Kangaroo Island

110km (68 miles) S of Adelaide

Kangaroo Island is one of Australia's best-kept secrets. While lots of people overseas sing its praises, it's a place that seems to have slipped under the radar of many Australians. Which is a shame, because KI, as the locals call their island home, is the best place Down Under to see Australian marsupials in the wild.

Close to half of the island is either natural bushland or national park; and according to the boffins, who count these type of things, it is home to 4,000 penguins, 6,000 fur seals, 600 rare Australian sea lions, 5,000 koalas, 15,000 kangaroos, 254 species of birdlife, and somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million tammar wallabies, thanks largely to an environment free of introduced foxes or rabbits, who prey on the native inhabitants or their environment. The scenery is also spectacular. Think rugged coastal cliffs with startling rock formations, rolling pasture-clad hills, dense eucalypt forests, gorgeous beaches, caves, lagoons, and black-water swamps.