Kangaroo island

[kraits]

hello people, going over to KI over christmas with the wife and kids, plan is to do a bit of camping and some off roading (if its permited?)

anyone got any suggestions of places to see there, top camping spots or and 4X4 tracks?

[Allan at Wallan]

hello people, going over to KI over christmas with the wife and kids, plan is to do a bit of camping and some off roading (if its permited?)

anyone got any suggestions of places to see there, top camping spots or and 4X4 tracks?

Your bank manager is the first person to see. I recently was in the
area and baulked at the cost of taking my vehicle and caravan across
on the ferry. Simply too costly for just a day trip for me.

Good luck if you go ahead with it.:2tsup:

Allan

[wherrol]

Fantastic place to go, many, many free camping area, don't listen to the 'don't sayers' it is worth every penny.

We took a 19ft off road caravan (ie one huge and heavy van) and 4wd across for 10 days a couple of years ago. Worked out at about $70 a day or thereabouts.

Here is the 'go' as we saw it in February 2009.

Information centre at Penneshaw (where the ferry pulls in). Great information centre.

Roads on the island: Roads vary from tar sealed and amazing to corrugated and rough, just lower your tyre pressures as required on the rough stuff.

Camping: There is lots of free camping on the island either ask a local or look around. The parts where you are not to camp are clearly marked.

Our hot tips are: Antechamber Bay (East Side) on the Chapman River. We parked the van with the back almost hanging over the river. This is a National Park and at the time when we visited the bureaucracy has deemed there are no fees. There could be $10 fees later as we could see all the relevant self registration posts covered with hessian and tied up. There is a lovely BBQ on this side of the river, the TV and phone/internet works (with antenna). Drop toilets are on the other side of the river. Fantastic walks here along the beach, and very scenic.

Emu Bay – We didn’t camp here, however the camp ground is across the road from a beautiful beach. Camping is indicated with a tiny tent sign (just opposite the beach parking area). Note: Camp ground is on a bit of a slope.

Point Marsden and The Bay of Shoals – Lots of free campsites along the dirt road. We opted for the very windy parking lot at Point Marsden. The sunrise from the east across the water was amazing. And if you are wanting TV/Internet/Phone this spot gets the lot. No facilities but great spot for an over nighter. Water is available at Wisanger sports Ground at the beginning of the road.

Stokes Bay - Camping $10 per car. The campsite looks like it is in a car park so we didn’t stay there. Having said that the beach is really very scenic, to get there you go through a tunnel through the rocks. It is all quite amazing and there is an easy walking trail. The water is turquoise blue, beach is white, and you can’t swim because of the rips.

Snelling Beach – Lovely free site over-looking a swimming beach that is to die for! Dolphins were playing in the surf the turquoise water was cool and refreshing. Being on the north side the water is warmer (marginally!). Very scenic hills surround the area.

Western River Cove – $5 per car. A sign at the beginning of the road indicates no caravans because the last bit of the road is very steep. Not recommended for caravans.

Harvey’s Return - $10 per car this is a National Park. Suggestion here is to park the van at the start of the short road into Harvey’s and check the tree growth. The National Parks officer, Mick, also said you could camp in the carpark at Scotts Cove and he would turn a blind eye. Certainly easier parking and the lookout over the water was amazing.

Flinders Chase National Park ¬ Due to fire damage we were not permitted to camp here (Feb 09). We had to stay at the caravan park. Western KI Caravan Park - $25

Vivonne Bay - $10 power or unpowered. Suggest you park in the parking lot and choose a spot as it can be crowded and hard to swing anything big around the tight space. When we arrived it was quite crowded, and the following day there was only two campers. The sites are dusty but the location is perfect. Beach is really beautiful with the usual white sand and turquoise water.

D’Estrees Bay – Great freebies right along the D'Estrees Bay which is incredibly scenic. If you want to drive further along D'Estrees Bay you get to Wreckers Beach - which offers a National Park, $10 per car camp sites and offers views like you got for free a few kilometres earlier. The road was deteriorating the further we went in. Really rough in patches just corrugations. Sand patches were few and far between.

American Bay - $15 per car. Right on the river with more beautiful scenery and, believe it or not a dump point! However word of warning, check before you enter the campground as there are some low trees.

Are you into bush walking?
Recommend you pick up the free handbook at the information centre. Due to the fire there were many walks we were not able to go on. We did enjoy the Kelly Hills to Hanson Bay walk – 18km return. Fantastic views, hard walking on sand up and down the hills, lovely river and amazing freshwater lake, and the gums, and banksia plants just added to the walk.

Other recommendations: Seal Bay where you can get up close and personal to the seals, this tour is well worth the effort.

Dump Points:There are more on the island than we have seen in the eastern part of South Australia. Penneshaw; Kingscote; American River and Parndana and Western KI Caravan Park (think you have to stay in the van park though) Photos on our Member pictures Safe travels

[kraits]

thanks wherrol, man you must have a good memory or record everything and every part of your trip, very informative, thanks

i was there about 15 years back when i was a free man and really enjoyed it so i figured i would take the wife and kids over, it is on the pricey side, inparticular the ferry for the distance its doing but what do you do?

not happy about having to pay to go onto a beach (seal bay) but, once again, what do you do?just doesn't seem quite right.

[wherrol]

Yes I record everything. This time though, I cheated, I had 'trip notes' for this trip that I had sent to our friends with the same type of caravan. I just chopped and changed it a little to suit your purposes.

Seal Bay. Was well worth the money. I disagree that you are paying just to go on a beach. This was an experience, the Rangers kept you safe and there was so much to learn and understand. Also these are not domestic creatures so it was nice to be safe and keep the seals safe too.

Ferry trip. Yeah per kilometre they know how to charge. We figured if it was more than 3 days then it was worth it to lumber the van across. Our charges would be heaps more as we are 8 mtrs long from bull bar to end of van. However with so many freebies it was well worth the trip. To be honest less than 10 days and you don't see anything really properly.

We wish you safe travels for your adventure. The children will have memories for years to come.

Cheers

Sharon

[rsser]

Good run-down. Thanks.

It's on the 'maybe' list for next year but the $360 return fare for car and camper trailer is a deterrent.

[kraits]

we just got back and i wouldnt go agin, just under $700 for 2 adults, 3 kids under 9 and a prado to get there and back, (thats just the boat ride) $19 for 2 bags of ice and a bottle of water, $180 for a national parks pass, then camp sites are extra depending on how many of you are there and if you got a camper trailer, the national parks pass does cover places like seal bay and the kelly hill caves and is valid for 12 months, 12 months like it or not because thats the only option you get.

apart from the cost it's a nice place, we were dealt a pretty ordinary hand in terms of the weather, quite cold and very windy which put a dampener on the whole trip.

the best advice i could offer if you go would be, make sure you got a good size car fridge, dual batteries or a generator, if you stay in flinders chase the nearest supermarker is a good 200km round trip atleast,