Private guided hikes are a wonderful way to discover more about Kangaroo Island’s flora, fauna and wild coastal landscapes while enjoying some incidental outdoor exercise.

Three favourites at Southern Ocean Lodge are:

Rocky River Waterholes
A gentle, five-kilometre, three-hour walk through native bushland and wetlands of Flinders Chase National Park, where quiet waterholes and a little patience may reward with one of Kangaroo Island’s most elusive wildlife encounters. The route winds past Black Swamp and a series of still waterholes, with viewing platforms positioned over the pools. The reward, on a good day, is a sighting of the rare platypus in its natural habitat, elusive and entirely on its own terms.

Snake Lagoon
The Rocky River runs through one of Kangaroo Island’s less-visited corners. This scenic half-day walk follows the river to the coast, threading through regenerating forest and a striking limestone valley. Beginning at the Snake Lagoon Campsite, the route follows the Rocky River winding through forests of sugar gums and mallee, alive with wildflowers in the warmer months, before the landscape opens into the Rocky River Valley, where some rock hopping is required. Kangaroos, abundant birdlife and sunbathing bearded dragons in sprring and summer are reliable companions along the way. The trail ends at a remote cove of white sand, with ancient caves and crashing Southern Ocean waves.

Kelly Hill to Hanson Bay
Hike the backcountry of the Kelly Hill Conservation Park through the historic property of Grassdale on this twelve-kilometre hike. From the eucalyptus woodlands of Kelly Hill Conservation Park to the white sands of Hanson Bay, this walk moves through some of Kangaroo Island’s most varied and rewarding terrain. The Kelly Hill Conservation Park landscape reveals itself in layers on this spectacular walk through Pink Gum woodlands, banksia heath and along coastal dunes. Birdlife is abundant, coastal vistas appear without warning and the terrain shifts constantly. The route emerges onto the white sands of Hanson Bay, where the rugged shoreline guides the final stretch back to the lodge.