Snapshot
| Where | Kangaroo Island, South Australia — 16km off the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula · About 1.5 to 2 hours' drive from Adelaide to the Cape Jervis ferry terminal · A 45-minute SeaLink crossing lands at Penneshaw · Kingscote Airport is a 30-minute flight from Adelaide |
|---|---|
| Getting there | Sealed roads link Penneshaw, American River and Kingscote, with sealed roads also to Seal Bay and Stokes Bay · Most other roads are unsealed and can become slippery or close after heavy rain · 2WD handles the sealed network and all the headline sights; 4WD is recommended for remote beaches and is required at West Bay Campground · West Bay Road and Shackle Road may close seasonally after rain |
| Best time | March to May (autumn) is what the island's visitor body recommends — mild days around 20°C, calmer seas and light winds · September to November for wildflowers, orchids and breeding wildlife · Mid-May to late October for southern right whales along the coast |
| Worst time | December to February is peak season and fire season at once — everything books out, and the rivers stop flowing and Grassdale Lagoon may dry out · June to August brings the highest rainfall, storm surges, king tides, slippery terrain and the fewest tourism services running |
| Time needed | Three days for the island's main loop · One day for Remarkable Rocks, Cape du Couedic and Seal Bay · A second for the Platypus Waterholes and Snake Lagoon walks · A third for Cape Borda and the Kelly Hill caves · Five days more if you walk the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail |
| Cost | Flinders Chase charges a per-person entry fee, paid before entry (check the current rate with Parks SA) · Park camping and accommodation from $19.80 a night · Campers pay one day's entry per person · Guided tours at Seal Bay and Kelly Hill Caves are ticketed separately — check current prices with the parks |
| Facilities | Flinders Chase Visitor Centre, 800m outside the park on South Coast Road, has a café, park staff daily from 9am to 5pm, park maps and the entry desk · Fuel and supermarkets at Penneshaw, Kingscote and Parndana, with general supplies at Vivonne Bay and American River · Telstra covers much of the island; at the western end reception is little to none · Campground toilets range from long-drops to hot showers at Rocky River |
| Best for | Self-drivers who want granite coast, two seal colonies and short walks in one loop · Campers happy with unpowered park sites · Multi-day walkers heading for the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail |
| Difficulty |
2 of 5 — Moderate
Short, graded walks and 2WD access to the headline sights make the island easy to handle, but the west end has little to no mobile reception, many roads are unsealed and close after rain, and the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail is a serious five-day walk. |
Driving there? Car hire and what to check →
Kangaroo Island — Karta Pintingga — lies 16km off the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, and Aboriginal people lived on it for thousands of years; the knowledge built over those millennia continues today through the Aboriginal Nations who retain an ongoing connection to Kangaroo Island's lands and waters. Flinders Chase National Park holds the western end, where granite intruded along the south coast about 440 million years ago and now stands hollowed and cantilevered at Remarkable Rocks and broken into the cliffs of Cape du Couedic. The island carries 21 sites on the South Australian geoheritage register — Permian glacial grooves, Holocene dune fields and dune limestone that cavers have pushed into more than 250 mapped caves.
Flinders Chase was dedicated as a reserve by 1919, among the first national parks proclaimed in Australia, and the May family farmed its Rocky River country from the late 1890s. Fire burned through on 3 January 2020; the Platypus Waterholes walk has been rebuilt along Black Swamp and Rocky River, and the park still asks visitors to leave no trace while the bushland recovers.
