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Hiking on Kangaroo Island to a Secret BeachIf you are planning to go hiking on Kangaroo Island, then you should definitely do the Ravine des Casoars hike to a beautiful and secluded beach! Read on to find out more.

I fully believe that the best way to experience the natural beauty of a place is to go hiking, there is simply no better way to immerse yourself in nature and to wholly appreciate your surroundings.

And that couldn’t be more true in a beautiful place like Kangaroo Island. Hiking on Kangaroo Island is a must in my opinion!

There are a couple of multi-day hikes that looked amazing and if we had more time I would have loved to tackle one of them, but as we only had two days in total on the island they just weren’t feasible. There were so many other things we wanted to do as well as hiking.

Luckily there were a number of shorter Kangaroo Island walking trails too. I read about the Ravine des Casoars and the 7km return hike through the ravine to a remote beach and it sounded like the perfect Kangaroo Island wilderness trail.

Ravine des Casoars Kangaroo Island trailThe Ravine des Casoars Wilderness Protection Area is located near where we were staying in an old lighthouse keeper’s cottage at Cape Borda, on the largely uninhabited western side of the island.

The ravine was named by Nicolas Baudin, a French Explorer who mistook the now extinct Kangaroo Island Emu for another large Australian bird the Cassowary when he discovered the Ravine on his 1800-1803 expedition to map the coast of Australia.

I had read online that this Kangaroo Island walk was meant to be difficult with steep inclines and an uneven trail but after fire damage to the area in 2007, the trail was rebuilt and it is now more gentle with fewer inclines. It was also shortened by a kilometer.

We set off early from our cozy cabin to drive the rocky road to the Ravine des Casoars car park where the hike begins.

The trail began in thick native bush where a number of spider webs blocked our pathway, as we were the first people on the trail that morning. I found a large stick which I held out in front of us to break the webs as we walked.

Believe me, you don’t want to walk into spiderwebs in Australia.

Ravine des Casoars - one of the best Kangaroo Island walking trailsThe trail was surrounded by large trees where we saw flocks of black cockatoos nesting in the branches. We could hear kookaburras chattering in the distance, their calls like the laughter of a madman.

Rounding a bend we came across a large black tiger snake, which is indigenous to the island, coiled in the middle of the path. I only caught a glimpse of it before we both jumped back but it was the largest snake I have ever seen in the wild. It definitely got our blood pumping!

We weren’t sure what to do as it was completely blocking our path so I threw the stick in its direction and luckily it quickly slithered away. After living in Australia for over a year, I have seen many spiders but this was my first snake.

Moving on cautiously, the trail started slowly descending into the ravine as the thick brush opened up to views across the ravine. It was a gentle slope and the trail switch-backed till we got to the river at the bottom.

Pools of stagnant water nestled among smooth boulders that formed the mostly dry riverbed.

The Ravine des Casoars Kangaroo Island walkFollowing the river for a while, the bush suddenly stopped and the sand started. We crossed over a lopsided bridge that spanned the now sandy riverbed. A kangaroo was busy digging in the wet sand, making itself a cool hole to sit in to escape the hot day.

Kangaroo spotting on a Kangaroo Island wilderness walkWalking over the hot sands, we were surrounded by a headland on both sides with sand dunes reaching upwards on each side of us. The sound of crashing waves became louder until we caught sight of a beautiful beach with pale blue water and not a soul on it.

A large sea cave sat at the southern end of the beach where we sat on low rocks, looking out on the heavenly beach. It was cool and damp in the cave; a welcome respite from the sun.

Cave at Ravine des Casoars beach on Kangaroo Island, the end of the best Kangaroo Island wilderness trailLeaving the car in the morning, we didn’t think about packing our swimsuits as it was still quite chilly but now the day was hot and I wanted to get into that perfect-looking water.

We hadn’t encountered any other people during our hike and you could see anyone coming from about 800 meters away from the beach.

