Kangaroo Island: Wildlife Day Tour with Local Guide & Lunch

4.83

(128 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed stepping off the van on Kangaroo Island was the wind — salty, a bit sharp, carrying this smell of eucalyptus that I can still remember. Our guide, Steve (who grew up here), handed out bottled water and grinned like he knew what we were in for. We started at Seal Bay Conservation Park, where the sand squeaked under my shoes and the sea lions flopped around like they owned the place. Steve whispered facts about their habits while one pup sneezed so loudly it made us all laugh. I tried to get a photo but mostly just watched them — it felt better than staring through a screen.

We stopped at Vivonne Bay next, which looked almost fake with its white sand and that blue water you see in postcards. The wind whipped my hair everywhere (I gave up trying to fix it). There was this moment where everything went quiet except for gulls and waves — I didn’t expect to feel so small in a good way. Lunch was simple but hit the spot; sandwiches and fruit eaten sitting on a log while Steve told us about growing up spotting wallabies after school. He pointed out an echidna shuffling by — honestly, I’d have missed it if he hadn’t waved us over.

Later on, walking around Remarkable Rocks felt like being on another planet. The rocks are huge and weirdly shaped, orange lichen everywhere. My shoes slipped a little on the smooth bits (watch your step). At Admirals Arch we saw fur seals lounging below — someone joked they had the right idea about life. The whole day trip from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island was packed but never rushed; Steve kept things moving but always had time for questions or just letting us stand there quietly taking it all in. I still think about that view from Weirs Cove — sky wide open, air smelling like salt and sun-warmed stone.