Exploring the foodie scene on Kangaroo Island.
Kangaroo Island is a destination with an emerging wine and food scene. In a place recovering from drought and devastating bushfires, there has never been a better time to visit this special place off the coast of South Australia.
If you have visited Kangaroo Island, you’ll know how unique the landscape and wildlife is. But the disastrous bushfires of January 2020 dealt a cruel blow to an island just recovered from years of crippling drought. Despite the devastation caused at the time, Kangaroo Island still has so much to offer intrepid travellers who value wild places, wildlife and a burgeoning foodie & wine scene. Spending 4 days on the island like we did is not quite enough – you’d be better taking a full week to fully appreciate the rugged coastal wilderness, coastal walks, gorgeous wildlife and the thriving wine and food options on offer.
Kangaroo Island is easily accessible by air (35 minutes direct to Kingscote from Adelaide) or by Sealink car ferry – a 45 minute one way journey from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw, after a 1hr 45 minute drive from Adelaide. Car hire options available at the airport and ferry terminal cover all types of independent travellers. Accommodation options are varied from backpackers digs to your classic Aussie motels all the way up to luxury villas. Many small B&Bs are dotted around the island in the small townships – pretty much anywhere on the east end of the island is an ideal base on such an accessible island.
Starting from the more populous eastern end of the Island, a trip to beautiful Pennington Bay is also your morning coffee stop. The Beach Barista caravan which alternates between here and Island Beach, is rated best coffee on the island by locals and tourists alike – my travelling companions can confirm the coffee was on par with offerings in coffee-snob-central Melbourne. Stop to inhale the fresh sea air while sipping your latte and nibbling on your cake, then take a leisurely walk along this pretty white sandy beach – mandatory sand-between-your-toes moment.
Our research on the wineries of KI brought us to Dudley Wines on the north east peninsula of the island. Nestled in a narrow valley with stunning views across Backstairs Passage to the mainland, the winery serves tasting paddles to enjoy with a grazing board on the outside deck, a par 1 one hole golf ‘course’ and their well-stocked shop sells locally made woollen clothing, artworks by KI locals and artisan food products. The views are expansive and the wines delightful from this pioneer winery run by 5th generation Islanders.
For a bit of fun and some take-home treats and souvenirs, stop in at Clifford’s Honey Farm and Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil distillery. At Clifford’s you’ll learn about the unique Ligurian bees and their role in the history of Kangaroo Island, see a queen mesmerising her worker bees with her dance moves, and have the chance to taste and purchase some delicious varieties of honey – spread on your warm buttery toast at your accommodation or back home and it will transport you back to the heart of the hive. At Emu Ridge you’re often greeted by the friendly locals – macropods the island is named after often hang around the front door for treats and pats (but mostly treats). Once you squeeze past them, inside you’ll find a café, shop, ice-cream shop and cider tasting. The potent scent of eucalyptus permeates the building and you’ll be hard pressed not to purchase some proprietary Eucalyptus Oil, Eucalyptus oil soap, moisturiser or wonder cream. Make sure to read up on the history of Emu Ridge and how this unique industry was established on the Island.
Heading further west, an obligatory stop at Seal Bay Conservation Park takes you south off the South Coast Road to picturesque Seal Bay. From the visitor centre, there is the option for a self-guided walk on the boardwalks or to participate in a ranger-guided walk down onto the beach. We didn’t do the latter but I would recommend it – experienced knowledge from these rangers provides a fascinating insight into the life of the local wild sea lion colony. These pinnipeds lounge around on the white sand, flop into the water, with pups nuzzling into their mother’s side for comfort and milk and males noisily jostling for beach space.
A stop at the unassuming yet always busy Vivonne Bay general store is worthwhile for their renown fish & chips. The combo of a weathered picnic bench, random pesky flies, that heady aroma of salt and vinegar, battered fish and crispy chips spread over butcher’s paper – you could be anywhere coastal across our amazing country.
On the northern side of the island is Emu Bay Lavender Farm – where you’ll find picturesque and instagrammable rows of purple lavender in bloom over the summer, a delicious breakfast/brunch menu and a fragrant array of lavender inspired products to purchase.
While food options are restricted to cafes and visitor centres on the rugged wild western end of the Island, you can easily spend a good day exploring this area – the iconic Admiral’s Arch and Remarkable Rocks (they really are) are not to be missed. Also Kelly Hill Caves, Cape Borda Lighthouse and the stunning recovering forested areas of the Flinders Chase National Park are must sees.
In addition to Dudley Wines in the east, Kangaroo Island is blessed with a number of wineries, 2 breweries and one Gin distillery to delight the palate and relax the mind (and fill the car boot…) Kangaroo Island Brewery in Kingscote is a popular micro-brewery famous for its ales, best enjoyed outside on a warm afternoon with a competitive game of finska underway, while watching the sun set below the rural horizon. Also known for pizza nights, ploughman’s boards and friendly staff, the Brewery is a great place to spend an afternoon.
The Islander Estate Vineyards in Cygnet River unfortunately lost their French style vineyard plantings in the bushfires of 2020, but their cellar door is a small and quiet oasis to taste previous vintage releases and purchase a make-your-own cheeseboard to share under the shady trees around the building.
Sadly the cellar door at Kangaroo Island Estate Wines is closed due to bushfire damage, but their online shop is open for sales of past vintages.
A visit to Kangaroo Island is not complete without stopping by Kangaroo Island Spirits in Cygnet River – where you can taste all manner of contemporary botanical gins at their cellar door, as well as vodka and liqueurs. Not all gins are served with tonic as we discovered – each of us tasting a different gin, mixer and garnish combo (cinnamon or chilli anyone?) Sipping on gin and listening to live music is not an unpleasant way to spend an afternoon on Island time.
Even though it is currently closed until our Australian spring, a booking at one Chef Hat restaurant Sunset Food and Wine in Hog Bay is highly recommended. Serving modern Australian food with top quality produce sourced from Kangaroo Island and South Australia, this relaxed bistro also boasts an impressive international wine menu. The food and wine passion of their staff was palpable, and their degustation menu would mix it with the best in Melbourne or Sydney – in fact the well credentialled head chef & owner trained with Shannon Bennett at Vue Du Monde in Melbourne.
There has never been a better time to visit Kangaroo Island than now, to support the communities and small businesses as they rebuild after the devastation of the bushfires in 2020 and contend with a severe downturn in international tourists to the Island because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Spending time on Kangaroo Island is a veritable treat for the senses – the sights & sounds of the wilderness, wildlife & wild ocean, the touch of an inquisitive kangaroo, the natural aroma of eucalyptus and most importantly the huge variety of tastes that await you on this incredibly special island.
So have you visited this amazing Island? If not – when are you planning your trip to Kangaroo Island?
*Disclaimer: the author encourages her readers not to drink and drive – enjoy your alcohol responsibly. All links were current at time of posting – no responsibility is taken for closed venues or discontinued sites.