Reference Guide
Kangaroo Island Glossary
A comprehensive A-Z reference of wildlife, plants, landmarks, history, and local terminology for Kangaroo Island.
A
- Admirals ArchGeography
- A natural rock arch formed by wave erosion at Cape du Couedic in Flinders Chase National Park. The stalactite-fringed archway frames views of a large New Zealand fur seal colony on the rocks below.Read guide →
- American RiverGeography
- A small settlement on the north coast of Kangaroo Island, named after a group of American sealers who sheltered there in the early 1800s. The township overlooks Eastern Cove and Pelican Lagoon, popular for fishing and bird-watching.Read guide →
- Australian Sea LionFauna
- Neophoca cinerea, one of the rarest pinnipeds in the world. Seal Bay Conservation Park on Kangaroo Island hosts one of the largest accessible colonies, where guided tours allow visitors to walk among these animals on the beach.Read guide →
B
- Backstairs PassageGeography
- The 13-kilometre strait separating Kangaroo Island from the Fleurieu Peninsula on the South Australian mainland. The SeaLink ferry crosses this passage daily between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw, a journey of approximately 45 minutes.Read guide →
- Bush CampingTourism
- Camping in designated sites within Kangaroo Island's national parks and conservation areas. Sites are basic (no powered sites) with limited facilities, but offer immersive nature experiences. Bookings are made through the National Parks SA website.Read guide →
C
- Cape Barren GooseFauna
- Cereopsis novaehollandiae, a large grey goose found in grasslands and coastal areas. Once near extinction, healthy populations now inhabit Kangaroo Island's farmland and parks.Read guide →
- Cape BordaGeography
- The north-west tip of Kangaroo Island, site of a historic lighthouse built in 1858. Unusually, the Cape Borda lighthouse is square rather than round. Heritage tours include a cannon-firing demonstration.Read guide →
- Cape WilloughbyGeography
- The easternmost point of Kangaroo Island, home to the island's first lighthouse, built in 1852. The cape overlooks Backstairs Passage and offers guided lighthouse tours and whale-watching from June to October.Read guide →
- Cellar DoorTourism
- A winery tasting room where visitors can sample and purchase wine directly from the producer. Kangaroo Island has several boutique wineries offering cellar door experiences, with varieties suited to the island's cool maritime climate.Read guide →
- Coast Daisy-bushFlora
- Olearia axillaris, a hardy shrub found along Kangaroo Island's exposed coastline. It tolerates salt spray and wind, forming dense hedgerows that stabilise sand dunes and shelter smaller plants.
D
- Drooping She-oakFlora
- Allocasuarina verticillata, a native tree with fine needle-like foliage that droops gracefully. On Kangaroo Island it is the sole food source for the endangered glossy black-cockatoo, making it critical to conservation efforts.Read guide →
E
- Eucalyptus OilLocal Food
- Essential oil distilled from the leaves of the Kangaroo Island narrow-leafed mallee (Eucalyptus cneorifolia). Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Distillery has been producing oil on the island since 1991 and offers tours showing the traditional steam distillation process.Read guide →
F
- Farm GateTourism
- A term used across Kangaroo Island to describe producers who sell directly to visitors from their property. Farm gate experiences include tastings at honey farms, sheep dairies, eucalyptus distilleries, and free-range egg farms. They form a key part of the island's food tourism trail.Read guide →
- Free-range EggsLocal Food
- Several Kangaroo Island farms produce free-range eggs from hens that forage on open pastures. These eggs are widely available at local shops and farm gates, and reflect the island's emphasis on ethical, small-scale food production.
