Kingscote: A complete travel guide to visiting Kangaroo Island

Kingscote is the biggest town on Kangaroo Island but there’s another reason to make the trip to this great town.

Welcome to Don’t Delay Your Stay, news.com.au’s campaign to support communities hard hit by this summer’s devastating bushfires. Many of these regions rely on tourism so one of the best ways to help is to visit and spend time in some of the most beautiful parts of our great country.

The largest town on Kangaroo Island, Kingscote sits on Nepean Bay and is home to the island’s airport, making it a popular base for tourists.

Hungry? There’s lots of great places to fix that.

For good coffee, always go where the locals go. In this case, it’s Cactus, where you’ll find smooth coffee, meals that celebrate local produce, local wines and beer and freshly-baked treats.

Cactus Kangaroo Island on Kangaroo Island. Picture: Meaghan Coles

Or, sit down for an authentic Italian feast of pizza, homemade pasta and Italian charcuterie at Amadio Wines Cellar Door, paired with a local drop or one from their Adelaide Hills vineyard.

Wash it all down with a local brew from Kangaroo Island Brewery, the island’s first cellar door microbrewery. Offering excellent food and eight different craft beers, you can find a spot on their eight hectare property and relax.

Bay of Shoals Wines on Kangaroo Island. Picture: Meaghan Coles

If wine is more your taste, the area is home to a number of vineyards, including Bay of Shoals Wines, where the vines are hand pruned and the grapes hand picked. Overlooking the Bay of Shoals and Reeves Point, the grapes are grown in true maritime climates – something that’s reflected in the wine’s intense varietal flavours.

Pay a morning visit to Island Beehive and learn about Ligurian bees – Kangaroo Island was declared a sanctuary for the docile insect in 1885, in order to protect its purity. Take a guided tour, enjoy free tastings of organic honey and have morning tea at the cafe.

Island Beehive on Kangaroo Island. Picture: Meaghan Coles

The Kangaroo Island Art Gallery in the town’s centre showcases a diverse range of local art. All work is done by members of the Kangaroo Island Art Society and visitors can view and purchase jewellery, paintings, photography, glasswork and woodcraft. Just north of Kingscote, at the mouth of Nepean Bay is Busby Islet and the Busby Islet Conservation Park. The small nature reserve is home to pelicans and penguins is a must-see for bird lovers.

Kingscote Jetty on Kangaroo Island. Picture: Greg Snell, Tourism Australia

If your idea of an island escape is lounging on long stretches of white sand and looking out at sparkling waters, drive 15 minutes down the road and park yourself by the ocean at Emu Bay.

While there, make sure you pay a visit to Emu Ridge, the only remaining commercial eucalyptus oil distillery in South Australia, and a major part of Kangaroo Island’s heritage.

Spend a night (or two) at the Ozone Hotel on Kingscote’s foreshore, an ideal base for your Kangaroo Island visit.