Lonely Planet recognises Kangaroo Island as a top place to visit this year

The stunning coastal vistas, inquisitive wildlife and beautiful winding paths of the newly opened Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, has come in third on Lonely Planet’s New in Travel 2017 Top 10 list of places to visit in the world.

The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail,which is the newest trail in Australia, was recognised for the way it has embraced the island’s most spectacular landscapes, and comes soon after South Australia was ranked fifth on Lonely Planet’s Top 10 regions for 2017, last year. The trail, opened in October 2016, has already proved a huge success with nature lovers from all across Australia and the world.

Steve Lane, owner of the prestigious Sea Dragon Lodge on Kangaroo Island said “this is a world class trail in the same ilk as the Cradle Mountain Trail in Tasmania.  It takes in some of the best that Kangaroo Island has to offer, from breathtaking scenery to most of the iconic Australian wildlife.”  He expects that the Trail will provide a strong “shot in the arm” for tourism on the island.   He explained that “hikers are able to walk along clifftops, beaches, through forests, and past freshwater lagoons.  There are numerousphoto opportunities like Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch and the wildlife is simply everywhere.”

Admirals Arch:  One of the many highlights along the Trail

The 61km-long trail runs along the island’s southwest coast. The spectacular walking track stretches from Rocky River to Kelly Hill Caves through Flinders Chase National Park.  The SA Government contributed $5.8 million towards the cost of building the trail.

Kangaroo Island as whole, has a lot to offer travellers and is becoming increasingly important as a “must see” destination in Australia.  Visitors come to Australia to see its pristine beaches, its stunning coastal scenery and above all its unique wildlife.  Kangaroo Island offers all this in the one package, not to mention a delicious array of locally grown food and wine, a thriving art & craft culture and very friendly locals who are happy to share their beautiful countryside.  It is truly an immersive Australian experience.

Planning Your Kangaroo Island Holiday
When planning a trip to Kangaroo Island, allow at least 3 nights if you want to see the major highlights and 5 nights if you want to ensure you see it all at a relaxed pace.  Kangaroo Island is much bigger than most people expect, taking 2 hours just to drive from one end to the other.  Steve Lane who has owned property on the island for over 30 years and conducts private 4WD Tours on the island,  rates the following as the Top 10 Places to visit on Kangaroo Island.

• Admirals Arch (Spectacular Ocean Scenery and lots of seals)
• Remarkable Rocks (Spectacular Ocean Scenery)
• Cape Willoughby Lighthouse (Spectacular Ocean Scenery & great little Café called Zest’n Thyme)
• Best Cellar Door – Dudley Wine Cellars (Great Food, wine & scenery)
• Best Restaurant – Enchanted Figtree at Snellings beach (Unbelievably good!!)
• Pennington Bay (Spectacular Surf Beach – visit when the sun is out, the colours are amazing)
• Antechamber Bay (3 kms pristine white sandy Beach – usually totally isolated)
• Western River Cove (Beautiful little bay with rocky headland and a short river walk – take your swimmers)
• Stokes Bay (Beautiful “Secret Beach” – You’ll have to discover the secret yourselves – Good seafood Café called the Rockpool)
• Ravine des Casoars bushwalk –  Beautiful 2 to 3 hour walk to a little pristine ocean beach – explore the caves in the headland s of the bay.

There are of course many other great places to visit such as Seal Bay, The Raptor Domain, Kangaroo island Wildlife Park, Hanson Bay Koala Sanctuary particularly if you are interested in wildlife.  Kangaroo Island Ocean Safari, KI Outdoor Action, Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery, The Beehive, KI Pure Dairy, Kangaroo Island Spirits, American River Oyster Farm Shop are just a few of the other interesting places to visitor things to do.

Kangaroo Island Accommodation

Kangaroo Island offers a wide range of accommodation from [...]

This article first appeared at Lonely Planet recognises Kangaroo Island as a top place to visit this year