Kangaroo Island

Islands are special places wherever you are in the world. Isolation, solitude, contact with the ocean - these are special experiences for people taking time out of their busy schedules and are also important factors for the development of a unique natural heritage. Think of places like the Galapagos, Hawaii, Madagascar - all of these have special characteristics and a special group of plants and animals have developed in the thousands of years they have been isolated.

Australia 's Kangaroo Island is no exception. The Island was part of mainland Australia only during times of low sea level caused by global glaciation (commonly called an Ice Age). The many native plants and animals which inhabit Kangaroo Island have been isolated most recently for the past 12,000 years. Many of these are clearly different from their relatives on the nearby mainland - the Kangaroo Island kangaroo is a distinct sub-species of the western grey kangaroo, the endangered Glossy-black cockatoo is also an Island sub-species and the Sooty Dunnart (a small marsupial carnivore) is found nowhere else on earth.

Our small enthusiastic team have specialized in deluxe wildlife tours since 1986 and we work to create an atmosphere where you will find yourself treated as special friends - we are all travelers and seek to avoid "touristy places" and experiences. If you want to travel as part of a small group or charter your own private adventure; enjoy excellent food and wine and seek out wildlife in its natural habitat then consider the experiences we offer.

The Island's diverse landscapes provide habitat for sea lions, fur seals, endemic kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas, platypus, goannas, 243 bird species (many rare or endangered), possums, bandicoots and even whales. Except for whales, which pass through in winter, these are present all year-round.

Quietly moving through the bush your guide silently points. You can't see anything until suddenly a small grey animal hops across the track! Your guide whispers "A tammar wallaby - now extinct on the mainland"

Being buffeted by salt-laden winds on a cliff top watching waves crashing onto the rocks - the first land they have encountered all the way from Antarctica, thousands of kilometers away.

Wandering along a country track and meeting a huge mob of Merino sheep tended by a farmer and his dogs, clouds of dust drift away as they pass on the road.

Walking through a Redgum forest the smell of Eucalyptus becomes stronger. Wondering why, you look up and discover a koala looking sleepily back at you from the fork of a tree.

Enjoying a crisp South Australian wine whilst your guide cooks lunch - grilled fish in wine and lemon, hot bread rolls and a fresh garden salad.

Finding yourself surrounded by strange plants - some sharp and spiky, others soft as velvet - and all with intricate flowers and found only on Kangaroo Island. Over 45 species of plants are restricted entirely to Kangaroo Island where isolation drives strange invention!

Standing on a white sandy beach watching sea lions snooze only meters away. The peace on the beach occasionally broken by a young sea lion entering someone else's territory.

Driving down endless red dirt roads in a four wheel drive with your guide "spinning yarns" about shipwrecks, and lighthouses, and refrigerators being turned into mailboxes.

Imagine being able to condense all of these Australian experiences into one place and only a few days. Kangaroo Island, 120 km (75 miles) south-west of Adelaide, South Australia, is Australia's third largest Island. Kangaroo Island is 145 km long (90 miles) and 55 km wide (35 miles). Over 32% of the Island is conserved in National or Conservation Parks and in the absence of introduced rabbits and foxes, the native wildlife thrives.

Upscale, small group tours which focus on wildlife, natural history, heritage and contemporary Australian lifestyles. We use modern air-conditioned 4WD vehicles and have a maximum guest : guide ratio of 6:1 on all share tours (Largest group size is 10 people with 2 guides). Our aim is to provide a professional personalized service, arranging a holiday or tour with the flexibility to suit your needs. We have two full day tours which have been developed based on years of experience and the knowledge that our guests visit Kangaroo Island to: