Kangaroo Island Sights

1. Flinders Chase National Park

Much of Kangaroo Island has been given over to farmland but since being declared a national treasure in 1919, a huge area of original vegetation has been protected in Flinders Chase. The catastrophic wildfires that swept through Kangaroo Island in early 2020 burnt 98% of the park but within weeks green shoots had begun to re-emerge 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 or along spectacular coastal cliffs. 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.