Kangaroo Island will be home to new glamping tents and new marina apartments

A tourism company wants to build 20 luxury camping tents along a lake at one SA’s favourite holiday destinations. Just don’t ask for an extended stay.

Kangaroo Island will welcome inflatable “glamping” tents in a new tourist site if planning applications are approved.

NSW tourism company Gobell Group has applied to build 20 luxury tents built along the edge of Salt Lagoon lake at Pelican Lagoon.

The site includes 20 glamping tents on top of a wooden deck as well as shared toilets, bathrooms and barbecue area.

The remainder of the site will be used as a tourist park subject to future development.

Made from inflatable PVC, each tent, which are 4.5m high, can host two adults.

Guests will not be allowed to stay for longer than 10 days.

Images of proposed accommodation and jetty at Kangaroo Island have been released with an application to build submitted to Planning SA.

The plans come after the announcement of a new 4-star accommodation set to open at Christmas Cove the island by the end of the year.

The $1.4 million Cove Landing Marina Apartments will boast three two-bedroom apartments – complete with undercover parking, Wi-Fi, ethernet, a 30kw solar system and electric vehicle charging stations.

Artist impression of Cove Landing Marina Apartments. Picture: Supplied

The accommodation is close to shops and is only a five-minute walk from the Penneshaw ferry dock and a 35 minute drive from the local airport.

The apartments, with views of both Backstairs Passage and the Christmas Cove Marina, will be available for extended stays and short term getaways.

The project is lead by developers Susan Craig and Mark Simpkin and is being built by Kauppila Pty Ltd and AL Assist Pty Ltd.

Ms Craig said the project is “partially supported with a grant through the state government’s Tourism Industry Development Fund” and will support “the increasing demand for quality holiday accommodation on Kangaroo Island”.

The marina will be on view from the 4-star accommodation. Picture: Supplied.

Ms Craig said the Tourism Optimisation Management Model (TOMM) from 2020 to 2021 showed $239 million of revenue from people visiting the island, surpassing the budgeted $199 million for 2025.

“This growth further supports the need for high quality tourist accommodation on Kangaroo Island, and with tourism providing one in every two jobs on the Island, is also driving significant employment and economic growth,” she said.

Cove Landing is conveniently located only a 5 minute walk from the Pennyshaw ferry dock. Picture: Supplied

Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said the new accommodation will help to recover Kangaroo Island’s visitor economy “which contributes $161 million to the state”.

“It is fantastic to be adding new and improved accommodation to Kangaroo Island – a region which is world-renowned,” she said.

“Kangaroo Island is on the minds of travellers globally, having recently topped coveted lists such as ‘Australia’s Best Beach’ and making the top 10 of New York Times’ 52 places to go.”

Cove Landing Marina Apartments is expected to open in late 2023.