Kangaroo Island is Australia’s place of plenty. The name of the island has become synonymous with extraordinary wildlife, stunning coastal scenery and a leisurely pace of life enjoyed by just 5,000 residents.

1. Drink in the Scenery

Distilleries, cellar doors and breweries are springing up all over the east of KI (a dozen at the last count). KI Spirits has really made a name for itself in the last ten years, winning international awards for tipples layered with local botanicals; Kangaroo Island Brewery operates out of a gorgeous old shed; and the island’s six cellar doors blend their wines with intimate bush settings and eye-opening cliff-top locales.

2. Experience the Enchanted Fig Tree

Dine within the twisted limbs and dappled canopy of a 120-year-old fig tree, one of the country’s most magical eating experiences. The menu is imagined from KI’s history, the island environment and fig mythology. Catch it while you can: the ‘living restaurant’ in Middle River is only open while the tree is in leaf.

3. Behold, Remarkable Rocks!

Located high on a cliff in Flinders Chase National Park, this compelling cluster of curved and jagged rocks were worn smooth by wind and waves over 500 million years. The natural forms are like huge sculptures facing out to the Southern Ocean; they’re also very much loved by photographers.

4. Walk Among the Sea Lions

A classic misnomer, Seal Bay is home to a breeding colony of endangered Australian sea lions – up to 800 of them in a good year. Join one of the regular guided tours onto the sand to where 350-kilogram males square up, and pups scamper after their mothers. The animals can also be seen from the boardwalk that descends into this spectacular amphitheatre of rock, sand and sea.

5. Surf the Dunes of Little Sahara

The field of dunes in Little Sahara rises to some 70 metres above sea level; from the top of the tallest dune, it feels like you’re standing on a four-storey building. At the entrance to the dune area, you’ll find the Little Sahara Adventure Centre where you can hire special toboggans and sandboards. You’ll need a little knowledge and a bit of beeswax (both supplied at the centre), but it won’t be long before you’re zipping down the dunes and shredding the sands. Huge fun.

Read dueSouth Magazine here.