is putting a strain on the locals’ ability to access basic amenities such as fresh water.

What were some of the outdoor activities you enjoyed whilst away, noting you did a multi-day hike with a friend at one stage?

The tourist tagline for Kangaroo Island is ‘Discover the things that really matter in life’, and I certainly did this while exploring Kangaroo Island! Apart from the 5-day overnight hike, I spent my time relaxing on some of the exquisite beaches, snorkelling in the shallows, visiting lighthouses, watching curious birds and exploring some of the short hikes on the island.

 There are a lot of family-focused activities on the island, from the Raptor Park to dune buggies and the like, but I chose to spend my time exploring the natural wonders of the island, from the rough, pounding surf of the south coast to the still, turquoise bays of the north, as well as the estuaries, rivers, plummeting cliffs and shallow, salt lined inlets.  There isn’t a whole lot to do on the island – but I managed to fill my two weeks easily and would have loved to stay for longer.

What would you recommend for someone planning their first visit to Kangaroo Island?

It’s hard to say how long you’d need to explore KI – It depends if you want to visit every nook and cranny or just see the tourist hotspots! I met lots of people spending just a few days on the island and taking in the highlights, but if you want to do it properly, I think at least a week, even two, maybe three. The island has a lovely, slow pace to it, and to do it justice, I think you need to embrace that and take your time.  Even though the island isn’t huge, it can still take a while to get from A to B, due to there being just a few arterial roads. Also, most of the roads are unsealed, so that it can be slow going.  Plus, you don’t want to drive between sunset and sunrise due to all of the wildlife – there is lots of roadkill.  

My must-sees include Stokes Bay, Ravine des Casoars, Remarkable Rocks, Kelly Hill Caves, Antechamber Bay, American River (for the oysters!) and Hanson Bay.