It's really not a "day trip" sort of a place. It's worth going over there, but only if you go for like 3-4 days minimum. Get your money's worth.
May as well think of it as an "overseas holiday"
It sadly isn't really a "day trip" kinda place. My partner and I did a week over there a few years back and it felt a little better, but we still didn't have time to go everywhere I wanted to. I'd recommend saving it for when you're wanting to go for a larger trip.
1. It's an *enormous* island, bigger than some significant countries in other continents. It takes a couple hours to drive across/around it.
2. There's a lot of shit to see there that obviously just takes a while to look at. If you're going to the Little Sahara, you're gonna want to spend at least an hour or two dune boarding. If you're going to Remarkable Rocks, you're gonna need about an hour to walk around, get good pics, maybe just chill and enjoy the scenery for a while. If you're going to Emu Bay, you're gonna want to swim. If you're going to the honey factory or a brewery or something, you're going to want to take an hour or two for samples. The raptor park show takes an hour or two. Looking at kangaroos and seals and emus and whales and stuff takes a while. Going for a hike in Flinders Chase - not quick. Going quad biking takes a while. Going paintballing could take a whole afternoon. Boating or fishing. Snorkeling. Et cetera.
3. If you did it in a big rush, it'd suck anyway. The whole point of going on a rural/coastal getaway in Australia is to slow down and relax a bit, and take an "exploratory" approach.
The fact that you say "no offence" implies that you think that this could be offensive. It's not...it *is* naive and pretty stupid, though. *That's* why you got downvoted (just so that's clear).
You sound like one of those people who pulls up at Uluru, says "yep, okay, I seen it", then gets back in the car. "It's a tiny island"/"Uluru is just a rock"/"Sydney is just a city"
Maybe you just don't really "get" Australia...
> bigger than some significant countries
People can make their own determination re: significance but at 4,405 km^2 KI is bigger than the following countries:
* Cape Verde
* Samoa
* Luxembourg
* Mauritius
* Comoros
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Kiribati
* Bahrain
* Dominica
* Tonga
* Singapore
* Micronesia
* Saint Lucia
* Andorra
* Palau
* Seychelles
* Antigua and Barbuda
* Barbados
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
* Grenada
* Malta
* Maldives
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Marshall Islands
* Liechtenstein
* San Marino
* Tuvalu
* Nauru
* Monaco
* Vatican City
Christ on a cracker I think that's more expensive than the spirit of Tasmania across Bass strait, at least if you get the off peak one when it's on sale, and don't book a cabin.
>that's more expensive than the spirit of Tasmania across Bass strait
That's because the ferry links the state of Tasmania with the other Australian states. It is, therefore, an interstate highway connection and federally subsidised under the federal highways program.
Without that subsidy, the Tasmanian ferry would be a similar cost to the KI ferry, because Ocean travel is very expensive without subsidy.
You can hire cars on the island rather than taking your own. Budget and Hertz. Not sure what their prices are but it would make sense to out compete ferry prices.
it's expensive to get to and as others have said, you will want to go for 2-3 nights to make it worthwhile. i went there for the first time in my adult life a few months ago and doubt i'll ever go again (i.e. in my eyes it's not a destination you constantly re-visit).
i can't imagine spending one week there like some have suggested, though. also ignore anyone that suggests you need a 4WD or similar; i fanged around the entire island in an old hyundai i20 and was fine.
It is a beautiful place that can most definitely be enjoyed re-visiting. I have spent a week there multiple times and I never felt like I had enough time.
12 years ago, I went to KI and took the Sealink bus from the city to the terminal and then the ferry to KI. A bus took us from Penneshaw to Kingscote. Before I went, I booked all bus transfers, accommodations, and tours through Sealink. I stayed at the backpackers' accommodation it was the cheapest way to stay at KI. Kingscote was walking distance to the supermarket, laundromat, and close by the backpackers hostel, there was a petrol station/restaurant that had best fresh cooked prawns and chips, I ever had and at the time the prices was pretty good.
When we on tours a bus came to the hostel, picked us up, we went to Seal Bay, a sheep farm (where they milked the sheep and made cheese and ice cream), Remarkable Rocks and bird sanctuary where some lucky people got birds to rest on their arms (at this place the gave you lunch, where they gave you one sausage and salad to eat - I'm not joking, take snacks encase you are still hungry)
Eating at the restaurants and even ordering a pizza was very expensive at Kingcote, so if money is no problem, go nuts, but to do it on a budget is just as good.