Go if…
- You want a granite coast, a fur seal colony, a sea lion beach and short walks that all fit into one day's driving
- You are self-driving and comfortable with unsealed roads — the main network is 2WD friendly, but the west end rewards a little planning
- You want a multi-day walk with the Southern Ocean beside you: the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail runs 61km over five days through Flinders Chase
- You are travelling with kids or new campers — Rocky River has hot showers, flushing toilets and BBQs, and the day walks are short and graded
Skip it if…
- You need reliable phone reception or public transport — coverage at the western end is little to none, and there are no buses or taxis anywhere on the island
- You are counting every dollar: park entry is charged per person, camping is extra, and the ferry crossing has to be booked in advance
- You want to climb over the rock formations or seek out cultural sites — the formations are fragile and are protected by staying on the boardwalks, and Aboriginal cultural sites are not for visitors to track down
- You are travelling in the December to February fire season without checking closures first — Flinders Chase closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may close on Extreme ones
What to expect
Reviewed
Kangaroo Island sits 16km off the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, and everything on it runs on two pieces of logistics: a booked SeaLink ferry across Backstairs Passage from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw, 45 minutes with several departures a day and check-in 30 minutes before yours, or a 30-minute flight from Adelaide into Kingscote Airport. There is no public transport and no taxi service on the island, so you hire a car — check the terms first, because some mainland hire companies will not let you bring their vehicles across. From Penneshaw the roads are sealed through American River and Kingscote and on toward Seal Bay and Stokes Bay, and a 2WD handles all of it; most other roads are dirt and turn slippery or close outright after heavy rain. Fill up at Penneshaw, Kingscote, Parndana, American River or Vivonne Bay, keep your speed down for the animals working these roads at dawn, dusk and night, and remember that at the western end of the island your phone will most likely find nothing.
Flinders Chase has been protected for a long time: it was dedicated as a reserve by 1919, one of the first national parks proclaimed in Australia, and the May family farmed the Rocky River country from the late 1890s — their homestead and Postman's Cottage now operate as heritage accommodation inside the park. The visitor centre sits 800m outside the boundary on South Coast Road at Karatta, with park staff on site daily from 9am to 5pm, a café, park maps and the entry desk where you pay before you enter. Fire swept the park on 3 January 2020 and the recovery is still the story you walk through: the Platypus Waterholes walk has been rebuilt along Black Swamp and Rocky River, young scrub is thick across the plateau, and the park asks you to leave no trace while the bushland comes back.
Cape du Couedic is where the island's geology and its wildlife meet. The granite that intruded along the south coast roughly 440 million years ago breaks into the cliffs here, and Admirals Arch — the cave-mouth at their base — began as a flank margin cave about 125,000 years ago, when the sea sat 3 metres higher than it does now; further up the Weirs Cove cliffs, breached caves at heights up to 35 metres suggest the coast has risen since. You reach both sights on the Cape du Couedic Hike, a 2km loop from the day visitor area in about 40 minutes, with the shorter Admirals Arch Walk of 0.8km and 15 minutes dropping to the boardwalk above the long-nosed fur seal colony that breeds on the rocks below. NPWS closes the arch and the Remarkable Rocks during severe weather with damaging winds, so if the site is shut on a wild day, that is why. On a still evening the seals are the whole show: pups hauled out on the rock, mothers in the rock pools, and the carry of the noise up the cliff.
Seal Bay Conservation Park sits about 45 minutes from Kingscote on the south coast, and it is the one place where you stand close to Australian sea lions: a self-guided boardwalk and lookout open from 9am, guided beach tours run among the animals when the beach is open resting on the sand, and a twilight tour of 1 hour 45 minutes goes out after the day crowds have left. Keep your distance and never feed or approach them. West along the same coast, Hanson Bay and Vivonne Bay give you the wide white sand and surf the island is known for, with the Little Sahara dune fields inland between them and Kelly Hill's limestone caves just beyond.
Wildlife is why most people come, and the island delivers it in layers. Endemic species include the Kangaroo Island echidna, the Kangaroo Island kangaroo and the Kangaroo Island dunnart, with koalas in the manna gums and brushtail possums and bats around the campsites at night. Winter brings Cape Barren geese breeding, echidna trains and the first whales of the season; spring brings nesting birds that restrict access to some beaches, calling frogs and breeding fur seals; summer brings goannas, platypus and koala joeys, plus snakes and bees that are more active in the heat. Never feed wildlife, leave termite mounds, decaying logs and hanging bark where they are, stay on the formed tracks, and drive as if an animal is around every bend — because at dawn, dusk and night, one is.
Where to stay
Most visitors base at Kingscote or Penneshaw for services and a short run to the sights, camp inside Flinders Chase at Rocky River, or take a cabin near the park at the western end of the island.
