Kangaroo Island at 155 km long, up to 55 km wide, and an area of 4,500 square
kilometers, is Australia’s third largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. A wilderness refuge with an unusual history off the coast of South Australia.
Meet the locals - wallabies, goannas, koalas, kangaroos, echidnas, dolphins, sea lions, penguins, fur seals, eagles, whales and ospreys, just to name a few. Share with them the pure air and clean water that makes Kangaroo Island one of the last unspoiled wonders of the world.
Kangaroo Island is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Due to its isolation, it has suffered less than mainland areas from the impact of European development. Today, the Island still possesses rich and diverse flora and fauna seldom found elsewhere. The Island's plant catalogue lists over 850 species, as well as approximately 250 which have been introduced from other parts of the world.
There are several reasons why Kangaroo Island has become well known as a place to see wildlife in its natural habitat. More than half the Island has never been cleared of vegetation, with about one third conserved in National and Conservation Parks, including five significant Wilderness Protection Areas. The remaining uncleared areas form bush corridors between larger areas of vegetation. In addition, the absence of foxes and rabbits ensures the integrity of this uncleared bushland. Many of the roadsides exemplify a dense under storey of intact, thick eucalypt scrub and smaller herbaceous plants.
It is therefore not surprising that there is abundant wildlife, much of which is uncommon or extinct on mainland Australia. Even the casual visitor will see many wildlife species throughout the Island, particularly if two points are remembered: most of our mammals are nocturnal; wild animals also frighten easily and are most successfully observed (and least stressed) from a distance, so as not to interrupt their natural behavior.
