Eating on the Sand and in the Wilderness on Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is a slice of heaven located on the southern end of Australia. It can be reached by plane from the city of Adelaide in about 20 minutes, or you can take the scenic route by ferry from Cape Jervis to the island in only 45 minutes.

Once you arrive on Kangaroo Island, you will not even want to think about leaving. The island is about 100 miles long (about the size of Long Island, New York), but there are only a few thousand people living here. In between those inhabitants are miles of vineyards, beaches and quite a few marsupials. You can  drive around the island and see the koalas sleeping in the gum trees, encounter a kangaroos running through fields, or watch wallabies frolicking on the side of the road.

With all the wide open space on Kangaroo Island, you won’t be looking at rows of restaurants anywhere, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find some great opportunities for excellent food.  Here are some food options you must consider when visiting Kangaroo Island…

Eat in the Wilderness
The Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat gives you a chance to get up close and personal with the native animals. The retreat is eco-friendly and the courtyard in front of the cabins is home to the resident wallabies, echidnas and other native creatures that are happy to receive guest attention. The retreat is also home to something you might not expect at a back-to-nature preserve, gourmet dining.
You are guaranteed a delicious meal at the Nicolas Baudin Restaurant, where a dish such as Pumpkin, Pine Nut and Ricotta Ravioli with Ginger and Coconut Chili Cream Sauce is a possible menu option. Be forewarned, though, some of those cute little animals you were just petting do also show up as menu choices.

Snelling Beach is one of the most popular (and especially beautiful) beaches on Kangaroo Island. It is also home to the Rockpool Café. The locals know this is a great spot, but visitors never think about planning their meal there. Most of us are programmed to think a café at the beach is the place for hot dogs and cans of soda pop. Erase all those thoughts and step into this quaint little eatery where you can indulge in the freshest seafood (the island is known for its lobster and scallops) and pasta dishes.  You will find some excellent wine choices here to have with your meal, then finished it off with a perfect latte.

You will have a hard time finding beaches as breathtaking as the ones on Kangaroo Island anywhere in the world.  Why waste time indoors when you can enjoy the beautiful turquoise water from any of 50 beaches? Pick up some bread and stop by Island Pure Sheep Dairy for some of fresh cheese. The Manchego is wonderful and their Greek style sheep yogurt is also incredible.

The other option is to let someone else do the cooking for you. The tour company Exceptional Kangaroo Island will not only set up a personalized tour for you, but they’ll be happy to cook up a meal for you. A nice salad with grilled chicken or salmon is wonderful on a warm day, and Kangaroo Island has lots of those. Your guide will prepare it on the beach – and serve it with a glass of Australian wine, of course.