When bookings open: NPWS lets you book Flinders Chase campsites and accommodation online up to 12 months ahead, and all sites must be booked and paid for before arrival; if you cannot book online, book and pay at a booking agent across the state. NPWS publishes no fixed booking-release window beyond that 12-month horizon. Official booking page. Checked 8 November 2026. Booking dates for every state.
| Stay | Guest rating | Best for | Distance | Style | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky River Campground (NPWS) | Not rated | Families and first-time campers who want hot showers and flushing toilets 20 minutes from Remarkable Rocks | Inside Flinders Chase National Park, near the visitor centre | 21 allocated unpowered sites with flushing toilets, hot showers, BBQs and a picnic shelter; two drive-through sites suit caravans, others suit tents and campervans; shared fire pit with seasonal restrictions, no dishwashing facilities, firewood not supplied, heavy-duty pegs and a mallet recommended · booked and paid before arrival | Book now |
| Snake Lagoon Campground (NPWS) | Not rated | Tent campers and small camper trailers after a quiet site near the lagoon walk | About a 20-minute drive from the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre | 9 allocated unpowered sites on 2WD-accessible gravel with long-drop toilets and picnic tables; not suitable for large caravans or oversized motorhomes; shared communal firepit outside the fire danger season, minimal shade and some wind protection · booked before arrival | Book now |
| Harvey's Return Campground (NPWS) | Not rated | 4WD campers who want the Cape Borda lightstation country and its history on the doorstep | Near the Cape Borda Lightstation, in the north-west of the park | 8 allocated unpowered sites with a long-drop toilet and picnic area; 4WD recommended and 2WD access subject to road conditions; very little shade or wind protection; the historic supply landing for the lightstation, near the Lightkeepers' Cemetery · booked before arrival | Book now |
| Discovery Parks – Kangaroo Island | 8.9 / 10 (690 reviews, Booking.com) | Caravanners who want power, cabins and a shop within reach of Flinders Chase | On South Coast Road near Flinders Chase, at the western end of the island | Cabins, caravan and camp sites about 30 minutes' drive from Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, close to Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, with Wilderness Trail transfers arranged | Check rates |
| Mercure Kangaroo Island Lodge | 8.2 / 10 (610 reviews, Booking.com) | A comfortable eastern base with a restaurant, between the ferry and the park | At American River, on the road between Penneshaw and Kingscote | 38 guest rooms, most with waterfront views over Eastern Cove, and the on-site Reflections Restaurant | Check rates |
| Kangaroo Island Seafront Holiday Park | 4 / 5 (1 review, Tripadvisor) | Ferry-night stays and families who want to walk on and off the boat | In Penneshaw, 300m from the SeaLink ferry terminal | Powered and unpowered sites, ocean-view villas and glamping bell tents with their own decks, over the road from Hog Bay Beach and the sculpture trail | Check rates |
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What to do here
8 walks & sights
Remarkable Rocks Walk
The granite on this shelf is about 440 million years old — blue-white quartz, pink feldspar and dark micas in roughly equal parts — and the Southern Ocean has hollowed it into cantilevered shapes with tafoni pockets, vertical solution runnels and grus sand underfoot, so the walk is short but the formations ask for time. The boardwalk from the car park delivers you onto the shelf above the bay in about 15 minutes, and the wider path is wheelchair accessible from the car park itself. Stay on the boardwalk and off the overhangs: the formations are fragile, and NPWS closes the site during severe weather events with damaging winds. Come for the light as much as the rock — the coast behind you is half the reason to walk out there.
Cape du Couedic Hike and the Admirals Arch Walk
The 2km loop runs from the Cape du Couedic day visitor area past the lighthouse and down toward the arch, and the shorter 0.8km walk drops to the boardwalk above the long-nosed fur seal colony that breeds on the rocks below. Admirals Arch began as a flank margin cave about 125,000 years ago, when sea level sat about 3 metres higher, and the ocean has since broken it open to the swell. Severe weather with damaging winds closes the arch and the Remarkable Rocks, so check at the visitor centre or ring the park before you drive out. Allow longer than the 40 minutes the loop takes: between the seals, the lighthouse and the cliff, most people stay put.
