You need a little time to explore all the wildlife on KI - here are some hints in what to see and how that changes seasonally.

Dolphins are plentiful and if you are visiting in summer, a great way to see the north coast dolphins, even swim alongside them is to take a boat trip . It's an exhilarating experience. Beautiful pictures of these dolphins taken by local photographer Nikki Redman are here

If you are interested in  birds, perhaps on your first day, start  just up the road at Reeves Point. There is a sand spit there which is often covered with sea and shore birds of many types- it extends and shortens with the tide and a bird hide is in the grassy park on the edge of it. Reeves point is the site of the first settlement in South Australia.

There are many fresh water lagoons which are great  places to see birds, and because it has been a wet summer, there will be water in them. Here is a good guide to birding on KI http://birdlife.org.au/locations/birdlife-kangaroo-island/where-to-find-birds-on-kangaroo-island

With luck you should see echidnas on walks and koalas at the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. They are wild - it’s just that there is a row of their koala-favoured trees there, so you can usually see them.

Tammar wallabies are plentiful around Hanson Bay Wildlife Centre at dusk and also in the Rocky River area in the Flinders Chase National Park at dusk. There is a great Visitor Centre at Flinders Chase and the rangers there will tell you where these places are and make other suggestions. Cape Barren Geese( Rocky River), sea lions (Seal Bay) and New Zealand fur seals (Cape du Couedic) are plentiful at the west end of the Island - Cape de Couedic is a spectacular spot to sight seals.

On our Facebook page  we have posted about Rosenberg’s goannas which are pretty special! Do look out for termite mounds with fresh patches on your travels! The goannas lay their eggs in these termite mounds and seal up the tunnel. The mound keeps them at the right temperature to incubate. When the young emerge, they feast on the termites. A great resource is a booklet on KI wildlife from KI Natural Resources. A particularly great KI experience is to stay in one of the heritage listed properties in the national parks - that is a wonderful way to see wildlife. My favourites are the cottages at Cape Borda and May’s Cottage at Flinders Chase

I hope this is helpful. Exploring locally is great too: walking on the beach near  Island Chalet first thing in the morning or walking into Kingscote along the new path by the sea -  a lovely relaxing experience. And I do have a pair of superb blue wrens and of red-browed finches in the garden!