Kangaroo Island

城市概覽

History Kangaroo Island was separated from the mainland around 10,000 years ago. The first European to explore Kangaroo Island by Matthew Flinders in 1802 whilst en route from UK to Sydney. He named the island in honour of the feast of Kangaroo he and his crew enjoyed on the island. More extensive mapping (especially of the south coast) was done by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin which is why a number of geographical features have French names. While there is evidence of Aboriginal people living on the island as long as 16,000 years ago, the island has not been inhabited by Aboriginal people for at least 2,000 years. From 1803 the island was visited by sealers and whalers, exploiting the natural resources of the island. In addition, a number of "independent" settlers arrived - thought to be mainly escaped convicts and those looking for a lifestyle unencumbered by regulation - took up residence between 1803 and the start of official settlement in 1836. In 1836 Kingscote became the first settlement in South Australia and significant parts of the island were opened up for farming. Sealing had just about finished by this time, and seals on many of the islands beaches had been completely wiped out. From the late 1800s parts of the island were being actively preserved. Flinders Chase National Park was proclaimed in 1912. During the 1920s the island was seen as an opportunity to preserve species that were threatened on mainland Australia, with attempts at introducing several, including koalas.

Geography The island is 160 km wide (east to west) and around 50 km from top to bottom at its widest. The north of the island has more protected seas, with the south generally having larger waves, higher cliffs and stronger currents. There are still some white sandy beaches and inlets on the south, though, such as Pennington Bay, d'Estrees Bay, Bales Bay and Hanson Bay. The main settlements are within an hour of each other on the east. There are more remote areas in t

如何抵達

Kangaroo Island is an agriculture quarantine zone, meaning that the transport of plants, animals and some food items from the mainland to Kangaroo Island is prohibited. See SeaLink's website for more information on what you can and cannot bring to Kangaroo Island. There are two ways to get to Kangaroo Island:

By ferry

Ferries operated by Sealink travel between Cape Jervis on the mainland, and Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. Ferries carry cars and passengers. They have a small cafe and bar on board, selling snacks and small meals during the trip. There is also a cafe at the Cape Jervis end, selling a similar range, which is open for departures but not necessarily for late arrivals. Standby travel is often not available for cars, especially on the popular afternoon and evening services. You really need to book ahead even in the off-season. For a short trip, it can get quite rough. The route goes from peninsula to peninsula, and doesn't spend any time in a protected area. Seasickness is experienced by some on the trip, so some preventative medication may be a good idea. Sit at the back of the vessel for the best ride! Two daily coach connections are available from Adelaide to connect with the ferry at Cape Jervis. Consult the Sealink website for costs.

Kangaroo Island Sealink, 440 King William Street, Adelaide, ☏ +61 13 13 01, +61 8 8202 8688. Ferries depart from Cape Jervis frequently. For the complete timetable visit www.sealink.com.au. It is necessary to book in advance. $88/$44 each way. Coach connections are available from Penneshaw to American River and Kingscote after the arrival of the 9AM and 6PM departures from Cape Jervis; and to the 8:30AM and 7:30PM departures from Penneshaw. There are ferry services to Kangaroo Island that have no coach connection to Adelaide and there is no other public transport available to Cape Jervis. That is you cannot drop a rental car there, there are no public buses, and the closest point you could get a taxi from is 60 km a

當地交通

Getting around can be difficult if you don't bring or hire a car. However, there are plenty of one- to three-day tours to jump on, which can be booked in Adelaide and on the island, and there are some scheduled coaches between the towns, and transfer services to the airport and wharf. The island has 1600 km of roads, sealed and unsealed, and is 155 km long. There are no taxi services on the island. All towns are small and can be explored on foot.

By car Make sure you have plenty of fuel before you start your trip. Petrol stations are generally only in the main settlements and frequently close before 6PM. In the south and west, petrol is only available at Vivonne Bay and Wilderness Retreat near Flinders Chase. Most roads are good, there is little need for a 4WD. Petrol is more expensive than on the mainland.

Rental car You can hire a car from the airport, the ferry wharf, or in Kingscote. There are two operators:

Budget Kangaroo Island, ☏ +61 8 8553 3133, +61 418 839 057 (mobile). Hertz, ☏ +61 8 85533133. Most rental operators on the mainland do not allow cars to be taken onto the island. Avis do not, Budget and Europcar do - check with your preferred operator. In the cases where the operator allows them to be taken, they may not provide insurance while on the ferry. As always, consider the risk and insurance, against the cost and convenience. Book ahead if you are renting a car on the island. The consequences of them being sold out when you arrive are that you don't go anywhere. It is important to clarify insurance arrangements when hiring a car as Hertz and Budget have more complicated systems on the island than on the mainland. This is due to a high number of collisions with animals, in particular during the late afternoon, evening, and early morning. Again, consider travel insurance to overcome the limitations of the rental car policy. It is generally cheaper anyway.

By bus

There is a bus operated twice daily in either direction by Peninsula Coa

必看景點

Wildlife

You will see wildlife on Kangaroo Island, both in the national parks and reserves, and just in the farmland surrounding the roads. Most wildlife are most active at dawn and dusk. Unfortunately, visitors will also come across wildlife as roadkill all over the island.

Koalas - Were introduced onto the island in the 1920s, as a (possibly misguided) way of preserving a species that was considered threatened on the mainland. The population thrived on the island, to the extent that they have been causing ecological damage on the island. They used to be common in Flinders Chase National Park, but since the 2007 bushfires, they are being caught and removed to the mainland, to allow the area to regenerate. There are still plenty elsewhere on the island, but they are often difficult to spot. You can still see them if you are lucky around Vivonne Bay and elsewhere. There is a free 20-minute walk close to the campsite; or visit the Koala Walk on the main south coast road near Flinders