Kangaroo Island
The Kangaroo Island (earlier spelling Kangaroo Island, Kangaroo Iceland in English ) is after Tasmania and Melville Island is the third largest island in Australia. It is located 112 kilometers southwest of Adelaide in the Gulf Saint Vincent in South Australia.
Geography
Location
The island is 145 km long, between 900 meters and 57 kilometers wide and 509 kilometers of coastline. It is with an area of 4405 square kilometers, Australia's third largest island. The highest peaks are located on the plateau of the north coast with 307 meters above sea level.
The island is located 13 kilometers from the coast and Cape Jervis on the tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula and is separated from it by the Backstairs Passage.
Climate
The winter from June to September are mild and wet, summers usually warm and dry. Due to its location in the Indian Ocean rarely temperatures are reached over 35 ° C in summer especially along the coast. The average high temperature in August at 16 ° C, in February, the hottest month of the year, 26 to 27 ° C. Fall between May and September 2/3 of the annual rainfall. This varies between 450 mm and 1000 mm in Kingscote at gutter. The wettest month is July.
Population
On the island is home to around 4250 people, including 1700 in the island's capital, Kingscote (2006 ). The island forms a separate administrative district, the District Council of Kangaroo Iceland.
History
The island was separated about 10,000 years ago by the rise in sea level from the Australian mainland. The finds of stone tools to the supposition close that this part of Australia has been inhabited since 11,000 years ago. It is currently believed that the former Native disappeared around 200 BC again. The reason for this is suspected diseases, tribal feuds, climate change or migration.
1802 named the British explorer Matthew Flinders Island Kangaroo Iceland, after he had gone near Kangaroo Head on the north coast of Dudley Peninsula on land. The following year, Nicolas Baudin arrived on his expedition of 1800-1804 on the island.
As a result, originated on the island of a small community of former sealers. The wild men forcibly abducted Aboriginefrauen of Tasmania and the mainland to their island. Over time, they built houses and operated successfully as farmers.
Kingscote, the largest town of the island, is the first official European-founded settlement in South Australia. It was founded on July 27, 1836 at Reeves Point. After just a few months the new arrivals moved to Adelaide, where more land and more power means were available.
Economy
The island is dominated by agriculture in many areas. Economic goods are wine, honey, wool, meat and grain. In addition to fishing and, increasingly eco-tourism plays a role.
Kangaroo Iceland is famous for its honey; it is one of the oldest bees protected areas (since 1881).
Traffic
The island is by plane from Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, will be reached in 30 minutes. A small airport ( IATA code: KGC ) is located southwest of Kingscote. The Sealink car ferry service between Cape Jervis and Penneshaw. The crossing takes about 50 minutes. In the years 2007 and 2008 there was a car ferry called Kangaroo Iceland Ferrie of Wirrina Cove to Kingscote.
Animals and Protected Areas
About half of the island has preserved its lush vegetation origin. For more than a third of the island area national parks and protected areas, which include five wildlife sanctuaries, have been reported.
The largest protected areas are:
- Flinders Chase National Park
- Sealbay Conservation Park
- Cape Gentheaume Wilderness Protection Area
- Cape Bouguer Wilderness Protection Area
Due to its isolation from the mainland no foxes and rabbits are present on the island. The Derbywallaby, the brushtail possum and the short -beaked echidna are indigenous to the island, as well as six bat and frog species that live on the shores of Little Penguin, New Zealand and Australian fur seals and Australian sea lions. For the avifauna of the island also counts the brown head cockatoo. The endemic Kangaroo Island Emu ( Dromaius baudinianus ) is extinct. Koalas, ring Beutler and the platypus were settled on the island and have settled. The Koalas have become so proliferated that contraceptives are used to stop the further growth of the population, otherwise there was a danger that not enough food would be available.
In the sea related to the seahorse species Leafy fish and small scraps of fish live.
Attractions
- Seal Bay Conservation Park: sea lion reserve about 700 animals on the south coast ( 55 km southwest Kingscote ). Rangers lead visitors through the colony.
- Flinders Chase National Park: National Park on the southwest tip of the island ( 103 km southwest Kingscote ). The rock formations of Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch Natural Arch on Cape du Couedic, under the New Zealand fur seal colony is at home, are among the main attractions of the island. In addition, the park also for the lighthouses of Cape Borda and Cape du Couedic and koalas, particularly tame wild kangaroos and numerous other animals is famous.
- Lighthouse at Cape Willoughby
- Kelly Hill caves with guided cave tours
- Little Sahara ( Little Sahara): Formation of giant sand dunes on the south coast
- Mount Thisby / Prospect Hill: lookout with 360 degree panoramic island
- Fairy penguins on the coast of Kingscote and Penneshaw, where after sunset tours are available from the Wildlife Service to the nesting area.
- Murray Lagoon: bog lakes on the south coast ( 50 km southwest Kingscote ), home to many marsh birds are
Restrictions
Due to quarantine regulations, it is forbidden to bring honey products and bee equipment to the island. Potatoes that are introduced must be in original packaging. Vines cut and ground from grapevines are to be reported to the local quarantine location. Rabbits are not allowed on the island.
Leisure
In the bays of the northern coast as Emu Bay, Stokes Bay or Snelling Beach swimming is relatively safe. The south coast is not recommended due to dangerous undercurrents and the shark attacks on the colony of sea lions to swim.
Camping is on the designated campsites, caravan parks or bush camps allowed in national parks, otherwise prohibited. The range of accommodation is spread wide over the entire island, but should be booked prior to arrival.
Stores and gas stations are located in the larger towns of Kingscote, Parndana, American River, Penneshaw (formerly Hog Bay) and Vivonne Bay.