Honeymoon on Kangaroo Island - A Guide For Newlyweds

Is Kangaroo Island a great honeymoon destination?

If you and your other half are lovers of nature, then Kangaroo Island is calling your names. Start off your married life surrounded by an abundance of native wildlife, dramatic, sweeping coastlines, and grassy farmlands. 

It’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in once-in-lifetime experiences that will form into lasting memories of your early married days. Walk among the sea lions and watch as the mothers lay back while their pups play around them. Take a ride down the sand dunes of Little Sahara for some thrills and spills. Frolic in the lavender fields, or even swim with wild dolphins!

It’s also a foodie’s paradise, where you can indulge in local oysters and King George whiting, sample a ‘Chatter Platter’ from Millie Mae’s pantry, or taste some pure Ligurian-bee honey. 

When’s the best time to visit?

The perfect time of year to head to Kangaroo Island is during autumn, from about March to May. There’s still plenty of daylight hours, allowing you to get out and about and explore the stunning nature reserves, while enjoying the mild temperatures. 

Get out during the day and take off on bush walks and fishing without working up much of a sweat, or even head to the beach and enjoy the calmer waves that come with the season. At night, you can rug up as the temperature drops and feast on good food and wine. 

Naturally, the most popular season is summer, where the warmer weather offers up ample opportunity to spend your days working on a tan. Of course, it also comes with the biggest influx of tourists, which makes it harder to get around and see the sights.

Top attractions to visit

Surrounded by so much wildlife, it would be remiss not to venture around the island’s various wildlife parks and get up close and personal with many of its incredible creatures. These top attractions take you through the native flora and fauna from the area, with some culinary delights to settle back and enjoy at the end of a busy day. Get exploring!

Seal Bay Conservation Park

Just 45 minutes from Kangaroo Island’s main town, Kingscote, Seal Bay Conservation Park is a must-visit on your trip offering one of the most incredible nature-based experiences in the world.

Get up close and view sea lions in their natural habitat on a guided tour, where you can head right into the heart of their colony and learn all about these majestic creatures. Venture into the unspoiled wilderness, taking in the white sands, blue skies and unspoiled land. 

Prefer to go it alone? You can also take a self tour along their boardwalk which takes you through the limestone cliffs and dunes, offering up sweeping views of the coastline. 

Insider tip: be sure to book and pay online before your trip to ensure a spot on a tour and avoid disappointment. 

Raptor Domain

Passionate about birds? You will be after a visit to Raptor Domain. Head along to one of their daily presentations for an interactive, educational experience.

Most of their birds are rescued having been orphaned, injured or sick, and they are also home to many reptiles and critters from snakes and lizards to spiders and scorpions. 

Insider tip: it’s important to note that this isn’t a wildlife park that you can freely wander around. They are open for presentations only, including private encounters that can be booked ahead of time. For example, you have the opportunity to hold an eagle or an owl at the end of the presentation.

Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

The 5000-acre Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for its native bird and animal wildlife. Many are nocturnal, and if you venture around at dusk you will see koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, possums, echidnas, and more. The sanctuary is also a bird watcher’s paradise, with lorikeets, cockatoos, wrens, geese and more. 

They are open for guided tours only, so it helps to book in ahead of time. Hint: book a sunset tour to see the animals as they get out and about for the night. The Sanctuary is privately owned by Jim, who will take you around and impart his vast knowledge of the wildlife and how they were impacted by the 2020 fires. It’s a real eye-opener!

Clifford’s Honey Farm

Sweeten up your honeymoon with a delicious trip to Clifford’s Honey Farm run by Dave and Jenny Clifford. The farm-gate store was opened in 1993 and has been growing ever since.

Don’t miss Jenny’s famous honey ice-cream! You will also find honey drinks and biscuits, honey mead, candles, wax products and more. During your visit you can learn about beekeeping and the unique Ligurian bee that’s only found on Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park

This is one of the top attractions on Kangaroo Island with more than 600 animals and is a great day out hand-feeding kangaroos, cuddling up with koalas and watching the penguins waddle by.

This is a park that you can actually make your own way around, with plenty of activities to keep you busy. If you want a truly unique experience you can also book one of their private encounters and hold a cheeky marmoset, feed a serval, touch a reptile and plenty more.

Little Sahara

Ready to bring out your thrill seeking side? Little Sahara is known as Nature’s Playground, where you can experience it all. This naturally occurring inland dune field is 2.5 square kiolmetres with the tallest dune 70 metres above sea level.

