Environment | History | Resources for bike touring | Getting there | Roads and traffic | Food & Water | Camping | Services
This fact sheet is intended as an
introductory guide to cycle camping on Kangaroo Island (KI). The region is an
established tourist destination, and general tourist and promotional
information is readily available from mainstream sources elsewhere. This fact
sheet assumes the reader has, or will have, access to those sources.
Comprehensive visitor information is available from http://www.tourkangarooisland.com.au/
The
The
The main industries are sheep
farming, fishing and tourism. Grape growing and winemaking are emerging new
industries with local wines winning awards nationally.
Aquaculture is also a developing
industry with marron being farmed. The island's isolation has also protected a
pure and valuable strain of Ligurian honey bees, and queen bees are exported all
over the world. The island can be very quiet away from towns and tourist sites.
KI was separated from the mainland
by glacial action 200 million years ago. It was uninhabited at the time of
European exploration, and very few traces of aboriginal occupation have been
found. It was circumnavigated by Matthew Flinders and a French expedition under
Baudin in 1802. The French inscribed a rock at Penneshaw, now on display at the
Gateway Information Centre at Penneshaw. The present feral pigs are descended
from animals left behind by the French, as a food source for future shipwrecked
sailors.
In the early 19th century,
SA [Bi]Cycle Map Series:
The Royal Automobile Association
(RAA) regional map is also useful, and is free to car club members.
Tourist Map of
Freewheeling Magazine ( # 46: 65)
featured a touring narrative of KI.
There is an interesting site for
sustainable tourism for KI at www.tomm.info/
Bicycle Hire is available from
Penneshaw Youth Hostel and Flour Cask Bay Sanctuary: http://www.eco-sanctuaries.com/
Tourism Kangaroo Island PO Box 336
Penneshaw SA 5222 (08) 8553 1185 Website: http://tourkangarooisland.com.au/
Tourism SA (Government Tourist
Commission) www.southaustralia.com/
Dept of Environment/National Parks
Service 37 Dauncey Street Kingscote SA 5223 (08) 8553 2381. Website: http://www.parks.sa.gov.au/parks/parks/kangaroo_is/index.htm
The ride from
KI Sealink Ferries (13 1301) runs
several times a day from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw (one way $39.00 + $9.00 bike)
with a bus to/from Adelaide (~$20.00 extra). http://www.sealink.com.au/
KI Ferries http://www.kiferries-sa.com/ run a service from Wirrina
Cove to Kingscote 2 or 3 times daily, which is slightly cheaper than Sealink
($35 + 5 vs $40 + 9.50 for person + bike) and possibly more convenient for
riders with limited time as it's slightly closer to the excitement of the west
:)
There are two
airlines flying daily scheduled air services from
KI has a reputation for rough
roads, and they are very rough in many places. The roads are sealed between
Kingscote, Penneshaw , Parndana & the SW corner, and it is now possible to cycle
from Penneshaw to the SW corner all on bitumen. The
Another 1700 km is unsealed, and is
sometimes said to be the worst in
However, for a keen cycle camper,
with the right bike and tyres, this will be no great difficulty, and any MTB
with semi knobblies will be fine, if a little slower than usual. Road bikes
would be restricted to the sealed parts.
Traffic is generally light in
proportion to the amount of road -- few suburban drivers want to risk saloon
cars on these roads, so 4WDs predominate. In addition, ferry fares encourage
package tours by bus rather than by private car. However, main tourist sites
will have morning and afternoon 'rush hours' as tour companies operate day trip
schedules. Car drivers are warned to slow down due to the condition of the
roads, and most do, though some will pass you too quickly. All in all, though,
with some care, you will cope with traffic easily.
There are limited grocery supplies away
from Kingscote, Parndana and Penneshaw. You could mail a food parcel (non
perishables only) to the NPWS Site Office at
Alternatively, it would be
possible, but time consuming, to hitch a ride back to one of the towns.
To protect the bee keeping
industry, no honey or other bee products can be brought onto the island.
Tap water may be discoloured -- try
rainwater from tanks if possible. NPWS and Kangaroo Island Council maintain
some rain water tanks at roadside stops, but these may not be reliable. Ground
water is not drinkable anywhere on the island. A cyclist will need to be able
to be able to carry at least five litres of water for a summer day's ride and
overnight camp.
Currently (2007)
there is a drought, so water might be available at:
KI is unusual in
There are many established bush
camping sites in NPWS reserves across the island. For permits, contact the
NPWS. For camping outside National Parks, the official KI Guide indicates that
permits are available from Council offices and Tourist Information Centres in
Kingscote and Penneshaw.
Camping is available in the two
caravan parks, at Kingscote http://www.kingscotetouristpark.com.au/ and near Flinders
Chase.
There is no public transport,
though there are lots of tour buses around the island.
There are ATMs at the ANZ and
BankSA banks in Kingscote, and EFTPOS is widely available in the towns.
The 'capital' of KI, with about
1200 people. A well established tourist centre, and also the administrative and
communications centre. There is a National Trust museum and historic sites,
along with some pleasantly antiquated shopping facilities. Pelican feeding is
conducted at 5pm each day at the wharf, and aquarium and penguin tours each
evening.
A pub, a dynamic backpackers' (
with MTB hire by the manager, a keen cyclist), and penguin colonies.
A small, friendly town, with two
grocery stores, and a 'community' pub [a peculiarly South Australian institution
?]
Last revised : 2007 / March 20
My thanks to Graeme Hurrell of 2000
updates.
Grace Newhaven
PO Box 3331
Rundle Mall SA 5000
e-mail: bikefish~gotalk.net.au
This
fact sheet was produced by grassroots cyclists. No responsibility for errors or
omissions can be accepted. It is intended for free or low cost distribution on
paper or on the www, and you are free to copy it on that basis. Suggestions for
improvement are most welcome!
Other
Bicycle Camping Fact Sheets in this series include
Central
Australia | SA Flinders
Ranges | North Queensland
| WA Kimberley
| Stuart
Highway | NSW Central
West | NSW Sydney to
Canberra