Kangaroo Island is a unique destination just off the coast of Adelaide in the south of Australia. This small island is known for its protected nature, wildlife life, and relaxing island lifestyle that makes it so unique from the rest of Australia. But because it is an island, you may be wondering how to get to Kangaroo Island? Well continue reading to find out your various options, either through a tour or independently that will allow you to best enjoy your experience on the island.
There are also a few different towns around the island that you can stay in during your time on the island. It takes 1.5 hours to cross the entire island by car going through the center of the island. That being said, you may want to stay in a few different spots around the island to limit your drive time. Read more to learn about the different spots around the island. In addition, you will want to avoid driving around the island in the dark or around dawn and dusk when animals are most active and you are at risk of hitting a kangaroo, wallaby, koala or other animal while driving.
How to Get to Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island is a short drive and then a ferry ride away from Adelaide. This island is best visited independently so you can take your time visiting the island and seeing the different parts of the island that are of interest to you. However, having a car is not always accessible to every person. There are tours that operate on the island that allow you to see the different sites over 1-2 days without driving yourself around the island.
How to Get to Kangaroo Island: Using a Group Tour
Group tours are an easy way to visit Kangaroo Island to visit the highlights of the island in an efficient manner without having to drive, navigate the ferry, or even stay overnight on the island. If you are looking for a straight-forward way to explore this part of Australia, then a group tour could be the right fit for you. Many of these tours have the option to be picked up from Adelaide, Cape Jervis (where the ferry departs on the mainland), or a few towns on the island itself including Penneshaw, American River, and Kingscote.
Most tours are one or two days. The one-day tours align with those who are pressed for time but still want to see the landscapes and wildlife of the island. The two-day tours will allow people to experience more of the boutique and small-business economy that adds so much culture to the island. You typically will need to reserve the accommodation on the island independently from the tour. Sealink is the ferry company between Kangaroo Island and the mainland of Australia and they provide tours and experiences on the island. Here are the links to their one-day and two-day tours.
If you are looking for an independent, but pre-planned option, you can look at Sealink’s holiday packages, which have different itineraries based on your interests and preferences. These different experiences include food/drink vouchers, accommodations, optional car hire (rental car), and more, taking the time-consuming curation and planning of the trip out of your hands.
How to Get to Kangaroo Island: Visiting Independently
Visiting Kangaroo Island on your own gives you complete flexibility on where and how you spend your time on the island. You will be able to mix and match the activities, nature, and the slow drives with how you want to spend your time. Very little of your trip will need to be reserved in advance (besides accommodations) so you will have plenty of independence throughout the island. Consider renting a car from Adelaide or Melbourne to get onto the island.
Don't forget to rent your car to visit Kangaroo Island.
How to Get to Kangaroo Island with the Ferry
To get to the island, you will need to take a ferry and this is something you will need to reserve in advance, especially if you want to have options for different time options for getting to and from the island. If you want to maximize your time, you can stay overnight in Cape Jervis and then take the first ferry onto the island the next day. On your return it is best to take an afternoon ferry so that you can enjoy additional time on Kangaroo Island but also avoid driving on the Fleurieu Peninsula at night on your way back to Adelaide.
When looking at how to get to Kangaroo Island, you will find that Sealink is the only ferry company that operates this route between Cape Jervis (the departure point on Australia’s mainland near Adelaide) and Penneshaw (Kangaroo Island’s port city) and here is the link to reserve the ferry. If you are renting a car to go on the island, the only information you need at the time of the booking is to know the size of the car that you reserved (sedan, small SUV, large SUV).
You will want to get to the ferry 30 minutes prior to departure to load the car and yourself onto the boat. As the driver of the car, you will drive right onto the boat and any passengers will check into the ferry terminal and walk onto the boat. You can also take the ferry if you do not have a vehicle and are using tours to visit the island. The trip itself takes about 45 minutes and when you arrive on the other side, you will be able to drive right off the boat.
Where to Stay Around Kangaroo Island
Now that you know how to get to Kangaroo Island, you need to determine where you will stay on the island. While Kangaroo Island is relatively small, you may want to consider staying in various places around the island and focusing time doing activities around those various places to limit the amount of driving you do on a daily basis. You can read more about what to do and find a sample itinerary for Kangaroo Island here.
Penneshaw
The port town to which you will arrive when you get off the ferry. This town has a few restaurants, bars, and accommodations, but we recommend going deeper into the island to find accommodations that allow you to explore the entire island more efficiently.
American River
A tourist hub for the island, especially if you are looking for seafood and fishing activities.
Kingscote
The largest town on the island, giving you access to a larger amount of tourism infrastructure. This is where we recommend staying if you are looking to explore the north part of the island, the vineyards of the island, and the small businesses around.
Stokes Bay
The place to explore if you are looking for some nice relaxing beach time as it is adjacent to one of the nicest beaches in Australia. It is also close to Kingscote, making it secluded but not isolated.
Vivonne Bay
The only town on the south-side of the island but it is incredibly small. However, it gives you great access to the adventure activities of this part of the island and is close to Flinders Chase National Park.
Discovery Parks - Kangaroo Island
or Anything Near Flinders Chase National Park
One of the few accommodations adjacent to Flinders Chase National Park. If you are looking to maximize your time in the national park, then this is the accommodation to look into.