Cape du Couedic

The basics

Guided tours of the Flinders Chase National Park all include a visit to the Cape Du Couedic to see the historic lighthouse and the Admirals Arch rock formation. After enjoying views across the Great Australian Bight and admiring the colony of long-nosed fur seals that live along the coast, set out to walk the Cape du Couedic Hike, a scenic 40-minute loop along the sea cliffs. Most Kangaroo Island tours combine a visit to the national park with other island attractions such as Vivonne Bay, Seal Bay, or the Little Sahara sand dunes.

Things to know before you go

• The Flinders Chase National Park is full of wildlife-watching opportunities, so keep a lookout for kangaroos, koalas, goannas, and echidnas.

• There’s an admission fee for the park.

• There are restrooms at the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse, but there are no shops or other amenities within the national park, so bring everything you need with you.

• While part of the Cape du Couedic is accessible by a boardwalk, the Admirals Arch viewpoint is reachable only by steps, making it off-limits for strollers and wheelchairs.

How to get there

Cape du Couedic is in the Flinders Chase National Park on the southwestern coast of Kangaroo Island. It’s about a 90-mile (150-kilometer) drive from Penneshaw, where ferries arrive at the island from the mainland. There’s no public transportation on the island, so you’ll need to rent a car or join a tour. The Cape du Couedic is accessible by 2WD, but a 4WD is highly recommended for exploring the rest of the park.

When to get there

Kangaroo Island is hugely popular with day-trippers and vacationers during the summer months (December to February), so don’t expect to have the cape to yourself unless you arrive early. Alternatively, winter can be a great time for hiking and wildlife-watching in the park—look out for migrating southern right, humpback, and sperm whales along the coast from June through October.

Exploring Flinders Chase National Park

Cape du Couedic and Admirals Arch aren’t the only destinations within the park. The site’s wild bushlands and rugged coastline are also home to the aptly nicknamed Remarkable Rocks, a series of colorful granite boulders along the south coast; the Cape Borda Lighthouse along the west coast; the secluded Weirs Cove; and the Bunker Hill lookout.