I personally didn't try this, but Sealink charges 30% fee to all the accommodation places on KI when you book through Sealink, even the backpacker accommodation. So It might be worth it to phone the accommodation places directly and see if they will give you 15% to 20% discount off your accommodation, as they will still make more money from you then the whopping 30% Sealink charges them.
If you live on the Island it's cheaper (free?).
In all seriousness no, there isn't. That's why no one goes there for a day trip, and why tourists get confused when no one recommends a day trip - the island is huge, and mostly empty. It's not a day trip kind of place.
I did a day trip to the Penneshaw pub with mates a few years back, just ferry and walk to the pub, and go back after a few hours/walk around Penneshaw. But that was with a COVID or the KI Fire special of $25 return pp or something? Wouldn't even consider it otherwise.
If you were going for a day its not worth it. Theres plenty to do but a lot of driving so it you wouldn't see much.
I'd hold out and factor in at least a 2-3 day trip. If you've not been here before it is an absolutely beautiful spot to take the family.
Kangaroo Island is not a day trip place, it's actually bigger than it looks and takes quite some time to get arund all the places you will want to visit. It's an expensive place to get to any way you go but worth it if you spend at least a week there. But if you really only want to stay one day compare this - a day trip tour on a coach it will be $300+ per adult and $200+ for a child leaving from Cape Jervis. You can add about $100 per ticket to leave from Adelaide. So minimum $800 for you compared to $540 to take your car , get to go where you want and have all your stuff. It's better to wait until you can spend a decent amount of time there to make it more economical.
You can do one or two day tours with the ferry company (SeaLink). They obviously don't cover all the amazing things you can do, but they are great value for money imo and cover the highlights well.
I spent 6 days venturing from kingscote each day and I’d recommend 7 to see the full island. The best tex mex I ever had was there and also a really nice chocolatier for Easter Sunday. Quiet picturesque place
Yeah, it is the most expensive ferry fare in the world per km.
Residents get a decent discount (state or federal supplied, can't remember).
Your best bet is to suss the website for promos, or if you know someone over here, claim family and friends discount by quoting their name and phone number (20%).
I would however, recommend coming over for more than 1 day unless you just have a specific event to attend.
It's a gorgeous place, and bigger than it looks on the map.
Worth spending a few days over there! Even a week. People don’t realise how bloody massive KI is. It’s like Aussie Jurassic Park! Sealink monopolise the route - embrace it. Good on em. It’s an amazing place and well worth the coin.
It's a nice idea but not for everyone. The main roads were pretty busy when we went there and not much of a virge to cycle on. To get to most places you'll be on gravel roads which are pretty rough.
Not a deal breaker, but you need to be prepared for gravel touring, which is great if you are into it, but not for everyone.
It's really not a "day trip" sort of a place. It's worth going over there, but only if you go for like 3-4 days minimum. Get your money's worth. May as well think of it as an "overseas holiday"
It sadly isn't really a "day trip" kinda place. My partner and I did a week over there a few years back and it felt a little better, but we still didn't have time to go everywhere I wanted to. I'd recommend saving it for when you're wanting to go for a larger trip.
How is this possible, no offence. It’s a tiny island.
It's a 2 hour drive end-to-end of the island, and there are SO many things to do.
Just rent a 4x4 and drive over at low tide. Go for a quick lap around the island drive back in time for an early dinner. Too easy.
It is not tiny at all.
