In mid November I spent five days cycling and camping on Kangaroo Island. Having lived in Adelaide for 35 years, to my shame, I had never visited the island – despite its closeness to Adelaide and, at least in recent years, its easy accessibility. I recently purchased a new bike for touring, a Bike Friday. I had tested its transportability in public transport (it passed with flying colours) but had not done a tour with the bike fully loaded with camping gear. Kangaroo Island beckoned. I could see something of the island while putting the bike through its paces as a pack horse, and also find out how it would perform on some of the island’s famed gravel roads.
I had a great time. Lovely scenery, almost empty roads, great camping spots and some congenial fellow travellers. While I enjoy having company on bike tours, I am finding that travelling by myself provides different sorts of experiences, equally enjoyable. As I cycled along enjoying the wild flowers and the lack of traffic I wondered why there are not more cyclists touring the island, so here is some information that may just encourage a few more to give it a go. It really is a cyclist’s paradise, whether you prefer smooth roads (that’s me) or like to see the wild and beautiful parts of the island that need a mountain bike and lots of stamina.
The following is drawn from my own experience and from available tourist information. My five days enabled me to see only a part of the island, so until I return to complete the circuit this is not complete. My route took me from the ferry terminal at Penneshaw to American River, to Vivonne Bay, back to Kingscote, to American River and to Penneshaw for the return ferry trip to the mainland.
General Information
Time required: Ten days to 2 weeks allows you to do a circuit of the island and visit most of the scenic spots. If you are a hard rider you could do it in a week. However if you have only a few days it is quite possible to combine cycling with a bus sight- seeing tour. These run every day.
Roads: The main roads are sealed but almost all other roads are not. Kangaroo Island has always had a reputation for the stony and corrugated surfaces of the roads – no doubt the reason why the island has not been a popular cycling destination. Most of the wild coastal areas are accessible only by rough roads.
The main road between Penneshaw and Kingscote has a shoulder most of the way. Traffic is comparatively light but you will encounter cattle trucks and service vans – not to mention the ubiquitous 4 wheel drives. Generally the island is blissfully free of heavy traffic. Most visitors see the island by tour bus. The South Coast Rd is particularly beautiful with wild flowers in spring and early summer, hardly any traffic and a pleasantly undulating terrain. The island is not flat but apart from the hill out of Penneshaw it does not present too much of a challenge. There are enough hills to make the ride interesting.
Bicycle: If you stick to the main roads and the better gravel roads, a regular touring bike is fine. To do a circuit of the island you can’t avoid a stretch of about 20km of dirt road connecting the Playford Highway through Parndana with the South Coast Rd. This should be OK on a touring bike with reasonable width tires, and no problem on a mountain bike. A mountain bike is essential if you want to explore the more remote areas. My little Bike Friday with its 20 inch wheels and heavy load on the back was a bit skittish on the 12km of quite good gravel on Willsons Rd that connects the Penneshaw – Kingscote Rd with the South Coast Rd. I would not recommend a small wheeled bike unless you stay on the bitumen.
Maps: The best map is the 1:285,000 RAA map of the South Australian Regional Map Series. This is available free from the Royal Automobile Association in South Australia or other state motoring organisations if you are a member of an Australian or overseas motoring organisation or you can purchase one for $4.95 from the South Australian Tourist Commission at King William St, Adelaide. The Tourist Commission publication, ‘Kangaroo Island’ in the Secrets series available for free) has a reproduction of the RAA map inside the front cover. This would be quite adequate. If you can find a copy, the out of print SA Cycle Route map of the island contains a lot of information about the island.
Accommodation: There are plenty of places to stay. Kangaroo island is awash with all kinds of accommodation from the luxurious resort to the most basic camping site. Tourism has taken over from sheep as the main industry and tourists are well catered for. There are self-contained B&B cottages in all parts of the island. You would probably need to book these, especially in the holidays. There are accommodation listings in the above mentioned guide to Kangaroo Island with web addresses. The Gateway Visitor Information Centre in Penneshaw (1km from the ferry terminus on the Kingscote Rd) is very helpful and can make bookings.
Budget Accommodation: Apart from camping this is fairly limited, unless you are a group that can rent out a whole cottage. However, together with camping or the occasional more expensive place, there is enough to enable you to get around the island.
Hostels: The only YHA hostel is at Penneshaw at 33 Middle Terrace. Take the road to the left as you leave the ferry. Ph 08 8553 1344
Straight up the hill behind the pizza shop on the main street is a Backpackers Hostel, however the rumour is that this is likely to close in the near future.
Dormitory accommodation is available at Flinders Chase Farm on the West End Highway. They also have cabins for $50.00 a night. Ph 08 8559 7223
Timber Creek Lodge on the Playford Highway 30kms west of Kingscote has dormitory accommodation as well as double and Twin share rooms. Ph 08 8559 5000.
Camping: Caravan Parks at Penneshaw, Kingscote and Flinders Chase. These have the usual facilities.
There are several camping areas on council reserves which are ideal for cyclists, unless you absolutely have to have a hot shower every day. The cost is minimal, about $4.00 a night. The facilities vary.
Browns Beach camping area is just off the main road 12km south of Penneshaw. It has toilets and a water tank but no tap that I could find, so you would need to take your own water. Covered area with tables and seats.
American River camping area is a lovely spot near the jetty on Tangarra Drive. Toilets, tank water, cold showers and a covered picnic area.
For these two camps you need to get a permit, available from the Information Centre in Penneshaw.
Vivonne Bay has toilets, water and barbecue area but no showers. There is an on site caretaker who collects the fees. Right near the southern Ocean.
These are the camping places accessible by bitumen road. For the more adventurous on mountain bikes, there are several others on the wilder parts of the coast, at Cape Gantheaume Conservation Park, Flinders Chase National Park, West Bay, Antechamber Bay and Western River.
Food Supplies: Small supermarkets at Penneshaw, American River, Kingscote, Parndana and Vivonne Bay. Kingscote has a bakery and butcher and excellent coffee.
Western KI Caravan Park has a shop with basic supplies – bread, milk, meat, tinned and packaged goods.
Penneshaw and Kingscote have takeaway, restaurant and pub meals. Pub meals are also available at Parndana.
14kms east of Vivonne Bay, just when you are wondering how many more kms there are to go, in the midddle of nowhere, is the Kaiwarra Food Barn, where you can get a very welcome milkshake or coffee and cake. They cater mainly for bus tours.
Getting There: From Cape Jervis ( on the south western tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula) the ferry will get you and your bike across to the island in less than an hour. Get there about half an hour before the ferry is due to depart.. The return fare is $75 for cyclist and bike. You just wheel your bike onto the car deck and they will tie it up for you.
Getting to Cape Jervis: You can cycle from Adelaide in two days with an overnight stop at Normanville, or if you are fit you can do it in a day. Its a scenic route, but take care, the road, particularly from Normanville is very winding and without a shoulder. It gets quite busy with traffic to and from the ferry. Lots of 4 wheel drives and tourist buses.
If you have a car the best way is to drive to Cape Jervis where you can leave your car in the public car park at your own risk, or for $5 a day you car park it in a secure fenced area. Ask at the kiosk.
Sealink (the Ferry operators) run a bus that connects with the ferry. Check with them whether they will take a bike.
The ferry departs Cape Jervis daily at 9.00am and 6.00pm, however there are extra trips at 12.00pm and 3.00pm according to demand. You need to check these with Sealink, ph 131301 when you book. Bookings are essential, either directly or through a travel agent.
The ferry returns from Penneshaw at 8.30am and 4.30, again with extra crossings when required.