Melaleuca Lookout
Small lookout point near the visitor center with views over the bushland by Rocky River, where the vegetation is recovering since the 2019/20 fires.
Australia
Flinders Chase National Park Area
National Park
Flinders Chase National Park occupies the southwest corner of Kangaroo Island.
by Felix Gillen
Flinders Chase National Park occupies the southwest corner of Kangaroo Island. Here lie the island's most famous attractions: the granite formation Remarkable Rocks, the rock arch Admirals Arch with its seal colony, and the lighthouse at Cape du Couedic.Following the bushfires of 2019/20, the vegetation is visibly recovering. From Kingscote, it's approximately 110 km on a paved road.
Sehenswürdigkeiten
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail
This 61 km multi-day trail runs for five days from the Visitor Centre through bushland and along the Southwest coast to Kelly Hill. Overnight stays at designated campsites. The trail reopened after the 2019/20 fires and requires advance booking.
Flinders Chase Visitor Centre
The visitor center at the park entrance is the starting point for hikes along the Rocky River. Here, you'll find park passes, information on trail closures, and a café.
Remarkable Rocks
Weathered granite blocks on a rocky outcrop high above the sea, hollowed out by wind and water and covered with orange lichen. A wooden boardwalk leads up from the car park. In the late afternoon, the light is at its most beautiful. During a storm, access may be closed.
Admirals Arch
Rock arch below the Cape du Couedic lighthouse, with stalactites hanging from its ceiling. A colony of New Zealand fur seals rests on the rocks in front. A wooden walkway with stairs leads down.
Restaurants in Flinders Chase National Park Area
Culture & Character
After the FireFlinders Chase National Park occupies the entire southwest corner of Kangaroo Island, a good 326 square kilometres of bushland, granite coast, and limestone. In the summer of 2019/20, almost the entire area burned down, along with the old visitor centre. What you see today is regeneration: eucalypts sprout anew from charred trunks, and the wildflower seasons since the fire have been among the strongest in the park's history. A new visitor centre near Karatta opened in 2024.Lighthouses and IsolationAt Cape du Couedic stands a 1909 lighthouse; in front of it, in Weirs Cove, are the remains of a cableway used to haul supplies up the cliff from a boat. How isolated life was here can be better understood from these structures than from any museum text. At the northwest end stands Cape Borda, an unusual square 19th-century lighthouse.
Orientation & Arrival
Getting ThereThe park is located at the island's west end: about 110 kilometers from Kingscote, and approximately 165 from the Penneshaw ferry. The route is fully sealed – take the Playford Highway to Parndana, then the South Coast Road or West End Highway. Allow just under two hours from Kingscote; most visitors underestimate the travel time.Practical TipsFill up your tank beforehand. On the western half of the island, Parndana is the only place with a petrol station. You'll need a vehicle pass for entry, available at the visitor centre or online in advance. Within the park, all main destinations are accessible via sealed roads; off-road 4WD territory quickly begins beyond that. In strong winds, Rocks and Arch are closed, and on days with extreme bushfire risk, the entire park is closed.
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