The aptly-named Kangaroo Island is one of the most popular tourist attractions in South Australia. It offers visitors the opportunity to get up close and personal with nature. Its beautiful sights, tasty food, and abundant wildlife are all what draw people in to see this island.

Kangaroo Island gives tourists the chance to have many unique experiences, from seeing the Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park, to sliding down a stretch of sand dunes on a toboggan, to enjoying fresh food and wine. The island is big, with a length of 145 kilometers, so there’s plenty to do. It is known for its fishing, agriculture, and nature reserves. It also has pristine beaches and remarkable mountains. There’s a reason they say you need more than one day here in order to get the proper experience.

One of the things that Kangaroo Island is most known for is its wildlife. It gets referred to as a ‘Zoo Without Fences’ because of all the encounters you are able to have with animals. Over a third of the area is reserved for wildlife conservation, and there are plenty of animals that are unique to the island. Of course, the most obvious species you’ll find are the kangaroos, but there are also koalas, wombats, echidnas, bats, and many more. There are also a variety of bird species throughout the island. Kangaroo Island is also well-known for the encounters you can have with seals and penguins. All in all, you can’t go wrong with the wildlife you will find on this island.

Here are some fun facts. First of all, Kangaroo Island is actually the third largest island in all of South Australia, just after Tasmania and Melville Island. Secondly, there have been numerous shipwrecks over the years in that area. The recorded number is eighty. That’s why they installed multiple lighthouses. Finally, Kangaroo Island is considered a bee sanctuary because it contains the only purebred Ligurian bees in the world, and they are heavily protected.

Kangaroo Island was separated from the mainland during the last glacial period. It was inhabited for a long time by an Aboriginal group, but somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 years ago they disappeared. In 1802, European settlers came to the island, which they used for agriculture and fishing. As far as South Australian culture, it is pretty similar to that of Australia as a whole. There is an importance placed on sports, wine, and beaches.

To sum up, Kangaroo Island is a wonderful place for tourists and animals alike.

Sources: Tourism Alliance, SeaLink, Kangaroo Island, Atlas Obscura