Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island reopens after devastating fires
Kangaroo Island’s iconic sea lion beach has reopened to the public following the bushfires, with Admiral’s Arch and Remarkable Rocks in the devastated Flinders Chase National Park set to follow.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- How the fire tore across Kangaroo Island in 24 hours
- Get the most out of your Advertiser subscription
Seal Bay – one of the few places in the world where people can walk among sea lions – will re-open today after the Kangaroo Island fires.
Environment Minister David Speirs said it was “great news” that the fire danger had eased enough to allow the iconic destination to open to the public.
Seal Bay is located on the southern coast of the island, which was hit late last week by fires which had ravaged the western and northern sides over two weeks.
“Seal Bay has been at the heart of Kangaroo Island for generations and has evolved to become a world-class tourist attraction,” said Mr Speirs.
“It is one of the only places in the world where visitors are able to enter a wild colony of around 1000 Australian sea lions – one of the rarest species in the world.”
Mr Speirs said the Department for Environment and Water was working on creating safe access to other tourism attractions it managed along the southern coast.
This included the Kelly Hills Cave, Cape du Couedic, Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks in the Flinders Chase National Park.
MORE NEWS
New chief appointed to lead fire response
Fight fire with fire, green boss says
The park was devastated by a huge fire started by lightning strikes in a remote northwestern corner within a ravine named by French navigator Nicholas Baudin — Ravine des Coasars.
The fire swept down through the park, destroying thousands of hectares of native vegetation and its visitors centre.
It then shifted east and wiped out the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat, Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and luxury Southern Ocean Lodge at Hanson Bay.
Mr Speirs, who is touring tourist attractions destroyed or damaged by the fire, said operators wanted people to know that most of them were still open for business.
Pictures by Ross Evans, Natural Resources Kangaroo Island
“As a major tourism operator on Kangaroo Island, the department and I know first-hand how important tourism is to regional communities and that the support of visitors and tourists will be vital now more than ever,” he said.
“I encourage anyone considering a holiday to make Kangaroo Island a priority.”
Mr Speirs said parks and other tourism sites damaged by the fire would be reopened “as soon as it is safe and practical to do so, even if this is with pop-up temporary infrastructure”.
Pictures by Ross Evans, Natural Resources Kangaroo Island
“A safe corridor will soon be created allowing visitors to travel from Kelly Hill Caves to Cape du Couedic, Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rock within Flinders Chase National Park,” he said.
Mr Speirs said the department was exploring what tourism opportunities could be expanded on the eastern end of the island, which had been left unscathed.
“We also view this disaster as an opportunity to re-imagine facilities in our damaged parks, so that park services and facilities are even better in future,” he said.
