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The perfect 4 day luxury Kangaroo Island Itinerary

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What’s the most common question I am asked about Kangaroo Island? “Is two nights enough to see everything?” Well, um, not really. The biggest misconception about Kangaroo Island is that it is small, its actually quite big and there is seriously heaps to see and do, plus you don’t want to be running around frantically sight seeing and not relaxing enough. A holiday should not feel like work!

So if you have been dreaming of visiting this iconic South Australian location, I’m going to give you what I think would make the perfect relaxing , luxurious Kangaroo Island holiday with a touch of adventure, splash of good drink, a big helping of nature and wildlife and lots of opportunity to relax and reconnect.

Day One – Feel the stress of the mainland melt away…

Catch a morning ferry where you will arrive in the seaside town of Penneshaw, it’s also a great spot to pick up your food supplies, the local IGA is small but has lots of the premium South Australian food we love.

Brunch at the brand new Millie Mae’s Pantry next door (specialising in home grown, home made Kangaroo Island deliciousness situated in one of the oldest producing orchards on Kangaroo Island). Once you have lined your stomachs its time to hit your first winery! Dudley Wines is a 10 minute drive out of town, and the views alone are worth the visit. Stock up on wine for your stay and some to take home with you.

Once you have selected you wine, hit a few golf balls and possibly enjoyed a tapas plate its time to make your way to Stowaway, it’s a 50 minute scenic drive. Need something from the main town Kingscote? It’s a 10 minute detour and has most services.

Arrive at Stowaway, drop you bags, put on your fluffy robes, lay on the bed and relax! Your hot bread will be ready and the bubbles in the fridge will be chilled – get ready to enjoy watching the kangaroos coming out at dusk, the outdoor hot tub is the perfect viewing place.

If you have arrived on a Friday night, head down to the Rockpool Café, 5 minutes down the road and dine on fresh South Australian seafood with the loveliest hosts you could imagine (make sure you get me to book you in there prior though, it very popular with the locals!)

Day Two – Sleep ins, seals and rockpool swims

Sleep in, its an order. Maybe start your day with a bath and a relax in the sauna. Today we are heading to the western end of Kangaroo Island, Flinders Chase to be exact. Home to The Remarkable Rocks, Admirals Arch and amazing views of regenerated bushland after the 19/20 bushfires. Much of the infrastructure is still being rebuilt so plan to call into the Vivonne Bay General Store for a whiting burger for lunch.

On your way home call into Stokes Bay beach for a swim, then head back to your Stowaway and jump in the hot tub and relax with a glass of wine or a herbal tea.

Day Three – Brunch, cocktails & indulgent spa treatments

Your last full day is for food and drink, and indulgent relaxation. Of course, first thing is a sleep in then head to Emu Bay Lavender for brunch (the hot smoked salmon dish is my personal fave). Situated in the middle of a commercial lavender farm its great food and service meets lots of pretty purple flowers.

Now its time for the famed Kangaroo Island Spirits, the internationally awarded gin distillery which will completely enchant you, do a tasting or just enjoy a unique cocktail in the gin garden.  Islander Estate Wines is just across the road and Kangaroo Island Brewery is also a stones throw away.

Just make sure you are back at your Stowaway by 3pm for your in-house couples massage. Sarah our massage therapist will transform your giant luxury bathroom into a true spa experience. After you have been pampered you can take a picnic down to Stokes Bay beach or just make up a grazing plate to be enjoyed spa side.

Day Four – Sleep ins and slow return to the real world

You may need to catch an early ferry home, or maybe you have the best part of the day to just relax at your Stowaway and make your way leisurely to Penneshaw. We have a late 11am check out for this very reason. The main town of Kingscote is a good place to brunch, our recommendation is Cactus (awesome coffee, pressed juices and smashed avo laden dishes) The Kangaroo Island Fine Art Gallery is also good to peruse, particularly the locally crafted jewelry ranges.

The wonderful thing about staying at Stowaway when coming to Kangaroo Island is you can come and see the sights or just do nothing at all and still feel like you have had an authentic Kangaroo Island experience. We supply our favorite Dudley wines, Kangaroo Island Spirits gins (with mixers and garnish) in the mini bar plus you get to enjoy the best local artisan foods in your welcome hamper – so if you decide to stay in bed all weekend you wont miss out on a thing!

*Side Note – Getting to Kangaroo Island

Sealink – bring your car on a 45 min ferry trip (departing Cape Jervis 2 hours south of Adelaide). Stowaway is 50 minutes away from Penneshaw where the ferry arrives. 

Fly with Regional Express or QANTAS departing from Adelaide. Be sure to hire a car at the Airport to get the most out of your stay. Stowaway is a 20 minute drive from the Airport.

 

The Stowaway Kangaroo Island Story – doing things differently

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When I embarked on a three month whistle stop tour of the world looking at sheep (what else?!) little did I know the biggest thing I would discover was a way to create a whole new way to host guests on Kangaroo Island. Yep, before I became a purveyor of luxury couples escapes I was a sheep farmer (and still wear that hat from time to time) a job and industry I also love.


Wearing my ‘farming’ hat – a life I love sharing with Adam and the Kids

Whilst traipsing the global countryside, I found tucked away in the rolling green hills of Scottish farmland Caroline Millar, an agri-tourism entrepreneur and pioneer who showed me that sometimes it was best not to hedge your bets in business and dive into a market niche that no one really seems to ‘get’ – couples. The Hideaway Experience in Scotland has been designed and built with creating a romantic couples break at the heart of its business model and I just knew it was exactly the kind of thing that I would love to create on our own farm.

I wanted to create a destination in itself, something that transcended the generic concept of ‘accommodation’ and certainly more than a place to rest your head. It had to be super private but also accessible and close to some cool Kangaroo Island places to visit and eat (and of course surrounded by wildlife). They had to blend into the landscape but still make a statement. They had to be full of luxury features that most people don’t have in their own house. Most importantly guests needed to feel truly welcome and at home (hello walking into the smell of freshly baked bread and custom planning).

I am not going to lie, when some local tradespeople saw the glass fronted sauna in the gargantuan natural stone clad bathroom they thought I might have lost touch with reality a little. The bespoke double-sided fireplace presented a few challenges in design and installation (and probably a few silent curses from my husband and the building crew!). The sunken in deck alfresco hot tub presented some chin scratching in logistics and core strength. It was totally worth it.

We have created a truly unique space, in a really cool location on a one of a kind Island. Guests we have hosted over the past year have expressed untold gratitude for the opportunity to disconnect from the real world and actually have a decent conversation together, for the design of each Stowaway provides lots of little spaces to both relax and converse (with a glass in hand of course!) Whether it be in the window seat, the hot tub, sauna or just snuggled up with a glass of red watching the fire. The unexpected upside of our new venture is as farmers we have learned the true pleasure of making people happy not just by producing food and fibre but providing a one of a kind experience you can’t really find anywhere else.

If you are reading this and have stayed with us in this past year, thank you for being part of our beginning and we hope you come back again someday.

Love Carly (and Adam)  x