Kangaroo Island

Just a few kilometres off the coast of the state of South Australia is Kangaroo Island. It was given its name by a British explorer called Matthew Flinders, who first came here in 1802. There is now a park named in his honour. It's the third largest island in the country and almost four and a half thousand people live there. The animal population, however, is a lot more than that! You see, the island is dedicated to preserving nature and 30% of it is Conservation Parks and Protected Areas. Apart from kangaroos, you can find koala bears, seals, wallabies and a wide variety of birds. You won't, however, see any foxes or rabbits as they have never been introduced to the island. In fact, it's prohibited to take rabbits when you visit.

In order to preserve this wonderful island there are quite a few strict rules to follow when you visit. You must not take honey. Kangaroo Island has the only remaining examples of the Ligurian bee, which was originally from Italy but now only found here. If you bring potatoes with you they must be in a sealed bag. Any soil or plant cuttings must be inspected first. In some parks you must even clean your shoes before entering so as to prevent the spread of some types of fungus. So, make sure you follow these rules!

There are so many things for visitors to do. Here are some suggestions for your visit. Go and see the penguins. At night they go from the sea to their homes and you can join a tour to see them do this. In the main town, Kingscote, there is a marine centre where after saying goodnight to the penguins you can visit their spectacular aquarium. What about seeing some seals? At the Seal Bay Conservation Park you can walk alongside hundreds of them as they relax in the sun, either with a guide or on your own if you prefer. Don't take a swim here though. Where there are seals there are also hungry sharks looking for some lunch! Another of the national parks is Flinders Chase, famous for unusual rock formations and for its lighthouse which dates back to 1909. Here you'll also see plenty kangaroos, koalas but also an endangered species of goose - get there before it's too late. Interestingly, the lovable koala is a bit of a problem for the island. It's not a native animal and since it was introduced its numbers have grown enormously. The problem is food. The gum tree which provides the leaves they like is becoming extinct. The authorities are trying to reduce the numbers of koalas by sterilising them or taking them off the island to other places in Australia but its not enough.

If you've seen enough animals for now, why not visit the Kelly Hill Caves. There are tours every day around the larger, more accessible caves but you can also book a tour which goes very deep into some of the more spectacular ones. Maybe the caves are a little cold for you. Instead visit Little Sahara, right in the centre of the island. This is a series of dunes where you can do something quite unusual. The locals here love taking a wooden board to the top of the dunes and riding down to the bottom - it's great fun, even if a little tiring climbing to the top each time.