Best Things to do in Kangaroo Island with Kids

When visiting South Australia it is likely that you will contemplate a trip to Kangaroo Island, after all it is heralded as one of the state’s most magnificent areas of natural wonders. It has been on our bucket list for a number of years, but we have been deterred, unsure that there would be enough things to do in Kangaroo Island with kids to keep us busy. But we threw caution to the wind, booked flights to Adelaide and began planning our trip.

Kangaroo Island’s remoteness from the mainland has provided a haven for a number of flora and fauna to thrive and blossom, and in many cases, become quite unique to anywhere else in the world. A visit to this incredible place would excite Darwin himself, with so many marvels to explore that create a contrast to what lies over the water back in Australia. Of course we discovered that there is a plethora of things to do in Kangaroo Island with kids that could keep you busy for months.

Best Things to do in Kangaroo Island with Kids

Kangaroo Island is actually quite a big place so you will need some time on your hands to really explore all that the island offers. We only had a few days and didn’t feel like jam-packing everything in so planned our itinerary around what was at the top of our list.

Raptor Domain

When visiting a wildlife park or zoo we always ask ourselves whether it’s likely to be an ethical site. Raptor Domain was developed primarily as a rescue and rehabilitation centre for birds of prey on Kangaroo Island. It was opened back in September 2010 by Dick Smith, and has been caring for orphaned, injured and sick Birds of Prey ever since. Whilst the goal is to release each bird once they have recovered, sadly this is not always possible and they become ambassadors for their kid, teaching visitors about their natural behaviour and how humans can add to the environment to help them thrive.

Raptor Domain is not your normal wildlife sanctuary. You don’t arrive and then walk around the grounds looking at all the animals. Rather, there are a number of shows scheduled across the day that you can attend. This restricts the amount of time the reptiles, birds and other animals have with humans, allowing them to have a pretty good life behind the scenes. It must be one of the best things in Kangaroo Island to do with kids!

With our fascination for all animals, we decided to book the Ultimate Package which covers all three shows run at Raptor Domain: the Venom Pit, In-Flight and Fang-tastic shows. Running for just under 4 hours it ran across lunchtime. You can purchase food and drink on site but we were prepared for once and feasted on a picnic between shows. If you are pressed for time, we recommend doing the In-Flight show,

Raptor Domain is a private business that relies on entry fees to sustain the rescue and rehabilitation programs in place.

Hours: Open daily 10.00 am–4.00 pm
Price: Starts at $35.00 per family
Address: 58 Seal Bay Rd, Seal Bay SA 5223
Website: Raptor Domain Website

Seal Bay Conservation Park

Seal Bay has been the home to an Australian seal lion population for thousands of years. These incredible sea mammals are unique to South Australia and Western Australia and are currently endangered with only 14,700 currently counted in the wild. Seal Bay Conservation Park on Kangaroo Island boasts the third largest colony in the world and the only place that you can walk on the very beach that they breed, birth and raise their pups.

The area is protected so there are strict requirements on entry. Of course, being a natural environment, there are no enclosures so you will need to adhere to the requirements so both yourself and the animals stay safe. The experience lasts around 45 minutes with a maximum of 25 people. Such a unique experience surely makes it one of the best things in Kangaroo Island to do with kids!

Hours: Seal Bay Experience (includes boardwalk self-guided tour) | Tour times: 9am, 9.45am, 10.30am, 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1pm, 1.45pm, 2.30pm, 3.15pm, 4pm | Additional summer school holiday tour times: 10am, 10.45am, 11.45am, 12.30pm, 1.15pm, 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.15pm, 3pm, 3.45pm, 4.15pm and 5pm.  | Additional long weekend and school holiday tour times (Spring and Autumn only): 10 am, 10.45am, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 2.15pm, 3 pm |Please note: school holiday tour times are added to the daily tour times listed above and are subject to a minimum number of participants.
Price: Family $86.50 (2 adults & 2 children OR 1 adult & 3 children. Any additional children to be charged at 50% of child rate). Purchase your ticket at Seal Bay Visitor Centre, or as part of a Kangaroo Island Parks Pass.
Address: Seal Bay
Website: Seal Bay Conservation Park Website

Stokes Bay

Situated on Kangaroo Island’s north coast, Stokes Bay could quite possibly hide the best family beach to spend your swimming hours but first, you better find it! Accessed through a natural rock tunnel, Stokes Bay beach boasts incredible rock pools and protected space for swimming. It was one of our favourite places to visit with the kids on Kangaroo Island and certainly one that we highly encourage you to visit if the weather permits.

Address: Stokes Bay.

Paul’s Place Wildlife Sanctuary

Paul was born on the farm that the Wildlife Sanctuary is located way back in 1947. The setting is quite literally a home rather than your traditional zoo so tours are not structured and the length of time really depends on the number of people, interests of people and moods of the animals on that day. It makes for a very interesting and unique experience.

Hours: Out of SA School Holidays: Open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday at 12.00 pm with last tour at 1.00 pm | SA School Holidays:  Open daily at 12.00 pm with the last tour at 2.00 pm. | 26 December to 10 January and Easter Friday, Saturday, Sunday with last tour at 3.00 pm | Closed: 17, 23, 24 and 25 December and 25 October.
Price: Adults $15.00 | Children (2+ years old) $10.00 | Koala holding $3 additional per person |  Younger children will be charged if they participate in the tour (holding animals, pony ride etc) Family passes are not available as there is no extra charge for any activities.
Address: 1447 Stokes Bay Road, Stokes Bay Kangaroo Island SA 5223
Website: Paul’s Place Website

Remarkable Rocks

One of the most awe-inspiring sights on Kangaroo Island is the Remarkable Rocks. Rain, wind and the ocean has worked its erosive magic on the granite boulders over 500 million years to create the incredible curves and shapes of these rocks.

Remarkable Rocks are easily accessible via a wooden boardwalk from the car park up to where they lay. The red lichen that gives them their engaging colour can also make the rocks quite slippery so mind your step. The trail is wheelchair accessible until it reaches the rocky outcrop of the Remarkable Rocks. An accessible toilet is available at the car park.

Hours: Open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset | closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.
Price: purchase your day pass from Flinders Chase Visitor Centre
Address: Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island
Website: Flinders Chase National Park website

Ligurian Honey Bee Honey

Kangaroo Island is home to the world’s only genetically-pure population of the renowned Ligurian honey bee. The island’s isolation has made it a sanctuary for these bees and has prevented cross-breeding and disease from mainland bees. Today, visitors to Kangaroo Island are forbidden to bring any honey or bee products onto the island to help preserve the population.

I must admit that we didn’t research honey production on Kangaroo Island that well and had only added Clifford’s Honey Farm to our itinerary. During our travels we learned that there are many, many honey producers on the farm whom you can visit and then taste their honey. As such, I am reluctant to add just one to your must visit list – visit them all!

Feed the Pelicans

When we started planning our trip to Kangaroo Island we were told again and again not to miss the Pelican feeding. Past visitors to Kangaroo Island with kids raved about the experience and suggested that it was one of their top activities to do on the island. So we booked accommodation in Kingscote quite close to the Pelican feeding.

On arrival at our accommodation on our first day we were told that the pelican feeding had stopped in mid-2017 and was no longer happening. We were also told that the Little Penguin population was also extinct at that location. We were so disappointed.

Of course, we are never a family that takes no for an answer so at 5.00 pm on our second night we headed down to the area that once boasted one of the biggest dusk crowds on Kangaroo Island and waited for the pelicans. We were lucky that one of the local fishermen took pity on us and brought a bag of fish guts over to the area, feeding the pelicans to our delight. It wasn’t quite the experience we had looked forward to, but it was an experience nevertheless!

You can read about the demise of the Kangaroo Island Pelican Feeding experience here.

Admirals Arch

Admirals Arch is a beauty to behold and also boasts a rather large colony of New Zealand Fur Seals, Australian Fur Seals and the Australian Sea Lion. It can be a very windy area, so be prepared for that! There is a boardwalk that takes you right down to the arch. It has a rather nice gradient down until you reach the stairs at which point it does become quite steep. We were impressed to see a defibrillator half way down just in case.

What you may not be prepared for, regardless of how much research you undertake prior to your visit, is the unique aroma of the seals! However, the scenery of the dramatic coastline and the views of Casuarina islets might just make up for it. This is certainly one of the things to do in Kangaroo Island with kids or even just for yourself not to miss out on!

Make sure you check out the Cape de Couedic Lighthouse while you are there too!

Hours: Open seven days a week from sunrise to sunset | closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.
Price: purchase your day pass from Flinders Chase Visitor Centre
Address: Flinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island
Website: Flinders Chase National Park website

Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery

Eucalyptus Oil distilling commenced on Kangaroo Island in the late 1880s and was one of the islands major industries. At the peak of operation in the 1930s there were 100 stills on Kangaroo Island and around 600 people employed in the industry. Today only Emu Ridge remains using the leaf of the indigenous Kangaroo Island Narrow Leaf Mallee, Eucalyptus cneorifolia.

Today Emu Ridge employs 16 people in peak season and continues to create this unique oil which was once Australia’s largest export. Sadly today, 90% of the worlds Eucalyptus oil comes from China and Brazil!

We loved visiting Emu Ridge. Whilst T and I were excited to learn all about the distillery process, the kids were mostly interested in the rescued kangaroos that Bec, the owner of Emu Ridge, has rescued from the Kangaroo Island roads.

Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm including all public holidays with extended hours over peak season. (Closed on Christmas Day) | Sundays 10.00 am – 1.00 pm.
Price: FREE to visit the Farmgate Retail Shop and Cafe where you can watch a complimentary DVD of the distilling process | Emu Ridge Guided tour prices approx 1/2 a hour for $22.00 per family | Emu Ridge Self Guided Tour prices approx 10mins and $10.00 per family.
Address: 691 Willsons Rd, Macgillivray SA 5223
Website: Emu Ridge Website

Which beaches to head to

Emu Bay

Located around 13 kilometres west of Kingscote, Emu Bay boasts a 4 kilometre long white sandy beach backed by sandy dunes. It is often a haven for dolphins who come in to feed. Like most Kangaroo Island beaches, it is unpatrolled but is a good spot for a lay swim. It was never crowded when we visited.