G
- Glossy Black-CockatooFauna
- Calyptorhynchus lathami halmaturinus, the Kangaroo Island subspecies and one of the rarest cockatoos in Australia. Fewer than 400 remain, feeding exclusively on drooping she-oak seeds. Intensive conservation efforts have stabilised their numbers.Read guide →
H
- Heath GoannaFauna
- Varanus rosenbergi, also known as Rosenberg's monitor. This large lizard is commonly encountered on walking trails in Flinders Chase and Kelly Hill Conservation Park, where it patrols for eggs and small prey.Read guide →
I
- Investigator StraitGeography
- The wide body of water between Kangaroo Island's north coast and the Yorke Peninsula. Named by Matthew Flinders after his ship HMS Investigator, it is known for strong currents and rich marine biodiversity.Read guide →
K
- Kangaroo Island Dwarf EmuCultural
- Dromaius baudinianus, a now-extinct subspecies of emu that was endemic to Kangaroo Island. Standing about half the height of mainland emus, it was last recorded alive around 1827, likely driven to extinction by hunting and habitat disturbance from early sealers.Read guide →
- Kangaroo Island EchidnaFauna
- Tachyglossus aculeatus multiaculeatus, a subspecies of the short-beaked echidna unique to Kangaroo Island. Noticeably larger than mainland echidnas, they are commonly spotted along roadsides and walking trails, especially in cooler months.Read guide →
- Kangaroo Island FoodKI TrailTourism
- A self-drive food and drink trail connecting the island's producers, cellar doors, restaurants, and farm gates. The trail showcases local specialities including honey, cheese, gin, wine, oysters, and free-range meats.Read guide →
- Kangaroo Island KangarooFauna
- Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus, a subspecies of the western grey kangaroo found only on Kangaroo Island. Isolated from the mainland for around 10,000 years, they are stockier, darker in colour, and have shorter limbs than their mainland relatives.Read guide →
- Kangaroo Island Narrow-leafed MalleeFlora
- Eucalyptus cneorifolia, a mallee eucalypt endemic to Kangaroo Island. It dominates large areas of the island's interior scrubland and is the primary source of Kangaroo Island eucalyptus oil, distilled commercially since the 1890s.Read guide →
- Kangaroo Island OystersLocal Food
- Pacific oysters farmed in the clean waters off the island's north coast near American River. The oysters benefit from the pristine marine environment and are prized for their clean, briny flavour.Read guide →
- Kangaroo Island Sheep DairyLocal Food
- Island Pure Sheep Dairy produces award-winning cheeses, yoghurts, and halloumi from sheep's milk. The dairy offers farm tours and tastings, and their products feature on restaurant menus across the island and mainland South Australia.Read guide →
- Kangaroo Island Wilderness TrailTourism
- A 61-kilometre, five-day guided or self-guided hiking trail through Flinders Chase National Park. The trail passes through diverse landscapes from coast to forest, with designated campsites along the route. Bookings are essential and walker numbers are limited.Read guide →
- KI DunnartFauna
- Sminthopsis aitkeni, a tiny carnivorous marsupial found only on Kangaroo Island and critically endangered. Weighing just 20-25 grams, it lives in dense mallee heath and was severely impacted by the 2019-2020 bushfires.Read guide →
- KI Spirits (Gin)Local Food
- Kangaroo Island Spirits is a boutique distillery producing gin, vodka, and liqueurs using native botanicals. Their wild juniper gin and honey liqueur incorporate island-sourced ingredients. Cellar door tastings are available.Read guide →
- KingscoteGeography
- The largest town on Kangaroo Island and its administrative centre, with a population of around 1,800. Kingscote offers the widest range of services including supermarkets, fuel, accommodation, restaurants, and the island's main hospital.Read guide →
L
- Ligurian BeeFauna
- Apis mellifera ligustica, the world's only remaining population of pure-bred Ligurian honeybees. Brought to Kangaroo Island in the 1880s, they are protected by law — no other bee species may be imported to the island. They produce the island's famous Ligurian honey.Read guide →
- Ligurian HoneyLocal Food
- Honey produced by Kangaroo Island's pure-bred Ligurian bees, the last remaining purebred population in the world. The honey has a distinctive light colour and mild floral flavour, reflecting the island's native eucalyptus and coastal flora. Clifford's Honey Farm is a popular visitor destination.Read guide →
- Little PenguinFauna
- Eudyptula minor, the world's smallest penguin species. Colonies nest along Kangaroo Island's coast, with guided penguin tours available at Penneshaw and Kingscote where visitors can watch them return to their burrows at dusk.Read guide →
M
- MarronLocal Food
- A large freshwater crayfish (Cherax cainii) farmed on Kangaroo Island. Marron has sweet, delicate flesh and is considered a premium product. Visitors can experience marron farm tours and taste dishes featuring this unique crustacean at island restaurants.Read guide →
- Matthew FlindersCultural
- English navigator who circumnavigated and mapped the Australian coastline. In March 1802, aboard HMS Investigator, he landed on Kangaroo Island's north coast and named the island after his crew hunted kangaroos there to replenish food supplies.Read guide →
N
- Native PineFlora
- Callitris gracilis, also known as southern cypress pine. Found across Kangaroo Island in dry woodland areas, it provides habitat for the glossy black-cockatoo, which feeds on its seed cones.
