Sealink ferries cancelled as wild weather rolls in ahead of Kangaroo Island’s Gutsy festival

Ferries to one of SA’s most popular tourist spots have been suspended due to wild weather, throwing long weekend travel into chaos.

Sealink announced Friday Kangaroo Island ferries would not run with strong winds and high swell forcing the cancellation of the four KI to mainland return trips.

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Wild weather has cut access to one of South Australia’s most popular tourist destinations, ahead of the long weekend.

Holiday makers hoping to head to the island for the annual food and wine festival, Gutsy Kangaroo Island, have been told all ferry trips have been cancelled for Friday.

In a statement posted to their website, Sealink said the cancellations were “unfortunate” but conditions were “deteriorating” with increasing wind and significant swells.

The ferry operator said forecasts and conditions for Saturday would be monitored, but there was a “high potential for disruptions”.

“A decision regarding … sailings will be made at check-in at the terminal,” the website stated.

A further update was expected on Saturday morning.

The ferry operator said forecasts and conditions for Saturday would be monitored with a further update on services due Friday afternoon.

It comes as strong winds and rain lashed Kangaroo Island on Friday with a gale warning in place for the Gulf of St Vincent and Investigator Strait.

Gutsy Kangaroo Island is described as a drinking and eating event celebrating “the determination and brilliance of the Island’s producers” with events scheduled from Friday to Sunday.

Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly said while it was disappointing for event organisers, accommodation operators and holiday-makers that ferries from the mainland had been cut, Islanders were conditioned to expect travel challenges.

“It’s going to be a hiccup, but you live on an island you expect these things,” he said.

“It’s disappointing for the people who put events on because it’s the long weekend, the last one before the October weekend where you get any number of visitors to come over.

“The locals will still go, they’ll support it but I feel for the accommodation providers who have a heap of cancellations.

However, Mr Pengilly said preferred to look through the gloomy skies and see the bright side and celebrated much-needed rain for farmers and the environment, perhaps helping to break up the state’s current toxic algae bloom event.

“I hope (the farmers) on the mainland are getting some of this rain too,” he said.

“And, it will be good for busting up the algal bloom even more, so that’s a positive.”

The Kangaroo Island Netball Association junior representative teams are set to compete in the State Country Championship but Mr Pengilly said he understood a number of players were able to get over on a ferry yesterday.

Qantas flights to Kangaroo Island were still operating as on Friday morning.

Originally published as Sealink ferries cancelled as wild weather rolls in ahead of Kangaroo Island’s Gutsy festival