The Emu Jetty dates back to 1918 and in our experience seems to be a popular location for a spot of fishing – everyone caught something here!

Snellings Beach

Snellings Beach is quite a popular spot on the north coast of Kangaroo Island. It has toilets, BBQ facilities and ample parking. It is most famous for the cliffs that surround the beach, regarded as perhaps some of the Southern Hemisphere’s tallest! The beach is well known for its surf-fishing and rock-fishing

Vivonne Bay

Vivonne Bay is regarded as Kangaroo Island’s premier swimming spot. It’s the only safe harbour on the islands South Coast and is well known for its turquoise surfing waves and pristine white sand.

Hanson Bay

Hanson Bay is probably most known for the Koala Walk where you can see up to 20 koalas all napping together in the trees. It is a small, secluded bay compared to many others on Kangaroo Island and is a little harder to get to due to its unsealed road (not great if you are driving a hire car!).

Stokes Bay

I’m a little reluctant to talk about Stokes Bay too much as I would love to ensure there are no crowds when we next visit. It is our favourite beach on the island and one I recommend for all ages. You can read more further up the page where I discuss it in a little more depth.

How to get to Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is an island so you only have two choices in how you get there: by air or by water. Neither are very budget-friendly so this is likely to be the biggest expense.

Flying to Kangaroo Island

QantasLink offers flights to Kangaroo Island from both Adelaide and Melbourne quite regularly. We searched for tickets over a 6 week period for summer flights and were unable to find any for under $250.00 each way (Melbourne – KI) but they may have cheaper fees if you search further in advance.

Kangaroo Island Ferry

The Kangaroo Island Ferry is managed by Sealink and departs a number of times each day. This option provides you with more choice as you can take your own car, hire a car (either on the mainland and take it over, or on Kangaroo Island), take a coach or backpack (not that I saw anyone doing this!).

The SeaLink Terminal is at Cape Jervis, about a 90-minute drive south of Adelaide. We hired a car in Adelaide (we use Apex Car hire as they offer good prices inclusive of insurance). We booked the Sealink for our car and the four of us. The return trip was just under $500.00. To ensure we had the passage for our prefered date and time, we booked a month prior as it was the peak season.

Kangaroo Island Accommodation Options

Where to Stay on Kangaroo Island

It soon became apparent to us that accommodation options for a family of four was somewhat limited for us, especially with our budget. Self-contained options became our preference and this is the option that I highly recommend for other travelling families without a caravan or preference to camp. You just need to decide WHERE to stay!

With 509 km of Coastline and around 155 km from the East Coast to the West Coast, the island is quite large and boasts a number of small towns. Self-contained accommodation options, hotels, caravan parks and homestays are located across the island, although we suggest considering one of the towns listed below.

Kingscote

Kingscote is the main town on the island and has all the amenities a family needs including a great fish n chip shop, a range of restaurants and pubs, a supermarket, a medical centre and everything else you need.

We booked Villas on the Bay, a self-contained 2 bedroom villa across the road from the bay. It was exactly what we needed, with our host providing bread, milk and a small selection of breakfast cereals. To be honest, we booked in Kingscote so we would be close to the pelican feeding which no longer operates!

Penneshaw

Penneshaw was the very first town that we visited on Kangaroo Island as it is the first stop on arriving via the Sealink ferry. Whilst it offers a small IGA supermarket, the visitor centre and some places to eat, it is probably the furthest township from all of the attractions on the island.

American River

American River was the sheltered spot for American sealers back in the 1800s and consequently is named as a consequence. The town has a small store, post office and a small cafe and gift shop located at the wharf. It has an extensive wharf and is a good location for those wishing to pursue aquatic activities on the island.

Camping and Caravan spots

When researching our trip to Kangaroo Island we decided to look up caravan spots so we could recommend one to our nomadic parents. We learned that there are a mere four caravan parks on the island which are located at Penneshaw, Parndana, Kingscote (Brownlow) and Western Kangaroo Island near the entry to Flinders Chase National Park.

Camping expands the options a little, however, it is only permitted in designated areas and like caravan spots, needs to be booked some ahead to ensure you get a spot.

Kangaroo Island Weather

I’ve heard it said that there is no poor weather on Kangaroo Island, just poor clothing choices. Kangaroo Island has a Mediterranean climate which means the summers are warm to hot and dry and the winters are cool and mild. We found the temperature to be between 5-10 degrees cooler than Adelaide on different days that we were there. Make sure you take a jumper in summer!

Kangaroo Island Map

Interested in knowing more about Kangaroo Island that we have not covered? Please leave a comment and I will add items.

We self-funded our entire trip to Kangaroo Island. 

Travelling to South Australia soon? We suggest reading our top things to do in Adelaide with kids.