Kangaroo Island Sealions (photo: media.australia)
Separated from the Australian mainland some 9,000 years ago, the Island has somehow managed to escape the introduction of pests such as foxes and rabbits, so its wildlife has flourished, creating a veritable Noah’s Ark of Australian wildlife. Kangaroos and other marsupials far outnumber the Island’s 4400 permanent residents – an eclectic local community of farmers, artists, ecologists, fishermen and adventurers.
The Island is also famous for its honey which comes from the only remaining strain of pure Ligurian bees in the world. Stop by the Island Bee hive in Kingscote where you can purchase all sorts of quirky honey-related souvenirs as well as see the bees in production, and don’t miss the famous honey ice-cream at Clifford’s Honey Farm.
The other surprise is that while kangaroos may be ubiquitous, the Island’s wildlife is far more varied than its name suggests. Many of these species of plants and animals are either threatened or exist nowhere else in Australia. In the space of one day, you may well come across koalas, wallabies, goannas, echidnas and brush-tailed possums, and maybe even the elusive platypus. You can watch Little Penguins waddling home after a day out at sea, or take a cruise and swim with the Island’s resident pods of dolphins. Bird-lovers will find some 270 species of birds among the diverse range of habitats, including the rare Glossy Black Cockatoo, an endangered species found only on KI.
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