Things to See on Kangaroo Island, Australia, Other than Kangaroos
Kangaroo Island is considered to be South Australia’s most significant tourist attraction. The
island accounts for as many as 140, 000 visitors every year. Most of these tourists are
foreigners, with Europe leading with 25% of the visitors. This island is well known for
kangaroos. However, there is much more to Kangaroo Island than just Kangaroos! Among
other tourist attraction sites within the island include the Little Sahara Sand Dunes, Kelly
Caves, and Murray Lagoon.
Flinders Chase National Park
Kangaroo Island is an ideal place for tourists. Flinders Chase National Park provides
fascinating flora and fauna which are unique to visitors. Located within South Australian
state, the national park is a home of many endangered species and is protected by the
government. The Flora and Fauna Reserve Act 1919 led to the recognition of some parts of
this area as ‘flora and fauna reserve.’ But in 1972, it was made a national park after
government proclamation.
The geological phenomena and the few endangered species play an essential role in bringing
visitors to the island. Besides, the little penguins which inhabited the island between the
1920s and 1950s have created curiosity among the visitors despite the belief that they no
longer exist. Besides, some species which require protection have been brought to the island
which includes the platypus and koalas. But, the most frequent species here are Echidnas,
kangaroos, as well as Goannas. Cape du Couedic and Remarkable Rocks are the two
recognized geological monuments in the region.
Kelly Hill Conservation Park
Kangaroo Island consists of a variety of nature apart from flora and fauna which act as a
source of interest for visitors. Kelly Hill Conservation is one of the regions where tourists
visit for adventure due to the Kelly Hill Cave System. This place is made up of systems of
caves in which animals hide and act as sources of shelter. These caves are unique in that other
places within the island do not have such an extensive system of caves. It is therefore
gazetted to allow wild animals to roam freely within the caves and avoid human
encroachment. This has seen an increase in the number of visitors in the area who wish to
watch wild animals moving freely within the caves.
Visitors who land here also enjoy various picnic facilities. Tour guides are trained in taking
visitors through the various adventurous caves in the island by crawling through the range of
underground paths. Most of these caves are routes which lead to the paths used by kangaroos
in moving from one place to the other. As a result, visitors can track kangaroos and take
photographs within the caves.
Little Sahara Sand Dunes
Located at the Kangaroo Island, the Little Sahara Sand Dunes plays a vital role in bringing
tourists into the region. It is situated in the Vivonne Bay, in Australia’s South Australia State.
The place is a gazetted area in Kangaroo Island which consists of systems of dunes occurring
naturally, covering a distance of about two kilometers. The size of the dunes differs with the
most massive dunes ranging over seventy meters above the sea level. Visitors are fascinated
by sand-boarding here, and also by the fact that the area is one of the geological monuments
which were categorized by the Geological Society of Australia.
Seal Bay Conservation Park
The place is also one of the protected areas within the Kangaroo Island. Situated in South
Australian State, the site is well-known for sea lion and is treated as the third-largest home
for such species in Australia. Due to the exploitation of sea lions for economic purposes, the
authorities were prompted to set up regions to protect them from over-exploitation.
Consequently, Seal Bay Conservation Park was set up to avert more damage to the sea lions.
The Fauna Conservation Act 1964 took effect in protecting this area in 1964.
Visitors are allowed to tour the place but under close monitoring through a guided tour. Such
a move aims to prevent killing or encroachment of the sea lions by the visitors. The area
covered by the Seal Bay Conservation Park extends from Vivonne Bay up to the D’Estrees
Bay. The Seal Bay road provides access to the various people who visit the place for touring
and other purposes.
Murray Lagoon
The place is famous for housing various species of birds due to the availability of breeding
space and food. It is estimated that hundreds of birds including swans, ducks, as well as the
Cape Barren Geese, benefit from the lagoons in the area for food. Also, the birds use
paperbark and the thickets for shelter and nest materials. Some of the rare species of birds
found here include the Australian spotted crake and the shy clamorous reed-warbler.
Due to a large number of birds, many tourists visit the Murray Lagoons every year. Some
birds come to the island seasonally, especially when looking for food. The lagoon attracts
various bird species all over the world; for example, the stilts come to the island looking for
insects. The black-winged and banded-winged stilts come to the island during the summer
while some other species fly from other regions looking for the mud flats in the lagoon.
Cape Willoughby Conservation Park
Cape Willoughby Conservation Park is a protected area situated in South Australia State.
This is also a tourist attraction site within the famous Kangaroo Island. Initially, the whole
region here was referred to as the Cape Hart Conservation Park. However, due to the subdivision done in the area on March 28, 2002, Lesueur Conservation Park and Willoughby
Conservation Park emerged as two separate regions.
Willoughby Conservation Park has a wide range of facilities for visitors. One such facility is
the provision of opportunities for tourists to learn of the harsh conditions as well as the
maritime history of the island. Visitors are also privileged with the provision of lighthouses
where they can watch such sea animals as whales in the water. Lighthouse keepers are tasked
with the role of guiding visitors by directing them through the various facilities within the
park. In the process, tourists can enjoy the beauty of nature in addition to the learning history
of the park.