Getting Here and Around

REX/Regional Express flies two times daily between Adelaide and Kingscote, the island's main airport. Ask about holiday packages in conjunction with SeaLink. Flights to the island take about 30 minutes.

SeaLink ferries allow access for cars through Penneshaw from Cape Jervis, at the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula, a two-hour drive from Adelaide. There are four daily sailings each way, with additional crossings at peak times. SeaLink operates the vehicular passenger ferry Sea Lion 2000 and Spirit of Kangaroo Island, a designated freight boat with passenger facilities. These ferries make 45-minute crossings between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw. Ferries are the favored means of transportation between the island and the mainland, and reservations are necessary. Adelaide Sightseeing operates coach tours of Kangaroo Island out of Adelaide in conjunction with the SeaLink ferry services from A$269 for a (very long) day trip.

Kangaroo Island's main attractions are widely scattered; you can see them best on a guided tour or by car. The main roads form a paved loop, which branches off to such major sites as Seal Bay and Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park. Stretches of unpaved road lead to lighthouses at Cape Borda and Cape Willoughby, South Australia's oldest. Roads to the island's northern beaches, bays, and camping areas are also unpaved. These become very rutted in summer, but they can be driven carefully in a conventional vehicle. Be alert for wildlife, especially at dawn, dusk, and after dark. Slow down and dip your lights so you don't blind the animals you see.

Transportation

Adelaide Sightseeing. 85 Franklin St., City Center, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000. 1300/769762; www.adelaidesightseeing.com.au.

REX/Regional Express. 13–1713; www.regionalexpress.com.au.

SeaLink. 13–1301; www.sealink.com.au.