Platypus Waterholes Walk
This is the walk that shows you the park's recovery: it was rebuilt after the 3 January 2020 fire and now runs along Black Swamp and the Rocky River from the visitor centre. Platypus viewing platforms sit over the waterholes, and dawn and dusk are the times to be on them. Kangaroos, wallabies, geese, echidnas and goannas are regulars along the way. Parks SA grades the walk as moderate, and a shorter access point starts from the trailhead off Shackle Road if you want less of it.
Snake Lagoon Hike
A Grade 3 walk of about 110 metres of climbing from the Snake Lagoon car park, 9km from the visitor centre, out to the lagoon and the coast. The track is unsealed and the car park road is gravel, and West Bay Road may close after rain — check before you commit. Swimming at the lagoon mouth is hazardous because of strong waves and rip currents, so treat it as a looking proposition. It is the best half-day walk in the park after Platypus Waterholes.
Seal Bay Conservation Park
Seal Bay is where you stand close to Australian sea lions on the sand, and it runs on a managed system rather than a free-for-all: a self-guided boardwalk and lookout open from 9am, guided beach tours (paused while the beach is closed to protect the colony) take you down among the resting animals with a guide, and a twilight tour of 1 hour 45 minutes runs once the day visitors have gone. Keep the distance the guides set, never feed or approach the sea lions, and expect pups and bulls to be spread across the sand rather than lined up for you. It sits about 45 minutes from Kingscote, which makes it an easy add either side of the run to Flinders Chase. Book ahead in school holidays — this is one of the island's busiest stops.
Kelly Hill Caves
Kangaroo Island's dune limestone holds more than 250 caves that cavers have mapped, and Kelly Hill is the one you can see with a guide, walking through chambers hung with stalactites and floored with stalagmites. The caves sit in the same Bridgewater Formation limestone that underlies the south coast, so the tour doubles as a geology lesson. The visitor centre and a sandy track through eucalyptus woodland lead in. It is the wet-weather answer on an island where the coast can be blown out.
Cape Borda Lightstation and the Shackle Road drive
Shackle Road runs from the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre to the historic Cape Borda Light Station, marked along the way by totems carrying a yakka bush picture, with a self-guided booklet available from the visitor centre. At the lightstation, the Cliff Top Hike takes about 30 minutes over 1km, and the Harveys Return Hike (1km, 30 minutes, steep sections) drops toward the old supply landing. Shackle Road may close after rain, so check before you set out.
Return Road Hike and the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail
The Return Road Hike links Harvey's Return and the Cape Borda Lightstation over 9km in about 3 hours, and it is the park's best full-day walk without committing to the trail. The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail is the big one: 61km over five days through South Australia's most botanically unique country and along the Southern Ocean coastline. It closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and walkers must leave the trail, liquid fuel stoves cannot be used on total fire ban days, and summer walkers need extra hydration. Treat it as its own trip with its own planning.
Kangaroo Island itineraries: 1, 2 or 3 days
3 plans
One day: the granite coast and the seal colonies
- Morning. Drive to Cape Jervis — allow about 2 hours from Adelaide — and cross on the SeaLink ferry, a 45-minute run to Penneshaw. Head west through Kingscote to Flinders Chase, pay the per-person park entry fee before you enter, and walk the Remarkable Rocks from the car park at the end of Boxer Drive: 1km return in about 15 minutes onto the granite shelf.
- Midday. Continue to the Cape du Couedic day visitor area for the Cape du Couedic Hike, a 2km loop in about 40 minutes past the lighthouse, then the Admirals Arch Walk (0.8km, 15 minutes) down to the boardwalk above the fur seal colony. NPWS closes both the arch and the Remarkable Rocks during severe weather with damaging winds.
- Afternoon. On the drive back east, stop at Seal Bay Conservation Park, about 45 minutes from Kingscote, where the self-guided boardwalk and lookout open from 9am and, when beach access is open, guided beach tours run among the Australian sea lions (beach access is paused at the time of writing, so check first). Then reach Penneshaw for your ferry — wildlife works the roads at dusk, so slow down and avoid driving after dark.
- Before you leave. Book the ferry before you commit to the day and arrive 30 minutes before departure. There is no fuel at the western end of the island, so fill up at Kingscote before you turn off, and check the day's fire danger rating — the park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger.
