Sandboarding Little Sahara
A 70-metre wave of white gypsum sand in the middle of the south coast. Climb the big dune, ride it down on a sandboard or a toboggan, climb again. The legs feel it.
The Little Sahara Adventure Centre hire shed at the entry has boards, toboggans, helmets and water. Sandboard and Toboggan Hire is $37 per board plus $10 helmet hire, with up to 3 hours of use, no booking required, all ages.
Sea kayaking and snorkelling
The calm-water kayaking on KI happens on the Harriet River, where Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action operates two distinct products from its base at 188 Jetty Rd, Vivonne Bay. The Guided Kayak Tour is 110 minutes at $97 per person, with a trained guide and a chance to spot koalas, birdlife and native plants along the way (not guaranteed). Kayak Hire is a separate self-guided option at $77 for a double or $47 for a single, with up to 3 hours of use. Both run on the same stretch of river. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult on either.
Snorkel sites worth knowing: Stokes Bay rock pools, Western River Cove, and the protected end of Vivonne Bay. KI water temperature sits between 14 and 19 degrees year round. A spring suit is the minimum.
Hiking
The headline walk is the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail: a 5-day, 61 km hut-to-hut traverse through Flinders Chase. Properly graded, properly marked, and you book the huts and shuttle on the National Parks SA site. The trail re-opened in stages after the 2020 fires and the regrowth on the burnt sections is now spectacular.
Shorter walks worth a day: the Snake Lagoon to Remarkable Rocks coastal walk (8 km return), the Cape du Couedic lighthouse and Admirals Arch loop (2 km), and the Snelling Beach headland on the north coast.
Caving and lesser-known options
Kelly Hill Caves run guided tours through the main chamber and adventure-caving experiences for fitter visitors. The adventure tour is properly hands-on (helmets, head-torches, crawling through narrow sections), and you book direct on the National Parks SA site.
For surfers, Pennington Bay and Vivonne Bay hold the most reliable surf. Both are exposed Southern Ocean breaks, both are powerful, and neither is patrolled. Check the swell and know your limits.
How to build an adventure trip
Three to four nights is the realistic minimum. Day 1 east end and travel. Day 2 a full adventure day (Little Sahara plus kayak, or a section of the Wilderness Trail). Day 3 a coastal day on the south or north coast. Day 4 a slow morning and the ferry back.
Pack a wetsuit if you have one, a head-torch, sun cover, and good shoes. Bring layers. Coastal KI is cold even in summer when the wind is up.