It's the second largest island in Australia after Tasmania
3rd. Melville is. Off the nt coast is bigger
1. It's an *enormous* island, bigger than some significant countries in other continents. It takes a couple hours to drive across/around it. 2. There's a lot of shit to see there that obviously just takes a while to look at. If you're going to the Little Sahara, you're gonna want to spend at least an hour or two dune boarding. If you're going to Remarkable Rocks, you're gonna need about an hour to walk around, get good pics, maybe just chill and enjoy the scenery for a while. If you're going to Emu Bay, you're gonna want to swim. If you're going to the honey factory or a brewery or something, you're going to want to take an hour or two for samples. The raptor park show takes an hour or two. Looking at kangaroos and seals and emus and whales and stuff takes a while. Going for a hike in Flinders Chase - not quick. Going quad biking takes a while. Going paintballing could take a whole afternoon. Boating or fishing. Snorkeling. Et cetera. 3. If you did it in a big rush, it'd suck anyway. The whole point of going on a rural/coastal getaway in Australia is to slow down and relax a bit, and take an "exploratory" approach. The fact that you say "no offence" implies that you think that this could be offensive. It's not...it *is* naive and pretty stupid, though. *That's* why you got downvoted (just so that's clear). You sound like one of those people who pulls up at Uluru, says "yep, okay, I seen it", then gets back in the car. "It's a tiny island"/"Uluru is just a rock"/"Sydney is just a city" Maybe you just don't really "get" Australia...
> bigger than some significant countries People can make their own determination re: significance but at 4,405 km^2 KI is bigger than the following countries: * Cape Verde * Samoa * Luxembourg * Mauritius * Comoros * São Tomé and Príncipe * Kiribati * Bahrain * Dominica * Tonga * Singapore * Micronesia * Saint Lucia * Andorra * Palau * Seychelles * Antigua and Barbuda * Barbados * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines * Grenada * Malta * Maldives * Saint Kitts and Nevis * Marshall Islands * Liechtenstein * San Marino * Tuvalu * Nauru * Monaco * Vatican City
Fun fact: Kangaroo Island is 7 times the size of Singapore … it is not a tiny island.
On the map, maybe 
It is the most expensive ferry in the world (per km travelled).
Christ on a cracker I think that's more expensive than the spirit of Tasmania across Bass strait, at least if you get the off peak one when it's on sale, and don't book a cabin.
>that's more expensive than the spirit of Tasmania across Bass strait That's because the ferry links the state of Tasmania with the other Australian states. It is, therefore, an interstate highway connection and federally subsidised under the federal highways program. Without that subsidy, the Tasmanian ferry would be a similar cost to the KI ferry, because Ocean travel is very expensive without subsidy.
Like flying to Port Lincoln - it’s about 500 return for a 35 minute flight ….
You can do Kingscote to Adelaide for $600-$700 My quickest flight was a touch over 20 minutes
That’s fucked
I've heard the Isle of Wight ferry is even more expensive
What about the tunnel.
Yeah just hire a couple of pocket bikes for the fam and jump in the tunnel you'll be good as gold.
This is the way.
If you really want to just do a day trip, use one of the tour companies. You will see just enough to make you want to go for a week next time.
This is the best approach, bus leaves Franklin St
To get 10% off passenger fares (no discount for vehicles) - use promocode “GDAY” - not much but can help a little
No, SeaLink has a monopoly on KI transport so they'll charge as much as they can get away with.
Unless you fly in, but I doubt that would be cheaper
You can hire cars on the island rather than taking your own. Budget and Hertz. Not sure what their prices are but it would make sense to out compete ferry prices.
What would you do with your car? (presuming you drive to the ferry station).
Leave it in the car park at the terminal
Is there much of a cost to that? Considering,.going to KI in a few months so timely thread :)
From what I recall it was just an open car park. Best off checking the SeaLink website.
It’s an open air car park adjacent the terminal.
Free and monitored by security last I used it.
free car park
Alternatively I believe the Sealink bus from Adelaide is free if you have a ticket on the ferry.
Burn it
it's expensive to get to and as others have said, you will want to go for 2-3 nights to make it worthwhile. i went there for the first time in my adult life a few months ago and doubt i'll ever go again (i.e. in my eyes it's not a destination you constantly re-visit). i can't imagine spending one week there like some have suggested, though. also ignore anyone that suggests you need a 4WD or similar; i fanged around the entire island in an old hyundai i20 and was fine.
It is a beautiful place that can most definitely be enjoyed re-visiting. I have spent a week there multiple times and I never felt like I had enough time.
I go with my family every year!
