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Featured Wildlife Journeys

  • Tammar Wallaby

  • Australian Sea-lion

  • Short-beaked Echidna

  • Kangaroo Island Kangaroo

  • Glossy Black Cockatoo

Exceptional Kangaroo Island

Exceptional Kangaroo Island

After 30 years of operation, the team at Exceptional Kangaroo Island provide wildlife encounters which leverage knowledge gained through years of observation as well as published research. Guides tell stories about wildlife in a community and landscape context as they are part of the Island community and share their knowledge, sense of place and relationships with their fellow Islanders through a series of conversations and exchanges, rather than through a commentary.

Customer interest in well interpreted wildlife encounters, warm and welcoming hosting and the emergence of a dynamic local produce scene ultimately resulted in a brand promise of 'good food, good wine and wildlife in the wild'.

Specific departures target experiences of interests including birdwatching, wildflowers, photography or more human elements such as interacting with local artists and wildlife researchers.

Eco Certified AdvancedAs part of our commitment to sustainability we have developed a Code Of Practice relating to our wildlife interactions which is available for your reference. We have also sought independent verification of our practices through Ecotourism Australia. Our Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation is awarded to Australia's leading and most innovative ecotourism products, providing an opportunity to learn about the environment with an operator who is committed to achieving best practice when using resources wisely, contributing to the conservation of the environment and helping local communities.

 


Speciality areas

  • Birds
  • Fish & Marine Invertebrates
  • Land Mammals & Marsupials
  • Marine Mammals
  • Reptiles & Amphibians

Download iconic species viewing calendar

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Quick facts

  • One third of the island is protected as National or Conservation Park
  • Prime spot for viewing kangaroos, wallabies, koalas and echidnas
  • Walk on the beach with a large colony of endangered Australian Sea-lions at Seal Bay
  • Flinders Chase National Park is home to remarkable landscapes such as Remarkable Rocks and Admiral's Arch
  • Rich offering of bush birds, waterbirds, seabirds and raptors

About the region

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is Australia's third-largest island, measuring 150 kilometres (93 miles) long and 90 km (56 miles) at its widest point, totalling 4400 square kilometres or 1700 square miles. Nearly half of the original vegetation has been retained and over one third of the land is protected across 30 National and Conservation parks. These are connected by roadside and creek-line corridors which carry excellent wildlife habitat across the landscape.

Across Kangaroo Island, visitors will experience vast areas of mallee and woodland, dominated largely by Eucalyptus and the balance shrubland, fernland and forest. This provides habitat for a rich variety of animals including Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, Tammar Wallabies; Short-beaked Echidnas; Southern Brown Bandicoots; 4 species of possum; 6 bats; Long-nosed fur-seals; Australian Sea-lion, dolphins; Rosenberg’s Goannas; 6 skinks; 2 geckos; 6 frogs a dunnart and over 260 birds. 

Kangaroo Island separated from mainland Australia around 10,000 years ago, due to rising sea level after the last glacial period. Due to this long isolation, many animals are local sub-species and one, the Sooty Dunnart, is unique to Kangaroo Island. Other than domestics, there are few introduced species: Koalas and Platypus (released in the 1920s), cats, goats, pigs and deer, a few rodents; Bearded Dragons, Shingleback and Blue-tongued Skinks. Notably foxes and rabbits which have had much impact elsewhere in Australia have not been established. 

When touring Kangaroo Island, visitors should also experience the remarkable marine environment. It is equally as diverse as the land offerings, with more variation in lifeforms in Island waters than along the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef and much of this is now protected in a network of marine parks. Key marine species other than marine mammals include Blue Groper and the ornate Leafy Sea-Dragon.

Tours on Kangaroo Island offered by Exceptional Kangaroo Island are small group in nature, with Kangaroo Island Kangaroos, Tammar Wallabies, Short-beaked Echidnas, Australian Sea-lions and Long-nosed Fur Seals common encounters, with a series of secondary encounters experienced on an opportunistic basis.


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Meet our guides

  • Meet our guides

    Craig Wickham

    Owner and wildlife guide Craig Wickham has been guiding since 1985 - much of this on Kangaroo Island. Craig studied wildlife and park management and has travelled extensively observing and photographing wildlife. Other interests are spending time with his family, birdwatching, food and wine, community development, painting, gardening and bee-keeping. Having spent 10 years in Local Government, Craig keeps up with issues impacting on the planning, development and management of the Island. The community comes together regularly for land management and wildlife survey events and Craig joins in on these...

    Meet our guides

    Craig Wickham

    Owner and wildlife guide Craig Wickham has been guiding since 1985 - much of this on Kangaroo Island. Craig studied wildlife and park management and has travelled extensively observing and photographing wildlife. Other interests are spending time with his family, birdwatching, food and wine, community development, painting, gardening and bee-keeping. Having spent 10 years in Local Government, Craig keeps up with issues impacting on the planning, development and management of the Island. The community comes together regularly for land management and wildlife survey events and Craig joins in on these where possible - events like a Hooded Plover survey, Glossy-black Cockatoo count, and a tree-planting festival. The guide team also report unusual or significant sightings like new weed outbreaks; shearwater migration; whale encounters; and sometimes spotting new species for the Island! Craig balances his time between managing the business; marketing; product development and community obligations. He tries to keep abreast of what is happening in the environment by getting out guiding as regularly as possible and must be doing ok in this role as he has been recognised as one of the world’s top guides by Outside Go.
  • Meet our guides

    Tim Williams

    Meet Tim Williams, a seasoned birding and tour guide with an exceptional understanding of Kangaroo Island's avian riches. Home to over 260 bird species, this wildlife haven offers a stunning diversity within a confined area. Tim's expertise allows visitors to encounter 40+ bird species within a mere 10km2 radius in just a few hours. Growing up on the island, he intimately knows its treasures and is thrilled to share this knowledge with visitors. From elusive Glossy Black-Cockatoos to a plethora of wildlife, including echidnas, sea lions, kangaroos, koalas...

    Meet our guides

    Tim Williams

    Meet Tim Williams, a seasoned birding and tour guide with an exceptional understanding of Kangaroo Island's avian riches. Home to over 260 bird species, this wildlife haven offers a stunning diversity within a confined area. Tim's expertise allows visitors to encounter 40+ bird species within a mere 10km2 radius in just a few hours. Growing up on the island, he intimately knows its treasures and is thrilled to share this knowledge with visitors. From elusive Glossy Black-Cockatoos to a plethora of wildlife, including echidnas, sea lions, kangaroos, koalas, and Tammar Wallabies, Tim's guided explorations promise an enriching encounter with Kangaroo Island's magnificent coastal scenery and flourishing ecosystems.
  • Meet our guides

    Michael Caspar

    Meet Michael Caspar, a passionate guide with Exceptional Kangaroo Island, where he merges his educational background and keen environmental interest to create unforgettable experiences. With a genuine love for the island's natural beauty and diverse wildlife, he brings enthusiasm and expertise to every tour. Join Michael Caspar on his expertly led tours to discover the best of Kangaroo Island and its exceptional wildlife encounters.

    Meet our guides

    Michael Caspar

    Meet Michael Caspar, a passionate guide with Exceptional Kangaroo Island, where he merges his educational background and keen environmental interest to create unforgettable experiences. With a genuine love for the island's natural beauty and diverse wildlife, he brings enthusiasm and expertise to every tour. Join Michael Caspar on his expertly led tours to discover the best of Kangaroo Island and its exceptional wildlife encounters.