A holiday along the Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island is an adventure in nature's huge South Australian playground.
The Fleurieu Peninsula offers a blend of South Australian cultural attractions for the arts buffs, and sun, surf and sand activities for the wild at heart. Kangaroo Island is the antidote for the urban jungle dweller who needs to encounter nature and wildlife face-on.
Exploring the Fleurieu Peninsula
Wineries, Fleurieu Peninsula
Just an hour's drive from Adelaide city, the Fleurieu Peninsula beckons you to take in the sun, sand and sea, historical spots, and even art and antiques - in other words, something for everyone in the family.
The first stop is Port Noarlunga, a picturesque seaside town with a vibrant arts community. Enjoy art exhibitions, performing arts and live entertainment at the Arts Centre. The Port Noarlunga jetty is also a great fishing spot, if art isn't your cup of tea.
After an amble through the various art galleries or after you're satisfied with the day's catch, drive down to Aldinga Beach and enrol yourself in surf school. The waves on the coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula have provided surfing pleasure to surfers of all skill levels. Adventurous first-timers who want to feel the adrenaline rush of riding the waves while balancing on a surfboard should not pass up on this experience.
In addition, other seaside activities you can do at the beaches along the Peninsula include cycling and snorkelling.
But not all the activities cater to the outdoor types. The Fleurieu Peninsula offers much to satisfy a wine buff's taste for award-winning wines. Wineries in the McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek have a variety of wines for every palate - available from family-run wineries that have been around since the 1800s, and small, contemporary boutique wineries.
When you've had your fill of the Fluerieu, drive your car onto the ferry bound for Kangaroo Island.
Wineries, Fleurieu Peninsula
Kangaroo Island
The third island off Australia is still predominantly covered by natural landscape and wilderness. Nature lovers can look forward to exploring numerous conservation and national parks, hiking nature trails and observing the wildlife that roam uninhibited on the island.
Coastlines, Kangaroo Island
The island is home to various species of wildlife apart from the eponymous creature from which it derives its name.
The most unusual feature of Kangaroo Island is an expanse of desert called the Little Sahara. The desert seems almost out of place on an island surrounded by beaches and grassy, green hills.
Joanna Ooi, 26, a public relations consultant, went on a driving holiday to Kangaroo Island with her friends. Describing her first encounter with the Little Sahara, she said: "Imagine sinking your feet into soft white sand. Just when you think there can't be anything more beyond the top of the sand dune, the view from the top stretches on as far as the eye can see!
"I remember lying in the sand trying to make out shapes from the clouds and feeling awed at the vastness of open space. It was a surreal feeling of being in another world altogether, away from everything but yourself and your thoughts."
That's probably one of the first things people do upon arrival at Little Sahara - spend a few moments taking in the view of the seemingly endless sand dunes, feel the soft, fine sand between their fingers and toes.
Seals, Kangaroo Island
Then you grab a bodyboard and slide down the sand dunes at an exhilarating speed. Or, do it the natural way by rolling down.
Over at Seal Bay, there's an excellent opportunity to get up close and personal with groups of Australian sea lions and their pups. When they're out of the water, you're likely to find them sleeping soundly on the beach. You're not allowed to touch the seals, but a sleeping seal will probably allow you a good number of photo opportunities.
Kangaroo Island is also home to unusual geological phenomena. Two noteworthy ones are the Admiral's Arch and the Remarkable Rocks.
The Admiral's Arch is a limestone cave that looks like a giant mouth of teeth, its jagged edges formed by sea erosion and weathering over thousands of years.
Try to arrive at the Arch just before sunset to see the warm glow of the sunlight on the rocks. Watch playful New Zealand fur seals frolic in the waters with the jagged arch looming above them.
At the Remarkable Rocks, you'll encounter huge, orange-brown granite boulders. These are no ordinary rocks. Hundreds of millions of years of erosion by the elements around them have formed rock shapes so oddly fascinating that they look like something out of a surrealist painting. All you'll be able to say after being there is, "Remarkable."
Remarkable Rocks, Kangaroo Island
If you are bringing young children along with you to Kangaroo Island and have concerns about whether all the scenery-viewing and long drives will bore them, look out for A Maze 'N' Fun, a quirky hedge maze that stretches over two kilometres. They will also be kept entertained with the nearby playground and crazy golf course.
It is an odd, yet satisfying feeling driving along the long, empty roads, as if you were the only one exploring the island. It takes some time getting used to not hearing the hum of busy traffic wherever you go. The only tall building you might see in the distance is a lonely lighthouse amidst the vast expanse of fields and bush.
After getting a taste of the South Australian sun as you wander along the Fleurieu Peninsula, the Kangaroo Island experience is the ultimate detox for urban city-dwellers who haven't had the chance to really appreciate the beauty of the great outdoors.
