Kangaroo Island
Fifty kilometres off the Fleurieu Peninsula coast, Kangaroo Island is Australia's most remote wine region: a landscape of native bush, white sand beaches, and small estate vineyards producing Shiraz, Cabernet, and Viognier with an intensity that isolation and sea wind seem to demand.
Experiences
1 itinerary
Exceptional Kangaroo Island
Exceptional Kangaroo Island
Luxury small-group Kangaroo Island tours — wildlife, food and wine.
Duration
Full day or multi-day
The Dossier
Kangaroo Island is reached by ferry from Cape Jervis (45 minutes) or by a short flight from Adelaide. The ferry departs regularly and can carry vehicles; most visitors bring a car for the day or stay several nights. Cellar doors are scattered across the island, mostly in the northeast around Kingscote and along the north coast road: plan a loose circuit and allow time for the island to show you what it is beyond the wine.
Harvest runs March through April, arriving slightly later than the mainland due to the maritime influence. Spring (September to November) is when the island is at its most striking: wildflowers, wildlife, and mild temperatures make it the peak tourist season; book accommodation early. Summer is warm and beautiful; winter is quiet, cooler, and ideal for those who want the island without the crowds.
Shiraz grown on KI has a distinctive savouriness: the sea air, the stress of a dry, windy growing season, and the island's ancient soils combine to produce wines with weight and texture but a wildness to them that mainland regions rarely match. Cabernet, Merlot, and Viognier have their advocates too. Beyond the wine: local marron, KI pure honey, and sheep's milk cheese from Island Pure make for a food experience entirely its own.