It’s a privately owned site that was classed as a significant Australian Heritage Geological Monument in 1979. There’s so much to do while you’re there.

Head off on Fat Bike tours, join a Buggy tour, or simply take off on a guided walk around the area. You can also test your legs at sand boarding and tobogganing, feeling the rush as you race down the massive dunes. Simply choose the right tour for you!

Enchanted Fig Tree Dinner

Your honeymoon is the perfect opportunity to settle back and indulge. This dining experience is just what you need. The Enchanted Fig Tree is more than 120 years old, offering up an incredibly romantic canopy to dine under. 

Only open from November to April each year, with a new head chef taking over each season. Enjoy a cocktail and canapes on arrival, before settling into a delicious meal.

Emu Bay Lavender

This working lavender farm located in Emu Bay runs over 51 acres of land with about 7500 lavender plants growing there. 

The lavender is in full bloom in the summer months, which is the best time to make the trip. This is also when they begin harvesting, striping about 8000 bunches each year and distilling about 8 kilograms of essential oil used in their products. 

Head to their onsite store and stock up on their gorgeous products, or stop in at the cafe for local ciders and wines, washing down the delicious lavender scones.

Top day trips

While many tourists tend to make their way to Kangaroo Island as a day trip in itself from Adelaide, you have the perfect opportunity to do things a little differently and use this magical place as your base to explore the wider area in your own time.

Cape Jervis

Just two hours and a ferry ride down the road you will find yourself in Cape Jervis.This charming place is well-worth visiting for the day, exploring incredible nature and acting as the perfect getaway for venturing through some delicious wineries.

Head to Deep Creek Conservation Park and jump on one of their walking or biking routes to encounter flora and fauna and amazing rural views. Relax back on Morgan Beach sinking your toes into the pristine sand and sparkling waters. You can also visit Rapid Bay Beach, which is home to some unique rock formations that have been forming for millions of years.

Venture up to Cape Jervis Lighthouse and marvel at the stunning architecture. Before you head back to Kangaroo Island, be sure to head to one of their local restaurants to taste a drop from the local wineries nearby.

Victor Harbour

On the hunt for more stunning, coastal views? Beeline for Victor Harbour, where you can take a horse-drawn tram to Granite Island and explore the penguin colony there. 

If you’re visiting during the months of May and October, you might find yourself lucky enough to spot some migrating whales in the water. You may just prefer to jump in the water yourself! Victor Harbour is known for its great surf, with fabulous beaches like Parsons, Waitpinga and more.

McLaren Vale

Travel a little further afield and find yourself in the home of wine growing. If you love your wines, then this is the day trip for you, right in the heart of the South Australian wine industry. 

The area is home to more than 80 cellar doors and vineyards, and dotted with some incredible restaurants for you to sample the local produce. You can walk or cycle along the Shiraz trail and discover some of the best drops in the region, stopping at Wirra Wirra, Primo Estate and more. 

Don’t miss d’Arenberg winery, which is home to The Cube, an amazing structure that is designed after an unfinished Rubik’s cube, with the Museum of Alternate Realities housed within along with a tasting floor. 

Adelaide

Finally, why not venture to Adelaide for the day and check out some of the sights on offer. Head to the Adelaide Botanic Garden, check out the many galleries, take their Heritage walk and discover its history, or get your shopping on at the Adelaide Central Markets and Rundle Mall. 

Stay into the evening and check out the restaurants and nightlife in the area, immersing yourself in its arts, music, wine and delicious food.

Of course, a day trip may not do this capital justice, so you might need to plan to spend a night or two here to truly see everything on offer.

How long do you need to spend on Kangaroo Island on Honeymoon?

You could simply take a day tour to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide and see a couple of its famous sights and natural habitats on offer. Of course, if you want the true experience, it helps to factor in a little more time.

Kangaroo Island is the perfect spot to base yourself for your honeymoon, while exploring not only the island, but its surroundings as well. Five to seven days is a great space of time to check out all the attractions and take on a couple of day trips beyond the island as well.

Saving for your Honeymoon trip

A week spent in Kangaroo Island will set you back about $3,500 as a couple. This includes the ferry ride to get you over to the island, accommodation and food. On top of this, you will need to organise your flights to South Australia, as well as transport to help you get around.

Have we given you the Aussie travel bug? We can help with that!

Our Australia Honeymoon Packages and Itineraries are a great place to start or Contact Us to discuss a bespoke honeymoon itinerary developed with our expert travel consultants.