As waves crash and break on nearby rocks, it’s a short step off the timber boardwalk onto soft white sand and into the world of the Australian sea lion, which swim, cavort, communicate, sunbake and mostly lounge around, almost within touching distance. Entering their world, visitors to Seal Bay, Kangaroo Island, softly navigate through the extensive colonies that seek refuge there from cold oceans and saw-toothed predators.
This is one of the experiences offered by Exceptional Kangaroo Island (EKI), an eco-tourism-accredited business owned and operated by Craig and Janet Wickham. EKI excels in showcasing and explaining the diversity and beauty of Kangaroo Island. Based near Kingscote on the north-eastern side of the island, the business has grown from a one-man operation 35 years ago to a team of 20 skilled guides and associated staff and a fleet of seven vehicles of different sizes and capacities.
Craig, a KI local who formerly had a career with National Parks and Wildlife, wanted to establish a sustainable business that offered ‘conversation, not commentary’. EKI’s experiences cater to small groups and always put the island’s environment – with its rare ecosystems and species – first.
Visitors can select from a range of one to four-day itineraries, which cover the entire island, including its key attractions and several little-known gems. Or you can create your own tour for a bespoke island experience.
Australia’s most famous natives are front and centre: koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, echidna, platypus, fur seals, Australian sea lions, dolphins and whales, as well as more than 250 bird species, reptiles and fish.
Not interested in animals? Not a problem, the EKI team can provide access to all the best beaches including Stokes Bay (voted Australia’s best beach in 2023 and number two in the world in 2024) and Hanson Bay, where Southern Ocean Lodge is located. A tour of Flinders Chase National Park reveals the extraordinary Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch, which are explained, conversationally.
Want more? What about sampling the highest-quality local produce on one of EKI’s food-lovers’ tours, or the high adventure of quad-biking through dense bush, or an art-immersion experience with the region’s finest artists?
When it’s time for lunch, white linen tablecloths with quality cutlery and crockery are set up in stunning locations and gourmet food, wine and homemade cakes are served. Guests are given freshly steamed, warm hand towels as a matter of course. In addition to the seemingly endless list of beautiful scenery and distinctive species, Craig and his team are knowledgeable, witty and engaging. You’ll feel like you’ve met and befriended the locals because, well, you have. It’s the first thing you should do on any Kangaroo Island itinerary, or it could be the whole itinerary. Then, when your friends and family ask about your holiday, you can genuinely say that it was “exceptional”.