No nights. Walks: the Remarkable Rocks (1km return, 15 minutes), the Cape du Couedic Hike (2km loop, 40 minutes) and the Admirals Arch Walk (0.8km, 15 minutes). Park entry is a per-person fee paid before you enter. The ferry must be booked, you arrive 30 minutes before departure, and Seal Bay tours are a separate ticket. Fuel and supermarkets come from Kingscote before you head west, and the park closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger.
Two days: platypus, a lagoon walk and a night at Rocky River
- Day 1. As the one-day plan, but leave Seal Bay for the second day and finish at the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre, 800m outside the park, for the Platypus Waterholes Walk: 4.5km in about 2 hours, rebuilt after the January 2020 fire along Black Swamp and Rocky River, with platypus viewing platforms best at dawn and dusk. Camp at Rocky River.
- Day 2, morning. Walk the Snake Lagoon Hike from the car park off West Bay Road, 9km from the visitor centre: 4.2km return in about 1.5 hours, a Grade 3 walk with some climbing. The lagoon mouth is beautiful and the surf there is hazardous, so look and don't swim.
- Day 2, afternoon. Add the Remarkable Rocks and the Cape du Couedic Hike and Admirals Arch Walk if day one didn't cover them, then visit the Seal Bay boardwalk (and a guided beach tour if the beach has reopened) before heading back toward Penneshaw.
One night at Rocky River Campground (21 unpowered sites) from $19.80 a night, booked and paid before arrival. Walks: Platypus Waterholes (4.5km, 2 hours) and the Snake Lagoon Hike (4.2km return, 1.5 hours), plus the Remarkable Rocks and Cape du Couedic loops. Park entry is charged per person and campers pay one day's entry per person. There is no fuel at the western end, so fill at Kingscote or Parndana, and West Bay Road may close after rain.
Three days: Cape Borda, the caves and the deep south-west
- Day 1. The Flinders Chase day as above — Platypus Waterholes in the morning, Remarkable Rocks and the Cape du Couedic loops after it — with the night at Rocky River.
- Day 2, morning. Take the Shackle Road scenic drive north to the historic Cape Borda Lightstation, marked by totems carrying a yakka bush picture, with a self-guided booklet from the visitor centre. Walk the Cliff Top Hike at the lightstation: 1km in about 30 minutes.
- Day 2, afternoon. Walk one longer track, not two: the Harveys Return Hike runs 1km in about 30 minutes with steep sections, while the Return Road Hike runs 9km in about 3 hours between Harvey's Return and Cape Borda. Camp at Harvey's Return or drive back to Rocky River.
- Day 3, morning. Head east for Seal Bay, about 45 minutes from Kingscote, for the self-guided boardwalk and, if the beach has reopened, a guided beach tour, then continue to Kelly Hill Caves for a guided tour through stalactites and stalagmites in the dune limestone.
- Day 3, afternoon. Finish at the Snake Lagoon Hike or, if you are properly prepared, begin the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail at Rocky River — 61km over five days toward Cape du Couedic, which is a trip of its own with its own bookings.
Two nights at Rocky River (21 sites) or one at Rocky River and one at Harvey's Return (8 sites), from $19.80 a night and booked before arrival. Day 2 covers the Cliff Top Hike (1km, 30 minutes) and one of the Harveys Return Hike (1km, 30 minutes) or the Return Road Hike (9km, 3 hours). Park entry is charged per person; fuel and supermarkets are at Penneshaw, Kingscote, Parndana and Vivonne Bay, and the western end of the island has little to no mobile reception.
Experiences worth booking
Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Best of KI
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Kangaroo Island 2-Day Wildlife Adventure Small Group tour
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Kangaroo Island Luxury Small Group 'Flinders Chase Focus' Full Day Tour
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Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Flinders Chase
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Full-Day Kangaroo Island Experience Departing from Kangaroo Island
Check availability →Tours run by independent operators and booked on Viator. Booking links go to Viator, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are "from" figures in AUD, checked 2026-11-09.
Suggested gear for Kangaroo Island
18 items
- Water bottles or a hydration bladder Carry at least 2 litres per person on the walks.
- Water treatment tablets or a filter Treat creek and camping-area water before drinking.