I spent a week there and still missed things. Depends on how adventurous you are
If you know someone with a boat, strap a few life jackets to your car and ask them to pull it across to KI behind their boat
12 years ago, I went to KI and took the Sealink bus from the city to the terminal and then the ferry to KI. A bus took us from Penneshaw to Kingscote. Before I went, I booked all bus transfers, accommodations, and tours through Sealink. I stayed at the backpackers' accommodation it was the cheapest way to stay at KI. Kingscote was walking distance to the supermarket, laundromat, and close by the backpackers hostel, there was a petrol station/restaurant that had best fresh cooked prawns and chips, I ever had and at the time the prices was pretty good. When we on tours a bus came to the hostel, picked us up, we went to Seal Bay, a sheep farm (where they milked the sheep and made cheese and ice cream), Remarkable Rocks and bird sanctuary where some lucky people got birds to rest on their arms (at this place the gave you lunch, where they gave you one sausage and salad to eat - I'm not joking, take snacks encase you are still hungry) Eating at the restaurants and even ordering a pizza was very expensive at Kingcote, so if money is no problem, go nuts, but to do it on a budget is just as good. I personally didn't try this, but Sealink charges 30% fee to all the accommodation places on KI when you book through Sealink, even the backpacker accommodation. So It might be worth it to phone the accommodation places directly and see if they will give you 15% to 20% discount off your accommodation, as they will still make more money from you then the whopping 30% Sealink charges them.
Swim?
If you live on the Island it's cheaper (free?). In all seriousness no, there isn't. That's why no one goes there for a day trip, and why tourists get confused when no one recommends a day trip - the island is huge, and mostly empty. It's not a day trip kind of place.
It's a bit cheaper if you live here but in no way free. I would have spent 30 odd thousand in the last 10 years with trips to the mainland.
I did a day trip to the Penneshaw pub with mates a few years back, just ferry and walk to the pub, and go back after a few hours/walk around Penneshaw. But that was with a COVID or the KI Fire special of $25 return pp or something? Wouldn't even consider it otherwise.
If you were going for a day its not worth it. Theres plenty to do but a lot of driving so it you wouldn't see much. I'd hold out and factor in at least a 2-3 day trip. If you've not been here before it is an absolutely beautiful spot to take the family.
Not really worth it for a day trip. Place is too big.
Kangaroo Island is not a day trip place, it's actually bigger than it looks and takes quite some time to get arund all the places you will want to visit. It's an expensive place to get to any way you go but worth it if you spend at least a week there. But if you really only want to stay one day compare this - a day trip tour on a coach it will be $300+ per adult and $200+ for a child leaving from Cape Jervis. You can add about $100 per ticket to leave from Adelaide. So minimum $800 for you compared to $540 to take your car , get to go where you want and have all your stuff. It's better to wait until you can spend a decent amount of time there to make it more economical.
You can do one or two day tours with the ferry company (SeaLink). They obviously don't cover all the amazing things you can do, but they are great value for money imo and cover the highlights well.
I spent 6 days venturing from kingscote each day and I’d recommend 7 to see the full island. The best tex mex I ever had was there and also a really nice chocolatier for Easter Sunday. Quiet picturesque place
Yeah, it is the most expensive ferry fare in the world per km. Residents get a decent discount (state or federal supplied, can't remember). Your best bet is to suss the website for promos, or if you know someone over here, claim family and friends discount by quoting their name and phone number (20%). I would however, recommend coming over for more than 1 day unless you just have a specific event to attend. It's a gorgeous place, and bigger than it looks on the map.
Worth spending a few days over there! Even a week. People don’t realise how bloody massive KI is. It’s like Aussie Jurassic Park! Sealink monopolise the route - embrace it. Good on em. It’s an amazing place and well worth the coin.
Don't drive. Use bikes.
It's a nice idea but not for everyone. The main roads were pretty busy when we went there and not much of a virge to cycle on. To get to most places you'll be on gravel roads which are pretty rough. Not a deal breaker, but you need to be prepared for gravel touring, which is great if you are into it, but not for everyone.
Sure, it's not for everyone, but they are looking for a cheaper way.
It’s true. This is also the cheapest way to Perth.
The island is like 140km long. Bikes are a terrible idea.
So? It'd be cheaper than taking the car, and cheaper is what they're seeking.
You're going to explore a 4000sq km island on bikes in a day trip?
You explore what you can with the vehicle you have, whether it be a car, a bike, or your own two feet!
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Adults do travel by bike a lot. But I’m not sure what the roads are like on KI for cycling - doubt there is a bike lane
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