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Escape To Kangaroo Island
Kangaroo Island, South Australia: 150 long by 50 km wide, more than 4'000 km2, one km2 per inhabitant. This is a place for those who love space and nature
What statistics cannot express is the amazing diversity of the landscapes and biotopes of the island, all easily accessible to visitors and inhabitants. The air and the sea are pure, the sky luminous and ever-changing; one can walk undisturbed on endless beaches or on top of cliffs, drive for hours peacefully and leisurely -- not a single traffic light here...
The island is the best place in Australia for watching marsupials such as gentle kangaroos with dark-brown, soft long-hair fur, timid Tammar wallabies, peaceful koalas, agile brush-tail possums, as well as two extraordinary egg-laying mammals: the elegant echidna with long, thin spines, and the enigmatic platypus. One can also watch birds everywhere, and sea life of course, including playful seals, combative sea lions, cute penguins, graceful black swans and majestic pelicans. Kangaroo Island is diversified and large enough to keep tourists busy, small enough to be explored in a casual manner.
When English and French scientists explored the island in 1802-1803, it was no more inhabited by Aborigines. It was given its name in 1802 by English explorer Matthew Flinders, the first European to describe the island, and who called it "Kanguroo Island" (no typo, the 'u' in 'kanguroo' became an 'a' later in the 19th century).
A few months later, in January 1803, French explorer Nicolas Baudin, on the largest scientific mission ever sent from Europe to the southern hemisphere, was the first European to circumnavigate the island, which explains the abundance of French names that can be found here. Baudin died before returning to France, but his team successfully brought back to Napoleon Bonaparte living emus and kangaroos from the island!
Commuting to Kangaroo Island is easy with multiple daily departures from Adelaide (by airplane, a 30 minutes flight) and the Fleurieu Peninsula (by ferry, a 45 minutes crossing)."
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American River
- American River is nestled on a hillside in native bushland, facing sea and lagoon, on Kangaroo Island, South East of Adelaide off the Fleurieu peninsula, SA. This peaceful village faces the south-east and offers stunning views on the white sand beaches of ‘Eastern Cove' separating the main, western part of the Island, from the smaller, eastern part. American River is the perfect location for a relaxing holiday on the beautiful Kangaroo Island, South Australia.