So we decided to skinny dip.

I have never really done it before and it felt weird to strip off at a beach in the brilliant sunshine, but it was also exhilarating.

We took one last look from the cave towards the trail and with still no sign of anyone, we rushed into the waves.

Ravine des Casoars beach on Kangaroo IslandI can see why some people choose to be nudists. It is such a beautiful, natural feeling to swim in the ocean and feel the water against your skin. Doing it nude heightens the experience.

After a quick glance back to the trail, we ran out of the water and back into the cave where we reluctantly put our clothes back on after drip-drying for a couple of minutes and feeling the cool wind on our skin.

It is definitely something I would do again.

As we left the beach, a seal was surfing in the waves just off the coast. It all felt a bit unreal.

The trail seemed to take less time on the way back, I find that with most walks I do. The kangaroo was still digging its hole but jumped away warily when we passed, watching us for a couple of minutes before hopping back to resume his digging.

Kangaroo on a Kangaroo Island walkGetting back to the car, the car park was still deserted. The trail had been solely ours on this late summer’s day, as was the beach. A true wilderness walk to a private beach.

Our secret place at the edge of Australia and one of the best Kangaroo Island trails to hike if you don’t have a lot of time.

Stats For the Ravine Des Casoars Trail

Distance: 7.5km/4.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 142m/465 ft
Difficulty: Easy/Moderate

Where To Stay on Kangaroo Island

A great budget option for accommodation is to camp on Kangaroo Island. There are numerous campsites around the island, including Vivonne Bay, Emu Bay, Kingscote, and Stokes Bay.

The best hotels and lodges to stay in on Kangaroo Island are Lindsays of Kangaroo Island in Penneshaw, KI Dragonfly Guesthouse in Kingscote, Waves & Wildlife Cottages in Stokes Bay, and Villas on the Bay in Kingscote.

If you would rather rent a vacation home, here are my pick of the most highly-rated, affordable, and well-located homes:

The Best Travel Insurance for your Kangaroo Island Trip

Make sure you get travel and health insurance before your Blue Mountains trip, just to be on the safe side. Safety Wing is my go-to and they are cheap and easy to claim with. 

Safety Wing also allows you to sign up when you are already traveling, unlike a lot of other travel insurance providers.

Ravine des Casoars dry riverbed on Kangaroo Island

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Hiking to a Secret Beach on a Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail

14 Comments on Hiking on Kangaroo Island to a Secluded Beach

  1. Hi, Katie!
    I was amused at your enjoyment of skinny dipping while hiking on Kangaroo Island. I enjoy hiking nude because of the same wonderful feelings of nature on my skin. Do you know of any suitable nude hiking locations near Alice Springs, Australia? I’m currently working six days a week TDy until at least the end of the year, and would love to find a place close by for a few nude hikes on my one day off. I’d appreciate hearing from you at afunhiker@gmail.com
    Sincerely, Sanford

  2. This is exactly how we like to explore a destination (minus the snake). Getting out for a good hike has always brought us to amazing spots that we normally would never see. This one looks exceptionally special.

    • Hiking is hands down the best way to explore a place in my opinion. It’s amazing that even in the most crowded places around the world, if you walk about 15 minutes you generally leave the crowds behind

  3. Wow, wow, wow!! I probably would have been shaking like a leaf after seeing the snake and turn around (I have such a snake phobia) but I’m so glad you didn’t. What a payoff! The picture of the beach from the cave looks like something from a movie. What a special secret place.

    • I was very nervous and tread very carefully after seeing that snake! If it hadn’t of moved we would have definitely turned around. The beach was stunning and it was suc a novelty to have it completely to ourselves on such a beautiful day 🙂

  4. This sounds like a perfect day! And I love that you guys stripped and got into the water. I would too, haha!! (Though I’ve never skinny dipped before… but if it really was just you and the seal, then I would!) I love that capture of the hopping kangaroo too. 🙂

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