- New Zealand Fur SealFauna
- Arctocephalus forsteri, found at Admirals Arch and Cape du Couedic in Flinders Chase National Park. Thousands of fur seals can be seen resting on rocky platforms, playing in the surf, and nursing pups during the breeding season.Read guide →
- Nicolas BaudinCultural
- French explorer who led a scientific expedition to Australia in 1800-1803. His crew explored and charted parts of Kangaroo Island, and many French place names on the island (Ravine des Casoars, Cape du Couedic, D'Estrees Bay) originate from this expedition.Read guide →
O
- OspreyFauna
- Pandion haliaetus, a large raptor that hunts fish along Kangaroo Island's coastline. Nesting sites are found on cliff faces and sea stacks, particularly along the south coast and around Rocky River.Read guide →
P
- Parks PassTourism
- A pass required for entry to Kangaroo Island's national and conservation parks managed by the Department for Environment and Water. A multi-park pass provides access to Flinders Chase, Seal Bay, Kelly Hill Caves, and Cape Willoughby. Available online or at park entry points.Read guide →
- ParndanaGeography
- An inland township at the centre of Kangaroo Island, originally established as a soldier settlement after World War II. Today it serves the island's agricultural community and hosts the annual Parndana Show.Read guide →
- PenneshawGeography
- A small township on the eastern end of Kangaroo Island and the arrival point for the SeaLink ferry from Cape Jervis. Known for its little penguin colony, heritage walks, and role as the gateway for most visitors arriving by sea.Read guide →
- PlatypusFauna
- Ornithorhynchus anatinus, introduced to Kangaroo Island's Rocky River in Flinders Chase National Park in the 1920s. The platypus population thrives in the river and can occasionally be spotted at dawn or dusk near the campground.Read guide →
R
- Ravine des CasoarsGeography
- A deep wilderness gorge in the western end of Kangaroo Island, named by the French explorer Nicolas Baudin's crew in 1803 after the dwarf emus (casoars) they encountered there. The now-extinct Kangaroo Island emu disappeared shortly after European contact.Read guide →
- Reeves Point SettlementCultural
- The site at Kingscote where South Australia's first official European settlers landed on 27 July 1836, four months before the founding of Adelaide. A heritage walk and interpretive signs mark the location of the original settlement, including the colony's oldest surviving mulberry tree.Read guide →
- Remarkable RocksGeography
- A cluster of naturally sculpted granite boulders perched on a dome of lava in Flinders Chase National Park. Formed over 500 million years by wind, rain, and sea spray erosion, they are among the most photographed landmarks in South Australia.Read guide →
S
- Seal Bay Boardwalk TourTourism
- A self-guided walk along an elevated timber boardwalk at Seal Bay Conservation Park, offering views of the Australian sea lion colony from above. A Parks Pass or entry fee is required. Guided beach tours allow closer access to the animals.Read guide →
- Sealers and WhalersCultural
- From the 1790s to 1830s, parties of sealers and whalers (mainly from America, Britain, and the Australian colonies) established temporary camps on Kangaroo Island. They were among the first Europeans to inhabit the island, predating official settlement.Read guide →
- SeaLink FerryTourism
- The main vehicle and passenger ferry service connecting Cape Jervis on the South Australian mainland to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island. The crossing takes approximately 45 minutes across Backstairs Passage. Advance booking is strongly recommended, especially during peak season.Read guide →
- Soldier SettlersCultural
- After World War II, the Australian government offered returned servicemen land on Kangaroo Island as part of the War Service Land Settlement Scheme. From the late 1940s, soldiers cleared bushland around Parndana to establish farms, significantly shaping the island's interior landscape and agricultural identity.Read guide →
- Sugar GumFlora
- Eucalyptus cladocalyx, a tall eucalypt native to South Australia. On Kangaroo Island it forms open woodland habitat and is valued for its honey-producing blossoms, which support the island's Ligurian bee population.Read guide →
T
- Tammar WallabyFauna
- Notamacropus eugenii, a small nocturnal wallaby once widespread across southern Australia but now thriving primarily on Kangaroo Island. They are most active at dusk and dawn and can often be seen near roadsides at twilight.Read guide →
- Tea TreeFlora
- Leptospermum and Melaleuca species found in swampy coastal areas of Kangaroo Island. Tea tree oil has traditional medicinal uses and the dense thickets provide important shelter for small native animals.
- The BluffGeography
- A prominent headland on Kangaroo Island's south-west coast within Flinders Chase National Park. It offers dramatic clifftop views of the Southern Ocean and is accessible via a short walking trail.
W
- White-bellied Sea EagleFauna
- Haliaeetus leucogaster, Australia's second-largest bird of prey. Pairs mate for life and are regularly spotted soaring above Kangaroo Island's coast and estuaries, hunting fish and sea birds.Read guide →
Y
- Yacca (Grass Tree)Flora
- Xanthorrhoea semiplana, an iconic Australian plant with a distinctive blackened trunk and spear-like flower spike. Grass trees grow extremely slowly and large specimens on Kangaroo Island may be hundreds of years old.Read guide →
Learn More About Kangaroo Island
54 terms across 6 categories. Last updated February 2026.