Victor Harbor and Kangaroo Island
Coastal adventure meets wild, gourmet escape

An hour south of Adelaide on the Fleurieu Peninsula, Victor Harbor lures visitors to the sea for unbeatable, laidback South Australian holidays. Walk to Granite Island across the Causeway, or jump aboard an historic horse-drawn tram and spot southern right whales close to shore over the winter and summer months.

Beyond its wide, sandy beaches and clifftop lookouts, Victor Harbor teems with laidback places to wine, dine, stay and explore, with tours that get you out on the water to encounter wildlife and into the saddle of an ATV for adrenalin-fuelled adventures. 

Get big-picture views atop Kleinig’s Hill where a mosaic sculpture by Ngarrindjeri and Ramindjeri artists tells the dreaming story of Kondoli the whale.

Step inside the SA Whale Centre to experience life aboard a replica of Sea Shepherd Australia’s flagship vessel, the M/Y Steve Irwin ($4/child, $5/adult, $15/family). If you love to shop, Victor Harbor has three weekend markets: Farmers Market at Grosvenor Gardens (Saturday mornings), Artisan Markets at Railway Plaza and Beachside Markets on the Esplanade (alternating Sundays, every Sunday in January).

Providing watery thrills and wildlife encounters, The Big Duck’s Southern Ocean Adventure takes a tour of Granite Island, Seal Rock, West Island and the towering Kings Beach sea cliffs to spot sea lions, fur seals, seabirds and dolphins. 

Whether you choose a scenic ride or a heart-pumping adventure tour, you don’t need any experience to explore Waitpinga Beach by ATV with Waitpinga Farm Quad Bike Adventures.

Ninos: In the heart of Victor Harbor, Nino’s seasonal menu transforms fresh, high-quality produce into a tempting menu of delicious pizza, pasta, an Italian fare with a curated wine list and gelato bar.

The Larder Kitchen: With an emphasis on sustainable seafood and generous prime cuts, the The Larder Kitchen offers harbour views and favourites such as oven-baked brie, Bay Shells with black mussels and Goolwa pipis and honey grilled butterflied prawns.

Qahwa (kah-wa) Café: Head here for aromatic morning coffees teamed with wholesome breakfast and lunch favourites.

With a waterpark, heated pool, games arcade, bike pump track and bouncing pillow, the kid-friendly Victor Harbor Beachfront Holiday Park is a holiday destination in its own right. Accommodation options include air-conditioned, pet-friendly cabins, safari tents, plus camping and caravan sites.

Getting to Kangaroo Island is easy - take a 40-minute flight from Adelaide to Kingscote Airport, a 45-minute SeaLink ferry trip from Cape Jervis to Penneshaw, or drive your own boat in good weather to the protected harbour at Christmas Cove. 

What’s difficult about reaching this wildly enticing marine-protected island, is deciding what to do first on your Kangaroo Island trip, with farmgate food experiences to indulge in and koalas, little penguins, echidnas, wallabies and kangaroos to encounter.

On a free-flight birds of prey presentation at Raptor Domain, you’ll meet barn owls, wedge-tailed eagles, black kites and more, while learning about their ecology and behaviour. 

Join Kool Tours to explore the region’s rich cultural heritage with powerful cultural storytelling from Ngarrindjeri Elder Mark Koolmatrie.

Stock up on gourmet treats on a farmgate tour of Kangaroo Island, making stops at Kangaroo Island Olives, Emu Bay Lavender Farm for scones with lavender jelly and cream, the Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery café and the Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co for guided tours, organic honey, candles and mead.

The Oyster Farm Shop: Located in American River, this is the place to buy fresh Pacific and native angasi oysters, or dine on lobster and prawn seafood boats, smoked oysters and other delicacies at the waterfront shack watching pelicans drift past. 

Clifford’s Honey Farm: Indulge in Jenny’s famous honey ice-cream, take a guided tour, and try Drunken Drone Brewing’s honey wheat ale.

Kangaroo Island Spirits: Famous for its handcrafted gins, vodkas and liqueurs, this distillery offers curated flights, gin tasting and ‘blend your own’ gin experiences. The onsite Gin Garden serves an intoxicating blend of live music, cocktails and lunch from the Beastie Burger Bar food truck - mulberry and wild gin anyone? 

Sample craft beers: Buy straight from the cellar door at Kangaroo Island Brewery, or try the The Pick & Shovel bar in Kingscote, or Grasshopper Brewing’s tasting room in Parndana. 

Wine-tasting tour: Wine-lovers can make a day of its with visits to False Cape Wines, Dudley Wines, Springs Road Wines, Bay of Shoals Wines and The Islander Estate Vineyards.

For an adults-only stay close to American River, we chose the beautifully renovated, beach-themed units at Mr & Mrs Fish Cabins. These come with fully equipped kitchenettes, high-speed Wi-Fi, verandas perfect for sunset drinks and the odd koala to spot.

Local skipper, TV personality and passionate angler Tracey ‘Skip’ Tito guides anglers on adventures off the Fleurieu Peninsula to chase southern bluefin tuna, sharks and snapper in summer, and nannygai, blue morwong and gummies in the cooler months.

She suggests fishing Victor Harbor’s foreshore, the Causeway or Bluff Jetty for squid, whiting, garfish and flathead and Waitpinga and Petrel Cove beaches for salmon and mulloway.

On Kangaroo Island, try for whiting, garfish, squid, tommies, trevally and sand crabs from Kingscote to American River, and snook, salmon and mullet through the warmer months around Nepean Bay and Penneshaw.

Recreational fishing regulations & SA Fishing app: pir.sa.gov.au/recreational_fishing 

Visit Victor Harbor: visitvictorharbor.com

Tour Kangaroo Island: tourkangarooisland.com.au