Kangaroo Island South Coast Wilderness Walk
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Kangaroo Island South Coast Wilderness Walk

Walk the wild south coast of Kangaroo Island — the exposed Southern Ocean coastline of dramatic limestone cliffs, hidden beaches, and coastal heath that remained unchanged through two centuries of European occupation of the island's gentler north.

  1. 1

    Hanson Bay Beach

    Hanson Bay on the south coast combines wildlife sanctuary with a wild ocean beach — the walk from the koala-rich woodland to the exposed beach shows Kangaroo Island's characteristic contrast between the sheltered koala forest and the raw ocean edge.

  2. 2

    D'Estrees Bay

    D'Estrees Bay is a remote south coast beach where Australian sea lions sometimes haul out — the bay takes its name from a French ship that explored the area in 1803 under Baudin, the same expedition that named Kangaroo Island for the animals they found there.

  3. 3

    Bales Beach

    Bales Beach is a remote south coast beach accessible by a dirt track through coastal mallee — the windswept white sand and the power of the Southern Ocean swell create a wilderness beach experience with no facilities and often no other visitors.

  4. 4

    South Coast Road Scenic Drive

    The South Coast Road passes through unbroken native vegetation for much of its length — the mallee scrub, coastal heath, and occasional cliff views represent the Kangaroo Island that existed before European settlement and still defines the island's wild core.

  5. 5

    Maupertuis Bay Sandstone Cliffs

    The sandstone cliffs above Maupertuis Bay show the stratified rock layers of the island's geological history — the coastal cliff walk above the bay demonstrates the power of the Southern Ocean in the wave-cut platforms and sea caves at the base.

  6. 6

    Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park

    Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park on the south coast protects a large tract of native vegetation and 30 km of wild coastline — the park's walking trails through coastal heath give access to clifftop views and the occasional sighting of the endangered Glossy Black-Cockatoo.

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