Where to stay in Kangaroo Island’s national parks

Tell the kids, you can be a light­house keep­er for the night when you stay at Cape Willough­by Con­ser­va­tion Park.

Locat­ed on Kan­ga­roo Island, off the coast of South Australia’s Fleurieu Penin­su­la, the light­house keeper’s cot­tages are just one of the many quirky places to stay.

If you’re a beach-lover, you can also stay in unique set­tings near the long sandy beach at Antecham­ber Bay in Lash­mar Con­ser­va­tion Park or along the coast amid the vast areas of wilder­ness at Cape Gantheaume Con­ser­va­tion Park.

Here’s where to stay for a trip with a difference:

Stay in her­itage accom­mo­da­tion at Cape Willough­by Con­ser­va­tion Park

Cape Willough­by Con­ser­va­tion Park is one of the very few places where you can stay in a light­house keeper’s cottage.

Locat­ed on the east­ern end of the island, the park is home to two cot­tages set on the rugged east­ern point of the island over­look­ing the treach­er­ous Back­stairs Passage.

Vis­i­tors on Trip Advi­sor say the cot­tages are great places for fam­i­lies and friends to relax and unwind with cosy bed­rooms, a kitchen and even board games stashed away in the lounge room.

Enjoy spec­tac­u­lar sun­ris­es, lis­ten to the waves crash­ing onto the near­by cliffs and catch glimpses of wildlife – you might even spot a whale from the kitchen window.

Both cot­tages sleep up to nine peo­ple. Book now.

Camp at Lash­mar Con­ser­va­tion Park

A favourite for beach-lovers, Lash­mar Con­ser­va­tion Park adjoins the long sandy beach at Antecham­ber Bay.

The park is an ide­al loca­tion for swim­ming, fish­ing and bird­watch­ing and is just a short dri­ve from Cape Willough­by light­sta­tion.

You can canoe your way along the tran­quil Chap­man Riv­er that flows through the park and into the sea at Antecham­ber Bay.

There are two camp­grounds in the park. Book online before you go.

Antecham­ber Bay North Camp­ground is locat­ed on the north­ern side of the Chap­man Riv­er and has 11 camp­sites, with near­by walk­ing trails pro­vid­ing access to the beach and the river. 

This camp­ground is suit­able for car­a­vans, camper trail­ers and tents and has toi­lets and pic­nic tables. Camp­fires are not per­mit­ted at all times in this campground. 

Antecham­ber Bay South Camp­ground is locat­ed on the south­ern and east­ern side of the Chap­man Riv­er and has 12 camp­sites dot­ted along the banks of the Chap­man River.

This camp­ground is suit­able for car­a­vans, camper trail­ers and tents and has fire pits, pic­nic shel­ter and gas BBQs.

There are no toi­lets at this camp­ground – you’ll have to dri­ve to the Antecham­ber Bay North Campground.

Wood fires and sol­id fuel fires are per­mit­ted with­in this campground’s des­ig­nat­ed fire pits, oth­er than on days of total fire ban (exclud­ing fire dan­ger season).

Camp at Cape Gantheaume Con­ser­va­tion Park

Vast areas of wilder­ness, Kan­ga­roo Island’s largest lagoon and coastal scenery pro­vide a spec­tac­u­lar back­drop to Cape Gantheaume Con­ser­va­tion Park and the adjoin­ing Wilder­ness Pro­tec­tion Area on the south coast of the island.

The park has plen­ty of walk­ing oppor­tu­ni­ties, includ­ing the unmarked Cape Gantheaume Coastal Trek (suit­able for expe­ri­enced hik­ers only), estab­lished trails at Mur­ray Lagoon (may be sub­ject to flood­ing in the win­ter months), and short walks at D’Estrees Bay.

It’s locat­ed near Seal Bay Con­ser­va­tion Park, so don’t for­get to stop in and say g’day to the Aus­tralian sea-lions sun­ning them­selves on the beach. You can also take a self-guid­ed dri­ve along D’Estrees Bay Road.

There are five camp­sites in the park dot­ted along the D’Estrees Bay coast­line. Book online before you go.

You can enjoy the peace­ful­ness and vast wilder­ness of the park by camp­ing under the stars at these seclud­ed sites.

Some of the sites have coastal views and part shade, and some have min­i­mal wind pro­tec­tion. The sites are suit­able for tents, and some are suit­able for camper­vans and camper trail­ers. There are acces­si­ble toi­lets and a long-drop toi­let. Camp­fires aren’t allowed.

Find out what’s open now in Kan­ga­roo Island’s nation­al parks, learn more about Seal Bay or check the Nation­al Parks of Kan­ga­roo Island Vis­i­tor Guide: Sep­tem­ber 2020 for more info to plan your trip.