For a Galapagos-like experience when visiting South Australia, with geological and gastronomic treasures thrown in for added pleasure, you must hop over to Kangaroo Island.

The unplugged wildlife encounters and surreal geological sculptures provide a stirring setting for a mini-adventure to remember.  

It feels a bit like a vast zoo, without the fencing. Estranged from the mainland since the last ice age, English explorer, Matthew Flinders, discovered the sanctuary in 1802.  Since then, much of the island has been left unmolested thanks to its national park status. ( Flinders Chase National Park.)

There are over 30 animal, 250 bird and 850 plant species native to Kangaroo Island.  From Adelaide, it’s an easy drive south through the Mclaren Vale to Cape Jervis. It’s just minutes from the mainland, but what a disconnection!

Catch the 45 minute Sealink ferry connection to Kangaroo Island, where daily guided coach tours will whisk you around the island’s star attractions, or free roam independently with a rental car.

Yes, you will need one, because the island is quite the sprawler. It’s Australia's third-largest island, taking over two hours to drive from one side to the other, cob-webbed with over 1600km of road.

With powerful ocean waves that originated in the depths of Antarctica pounding the shoreline, the island possesses some arresting geological features.  The show-piece is a cluster of granite boulders named Remarkable Rocks. Perched on a granite dome that swoops 75 metres down to the sea, these huge rocks have been sculpted and moulded by the wind and ocean spray into Dr. Seuss-like shapes.  They are like a coastal version of Canterbury’s Castle Hill, as if God’s playing a giant-sized game of knuckle bones, rendered in granite, with whimsical curves and wondrous shapes.

The South Coast is home to the breeding colonies of the Australian Sea Lion and the New Zealand Fur Seal. The misnamed Seal Bay is a long, wind-battered white sand beach, thronging with Australian sea lions. Hundreds of these blubbery, smelly and noisy creatures are parked up along their appointed rest bay, with their playful pups. Under the supervision of a wildlife officer, you can walk down the beach and get up-close with these entertaining mammals, who sure know how to work the crowds.

Admiral’s Arch, a classic rock arch artfully carved by waves and wind, is a riveting natural backdrop for acquainting yourself with hundreds of Kiwi ex-pats. The cliff face and rugged rocky shelves is home to some 7000 New Zealand fur seals. It’s a massive colony, and the walking platform around the cliffs gets you right up close with the fur seals. Although some seals tagged in New Zealand, have been sighted in Australia, the Kangaroo Island colony is not a recent phenomenon. They have resided around its rocky shoreline for centuries.

If you’d prefer some tactile moments with Kangaroo Island’s inhabitants, head to Parndana Wildlife Park, where you can hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies, pat koalas and wander through the animated aviary.  A definite winner with the kids! On a similar note, another orchestrated experience is the Birds of Prey show at Raptor Domain. Offering one-hour “in-flight” educational demonstrations, the winged stars include wedge-tailed eagles, owls and cheeky kookaburras. While you’re there, treat yourself to one of their trademark and scrumptious lobster burgers.

A local island legend is the Pelican Man, who will help you act out your Storm Boy fantasies by feeding these stunning birds.  As these birds swoop and dive on the hunt for a feed, there’s definitely a reason the Pelican Man always wears a hat. You should follow suit, to avoid being cluster bombed, au natural-style.

Kangaroo Island’s local gastronomy was an unexpected drawcard, and the locals are quietly proud of their amazing produce. In fact, the gourmet treats justifies an island visit, in its own right. To encompass the best, follow the Kangaroo Island Farm Gate and Cellar Door Trail to meet the producers and experience their products at source. Standouts include Island Beehive, one of Australia’s largest organic honey producers, churning out more than 100 tonnes of honey, annually.  

Kangaroo Island is only 20 kilometres from the mainland, but that's too far for a bee to fly, making it the oldest bee sanctuary in the world. Did you know Kangaroo Island was declared a wine region in 2001? Sniffers, sippers and swirlers make a beeline to The Islander Estate, an 11-hectare vineyard that produces wine variants like Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sangiovese, Shiraz, Grenache, Viognier and Semillon. Under the command of distinguished Bordeaux winemaker Jacque Lurton, his delightful wines are fermented in vats made by a French tomb-maker!

Call into Island Pure, a sheep dairy farm and cheese factory. You can see the woolly ones getting milked and learn about life on the farm and feast from the diverse range of magnificent sheep cheeses and yoghurts.

Kangaroo’s bounty also features Marron (freshwater crayfish), oysters, abalone, cider and sweet liqueurs - all farmed, produced or harvested locally. Late winter and spring is the optimum time to encounter Kangaroo Island’s spectacular natural elements.

Winter flushes the countryside with lush greenery, the rivers are gushing and the wildlife is roaming. You’ll sees baby koalas and joeys emerge from their mothers’ pouches, echidnas and ospreys engage in theatrical mating rituals, and Southern Right Whales cruise right past the island to calve.