- Sun hat, sunscreen (SPF 50+) and sunglasses
- Sturdy, broken-in walking shoes or boots
- Day pack (20–30 L)
- First aid kit, including blister care
- Insect repellent
- Head torch with spare batteries
- Lightweight rain jacket
- Personal locator beacon Mobile coverage is unreliable in remote parks.
- Warm mid-layer and a windproof shell The cape country is exposed to Southern Ocean wind, winter nights at Kingscote average around 6°C, and the coast runs storm surges and king tides through the middle of the year.
- All the water and food for your day There is no food or fuel at the western end of the island, NPWS asks visitors to pack water and snacks, and Kingscote averages eight days a year above 35°C.
- Heavy-duty tent pegs and a mallet NPWS specifically recommends heavy-duty pegs and a mallet for the hard ground at the Rocky River campground.
- Offline maps and a downloaded park map Mobile reception at the western end of the island is little to none, and unsealed roads such as West Bay Road and Shackle Road branch off in places where a paper map beats a signal.
- A gas stove as your main cooker Wood and solid fuel fires are banned for most of the year outside a few designated fire areas, are never allowed during the fire danger season or on total fire ban days, and firewood cannot be collected in the park.
- Binoculars or a camera with reach The fur seal colony sits below the boardwalk at Admirals Arch, southern right whales pass the coast from mid-May to late October, and the birdlife runs from Cape Barren geese to nesting shorebirds.
- Shoes with grip for limestone and gravel Tracks such as the Snake Lagoon Hike climb over rough ground, the cliff-top limestone is slippery when wet, and unsealed roads turn greasy after rain.
- A full tank and a spare tyre Fuel stops are only in the towns, remote tracks such as Ravine Road carry a 4WD recommendation, and a puncture at the western end is a long way from help.
How this compares
Kangaroo Island vs Deep Creek Conservation Park
Deep Creek holds the sea cliffs of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula, less than two hours from Adelaide, with bush camping, kangaroos on the doorstep and views across Backstairs Passage toward Kangaroo Island. It is the wild coast trip you can do without a ferry booking, and the natural place to spend a night before your crossing. Choose Deep Creek for cliff-top walks straight from the city; choose Kangaroo Island for granite formations, two seal colonies and a coast you can only reach by boat or plane.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed roads on the southern Fleurieu Peninsula, with 4WD needed for a few tracks
- Best for
- Sea cliffs · Bush camping · Short breaks from Adelaide
Kangaroo Island vs Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park
Dhilba Guuranda-Innes takes the tip of Yorke Peninsula — operating lighthouses, offshore shipwrecks and beach campgrounds on 2WD roads, reached by road with no ferry to think about. It is the mainland equivalent of Kangaroo Island's lighthouse coast and simpler to fit into a mainland itinerary. Choose Dhilba Guuranda-Innes for a self-contained camping trip without a crossing; choose Kangaroo Island for granite formations, a fur seal colony and guided tours among sea lions.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed roads to the tip of Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
- Best for
- Lighthouses · Beach camping · Maritime history
Kangaroo Island vs Coorong National Park
The Coorong runs as a long chain of coastal lagoons south-east of Adelaide, with shorebirds, boating, fishing and Ngarrindjeri culture. It is wetland and dune country rather than granite coast, and the beach sections ask for 4WD and a tide check. Choose the Coorong for birdlife and sheltered water; choose Kangaroo Island for a granite coastline, seal colonies and short walks with the Southern Ocean in front of you.
