5 Best Sights in South Australia, Australia

Created as a wildlife sanctuary in 1919, this broad swathe of native bushland was so highly regarded that several Australian species that are not native to the island, including koalas and platypus, were introduced here to preserve their populations (a little too successfully in the case of the koalas, which have expanded into nearby timber plantations). The catastrophic wildfires that swept through Kangaroo Island in early 2020 burnt 98% of the park but within weeks green shoots had begun to reemerge and wildlife returned soon afterward. Now the regenerating landscape offers a unique chance to observe how well adapted Australian flora is to bushfires; many native species need fire to reproduce.

The best way to see the park is on foot and several short walking trails meander through shaded valleys, along spectacular coastal cliffs, and between granite boulders that have been sculpted into surreal shapes by the elements. But the undoubted highlight is the 61-km (38-mile) Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail, which adds tannin-stained creeks, mallee scrub, sugar gum forests, and isolated beaches into the mix as well as passing the aforementioned geological marvels. Walkers can hike the full five-day trail or tackle a single section with a range of licensed tour operators. The effects of seas crashing mercilessly onto Australia's southern coast are visible in the oddly shaped rocks on the island's shores.  

Numerous trails, some of them quite steep, make the Flinders Ranges ideal for bushwalking even though the park has few amenities. Water in this region is scarce and should be carried at all times. The best time for walking is during the relatively cool months between April and October. This is also the wettest time of year, so you should be prepared for rain. Wildflowers, including the spectacular Stuart's desert pea, can sometimes be found in early spring when male emus look after clutches of cute striped chicks. 

At the center of the park is Wilpena Pound, a craterlike 80-square-km (31-square-mile) natural bowl ringed by hills that curve gently upward, only to fall away from the rims of sheer cliffs. Geologists will tell you that it is in fact a synclinal basin while for the Adnyamathanha traditional owners it was formed by two giant serpents who went to sleep. The only entrance to the Pound is a narrow cleft through which Wilpena Creek sometimes runs. The best way to see it is from above—scenic flights are available at Wilpena Pound Resort (from A$186) and are well worth the splurge.

The park's most spectacular (and strenuous) walking trail leads to the summit of 3,840-foot St. Mary's Peak, the highest point on the Pound's rim and South Australia's second-tallest peak. Visitors are asked not to climb all the way up because of its great spiritual significance to Adnyamathanha traditional owners; fortunately, the views from nearby Tanderra Saddle are just as spectacular, stretching far over the surrounding landscape toward vast glittering salt pans in the distance. Give yourself a full day to get up and back.

A sliver of land stretching southeast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, this park hugs the coast for more than 150 km (94 miles). Many Australians became aware of the Coorong's beauty from the 1970s film Storm Boy, which told the story of a boy's friendship with a pelican. These curious birds are one reason why the Coorong is a wetland area of world standing.

This striking series of buttes and jagged hills centered on the Moon Plain is of great cultural and spiritual significance to the Antakir­in­ja Matun­t­jara Yankun­yt­jat­jara traditional owners but to the untrained eye is reminiscent of the most spectacular parts of the American West. There are fossils and patches of petrified forest in this strange landscape, which has appealed to makers of apocalyptic films; Mad Max 3—Beyond Thunderdome was filmed here, as was Ground Zero. The scenery is especially evocative early in the morning or at sunset when the colors come alive, and can get very windy, so be sure to bring appropriate clothing. Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is 30 km (19 miles) northeast of Coober Pedy.

Officially opened in 2023, Australia’s youngest national park protects an incredible 540-million-year-old fossil collection of such significance that the site lends its name to the Ediacaran era. The alien-like dickensonia, spriggina, and attenborites that once proliferated in a shallow sea represent the dawn of complex life on earth, and are perfectly preserved in vast stone beds. As a result, the park can only be access on ranger-led tours; a two-hour tour (A$82.50) that operates on Mon­day, Wednes­day, and Sat­ur­day morning allows you to see them up close as well as touch a 9-meter long fossil bed with hundreds of finely detailed fossils.