Page 59 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Winter/Spring 2025

PHOTOS: SOUTH AUSTRALIAN TOURISM COMMISSION | TOURISM AUSTRALIA | ELYSSA KREHER
After the Wildfires
Wildfires in 2019 and 2020 burned almost
half of Kangaroo Island. News reports of
the tragedy seared devastating images
into our consciousness. We weren’t sure
what we’d find four years later, so we were
thrilled to discover that wildlife has
recovered and flora is flourishing.
Explore the Kangaroo
Island Sculpture Trail
We reach Kangaroo Island by ferry, as
most people do, arriving in the tiny town
of Penneshaw, population 269, where we
check into our glamping tent at Seafront
Holiday Park. Meandering through the
natural dune landscape directly behind
our tent is the 1.5-kilometre Sculpture
Trail. It leads us up short, steep slopes,
across a deep ravine on a swing bridge,
and around native shrubs and trees, some
hundreds of years old.
Along the way, we stop to admire more
than a dozen sculptures, some crafted
from natural materials, others created
from strong, durable metal. Resilience,
made from steel and bronze and illumi-
nated with LED lighting at night, captures
the strength of the Kangaroo Island com-
munity in general, while Remembering
Dick & Clayton speaks directly to the loss
of two islanders in the wildfires.
Alive with bird song, the hum of bees,
and those shy wallabies, the hard-packed
earth trail is a sculpture in itself, one with
poetic form, as a dozen haikus, written by
a local poet, sit along it, demanding we
pause, read and think.
Elyssa Kreher, one of the volunteers
behind the project, tells me later the trail
is meant to be an artistic reflection of the
island, allowing visitors “to slow (down),
to feel present.”
Sleep in Nature
Accommodations on Kangaroo Island
reflect the importance of the natural
world to locals. From the curved walls of
the newly rebuilt Southern Ocean Lodge
(the original one was destroyed in the fire)
to the minimalist aesthetic of our
glamping tent that billows in the breeze at
night, it’s easy to find a place where the
wind or waves will lull you to sleep.
The Sights Delight
Driving around Kangaroo Island is
delightful—whether it’s on the paved two-
lane highways, the numerous dirt roads
that locals travel at surprising speeds, or
Remarkable Rocks
Will Rock You
In Flinders Chase National Park,
discover what 500 million years of wind,
rain and waves created from granite
boulders. The strangely shaped boulders,
some orange with lichen, sit atop a flat
rock, as if placed by a giant sculptor’s
hand for an outdoor gallery.
on hard-packed white sand beaches. Yes,
it’s legal to drive on beaches, park and go
for a swim! Across the island, our jaunts
take us through countless “tunnels” cre-
ated by towering narrow-leaved mallee, a
type of eucalyptus tree. At Clifford’s Honey
Farm, we learn that Kangaroo Island’s
Ligurian bees, imported from Italy in 1884,
are now the purest in the world. At
Islander Estate Vineyards, we sip wines
from a fifth generation Bordeaux wine-
maker who fell in love with the island.
And at Cape Willoughby Lighthouse we
enjoy panoramic views across Backstairs
Passage to the mainland.
One day we let tour guide (and children’s
book author) Becky Westbrook of Kangaroo
Island Touring Company do the driving so
we can enjoy the views and spot wildlife.
“There’s a mob over there,” Becky says,
pointing to a group of 30 or 40 western
grey kangaroos. At Seal Bay, sea lions doze
in the sand as waves crash against the
shoreline. Near Flinders Chase National
Park, we crane our necks for my most
anticipated experience. High in the tree
tops of a manna gum, a koala sleeps, eyes
closed, the branch she holds rocking
gently in the wind. The scene is a lullaby
come to life.
DS
TRAVEL PLANNER
Everything you need to know,
including how to get there:
tourkangarooisland.com.au
WINTER/SPRING 2025 DREAMSCAPES 59