- Difficulty
- 2 of 5 — Moderate
- Access
- Sealed road access with 4WD needed for beach driving
- Best for
- Birdwatching · Boating · Wetland camping
Before you go
- Book the SeaLink ferry before anything else — Cape Jervis to Penneshaw is 45 minutes with several departures daily, you check in 30 minutes before departure, and vehicle space is not guaranteed for walk-ups
- Pay park entry before you enter Flinders Chase (a per-person fee; check the current rate with Parks SA); campers pay one day's entry per person
- Book and pay for campsites before arrival — NPWS takes bookings online up to 12 months ahead, or in person at booking agents across the state; there is no booking, no campsite
- Fuel at Penneshaw, Kingscote, Parndana, American River or Vivonne Bay before you head west — there is no fuel at the western end of the island
- Assume no phone reception past Kingscote: Telstra is the best carrier across the island and coverage at the western end is little to none, so download maps and tell someone your plan
- Check fire restrictions before you light anything: wood and solid fuel fires are prohibited year-round except in designated fire areas at named campgrounds and park cottages, never during the fire danger season (usually 1 December to late March) and never on total fire ban days; gas and liquid fuel fires are permitted year-round except on total fire ban days. Firewood is not supplied and cannot be collected in the park
- Check road and park alerts after rain — West Bay Campground, West Bay Road and Shackle Road may close, and Admirals Arch and the Remarkable Rocks close in damaging winds; park alerts and road information is on (+61 8) 8553 4444
- Don't drive dusk to dawn: wildlife is on the roads at dawn, dusk and night, and there is no public transport or taxi service anywhere on the island
When to go
seasons & the hard months
Autumn is the season the island's own visitor body recommends: March to May brings mild days, calmer seas and light winds, with the summer crowds gone and the walks at their most comfortable. Spring answers with wildflowers and orchids, breeding wildlife and calling frogs, though access to some beaches is restricted for beach-nesting birds and the tracks run fast and slippery after rain. Winter is the quietest time, with the fewest tourism services running but the whales arriving — the season runs roughly mid-May to late October — along with seal pups, echidna trains and Cape Barren geese breeding on the grasslands. Whichever season you pick, book the ferry and any campsite before you leave home; the pressure points are Christmas and New Year, Easter, the April school holidays and spring weekends.
Summer, December to February, is peak season and fire season at once. Kingscote averages eight days a year above 35°C and has recorded 42°C, the rivers stop flowing and Grassdale Lagoon may dry out, and snakes and bees are at their most active. If summer is your only window, walk early, carry more water than seems necessary, book everything well ahead and check the fire danger rating on the morning you drive — Flinders Chase closes on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may close on Extreme ones. Winter has its own edge: the highest rainfall, storm surges and king tides, slippery terrain and the least daylight, so plan shorter days and keep the coastal walks for the calmer hours.
Questions
6 answers
Two ways. The SeaLink vehicle ferry runs from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw in 45 minutes with several departures daily and bookings essential; allow about 2 hours to drive from Adelaide to Cape Jervis and arrive 30 minutes before your sailing. Otherwise fly from Adelaide into Kingscote Airport, a 30-minute flight.
Yes. There is no public transport and no taxi service on the island, so hire one — check the terms first, because some mainland hire companies will not let you take their vehicles across. A 2WD handles the sealed roads and every headline sight; 4WD is recommended for remote beaches and required at West Bay Campground.
Flinders Chase charges a per-person entry fee, paid before you enter; check the current rate on the Parks SA page. Park camping and accommodation start at $19.80 a night and must be booked before arrival, and campers pay one day's entry per person. Seal Bay and Kelly Hill Cave tours are ticketed separately.
Two different animals in two different places. Long-nosed fur seals breed on the rocks below Admirals Arch at Cape du Couedic and are free to view from the boardwalk. Australian sea lions rest on the sand at Seal Bay Conservation Park, where the self-guided boardwalk and lookout open from 9am and guided beach tours run. Keep your distance from both and never feed or approach them.
Four campgrounds in Flinders Chase, all unpowered and all booked before arrival: Rocky River (21 sites with flushing toilets, hot showers and BBQs), Snake Lagoon (9 sites, long-drop toilets, not for large caravans), Harvey's Return (8 sites near Cape Borda, 4WD recommended) and West Bay (8 sites, 4WD only). Bring heavy-duty pegs and a mallet for the hard ground.
Wood and solid fuel fires are prohibited year-round except in the designated fire areas at a short list of named campgrounds and park cottages — NPWS lists Rocky River, Snake Lagoon, Harvey's Return and West Bay among them — and never during the fire danger season (usually 1 December to late March) or on total fire ban days. Gas and liquid fuel fires are permitted year-round except on total fire ban days. Firewood is not supplied and cannot be collected in the park.
Nearby & next
Official information
Always check current alerts before you travel.