Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Flinders Chase
A whole day in the far-west national park by 4WD, eight guests at most, with park fees and a barbecue or picnic lunch.
From $300 per person (minimum 2)
Check AvailabilityFlinders Chase National Park, Kangaroo Island: Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch
Flinders Chase fills the west end of the island, and it holds the two sights on every postcard. It is a long drive from anywhere, so plan the day around it. If you are choosing Kangaroo Island Australia tours for the far west, start with the fee, the drive and the time each tour gives you inside.
Entry: A$22.40 a person, paid before you go in
You pay before you enter the park, online or at the visitor centre. On most full-day tours the fee is already in your fare, so check before you pay it twice.
- Site entry
- A$22.40 a person
- Camping
- From A$19.80 a night, booked ahead
- Tour Pass
- The Kangaroo Island Tour Pass covers entry for 12 months
- From Kingscote
- About 110 km west
- From Adelaide
- 266.4 km, including the crossing
- Open
- Daily; staff in the park from 9am to 5pm
Drive the Playford and West End Highways, or the South Coast Road past Seal Bay and Vivonne Bay. Drive carefully at dawn and dusk, when the animals are on the road.
The visitor centre at 8125 South Coast Road
The Flinders Chase Visitor Centre stands 800 metres outside the park on South Coast Road. It sells entry and the Tour Pass, and its staff have the day's road and weather news. You can call it on 0428 766 269.
It also houses The Rocks Café, open seven days a week. That matters, because there are no bins in the park and little else to buy. Its chargers for electric cars run on solar power, so expect the odd outage.
Remarkable Rocks
Remarkable Rocks is a cluster of granite boulders on a dome of ancient rock above the sea. Wind and water have hollowed them into odd shapes, and lichen turns them golden orange. The light is warmest late in the day.
After the 2019–20 fires the site was rebuilt. There is now a new boardwalk, a viewing platform and signs that explain the rock. The boardwalk is accessible, and there are accessible toilets by the car park.
Admirals Arch and the fur seals
Admirals Arch is at Cape du Couedic, a natural arch the ocean has worn through the rock over thousands of years. Below it lives a large breeding colony of long-nosed fur seals. You watch them on the rocks and in the pools.
The boardwalk down is steep, with steps at the end to the arch itself. If you cannot manage the steps, stop partway: there are seats, and the views take in the Casuarina islets, the seal colonies and the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse.
Walks: Platypus Waterholes and the rebuilt tracks
The park is more than its two sights. The Platypus Waterholes walk leaves from the visitor centre and follows Black Swamp and the Rocky River through platypus habitat. The fire of 3 January 2020 destroyed it, and it has been rebuilt.
| Walk | Time | Distance | Where it starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platypus Waterholes | 2 hours | 4.5 km | The visitor centre |
| Cape du Couedic Hike | 40-minute loop | 2 km | The Cape du Couedic day area |
| Ravine Hike | 3 hours | 7 km | Ravine Road car park; 4WD recommended |
| Harveys Return Hike | 30 minutes | 1 km | Harveys Return campsite |
| Return Road Hike | 3 hours | 9 km | Harveys Return |
| Wilderness Trail | 5 days | 61 km | Registered walkers only |
The shorter walks fit into a day tour's free time; the long ones need a day of their own. The Wilderness Trail is booked in advance and walked over five days.
After the 2019–20 fires
The park burned in the 2019–20 summer bushfires. Visitor facilities, walks and the heritage cottages at Rocky River have been rebuilt since, and the parks service tracks how the wildlife has recovered.
The park itself dates from 1919, when South Australia set the land aside to protect its plants and animals. It takes its name from Matthew Flinders, one of the first Europeans to land on and name the island.
Time in the park by tour
Every full day to the west stops at both sights, but the time you get there ranges from under an hour at each to about four hours in the park.
| Tour | Time in the park | Entry in the fare | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far-west day by 4WD (Hire a Guide) | About 4 hours | Yes | $300 |
| Private day in the far west | About 4 hours | Ask; its itinerary flags admission | $884 |
| Best of KI day by 4WD (Hire a Guide) | About 3 hours | Yes | $318 |
| Scenic and wildlife day (KI Trails) | About 3 hours, lunch there | Yes | $292 |
| Cruise shore day, scenic (KI Trails) | An hour at each sight | Yes | $177 |
| Coach day with hotel pickup (SeaLink) | About 45 minutes at each sight | Yes | $154 |
| Best of KI over 2 days (Hire a Guide) | Most of day 2 | Yes | $586 |
| 2-day wildlife trip from Adelaide (See Adelaide) | Part of day 2 | Yes | $639 |
| 3-day camping trip from Adelaide (Untamed Escapes) | Part of a day | Yes | $757 |
Want the most time in the west?
The far-west day by 4WD and the private day give you about four hours in the park. Compare them with the shorter coach and cruise days.
Closures, signal and supplies
- Wind
- Admirals Arch and Remarkable Rocks may close in damaging winds.
- Fire
- The park closes on days of catastrophic fire danger and may close on extreme ones.
- Rain
- West Bay Road and Shackle Road may close when they are unsafe after rain.
- Signal
- Telstra only, and patchy. Download maps before you drive west.
- Water and bins
- Carry your own drinking water, and take your rubbish home.
- Drones
- Not allowed in the national parks without a permit.
Check the park alerts, or call the visitor centre, on the morning you go. Fill your tank in Kingscote, Parndana or Vivonne Bay on the way.
Asked about Flinders Chase
How much does it cost to enter Flinders Chase?
A$22.40 a person, paid before you enter, online or at the visitor centre. The Tour Pass covers Flinders Chase too, and most full-day tours to the far west include the fee.
Where do I pay to enter Flinders Chase?
Online, or at the Flinders Chase Visitor Centre at 8125 South Coast Road, 800 metres outside the park. Fees must be paid before you enter. The Tour Pass covers entry too.
Can I walk down to Admirals Arch?
Yes, by a purpose-built boardwalk that is steep, with steps at the end. Long-nosed fur seals live on the rocks below Admirals Arch.
Is Remarkable Rocks wheelchair accessible?
Yes. An accessible boardwalk leads out to Remarkable Rocks, with accessible toilets near the car park. It was rebuilt after the 2019–20 fires.
Did the 2019–20 fires close Flinders Chase?
The park burned in the 2019–20 summer bushfires and has reopened. Walks such as Platypus Waterholes have been rebuilt, and roads can still close after rain or in damaging winds, so check the park alerts before you drive to Flinders Chase.
How far is Flinders Chase from Kingscote?
About 110 km west, by the Playford and West End Highways or the South Coast Road. Allow most of a day for Flinders Chase, or take a full-day tour that drives you.
Is there phone signal on the island?
Telstra has the widest coverage; other networks drop out, and the west end has little or none. Download your maps before you drive.
Where these facts come from
The fee, the sights, the walks, the closures and the park's history are the parks service's own, read 24 September 2026. The time each tour spends in the park comes from its own listing, saved on 24 September 2026.
- The far-west national park: fees, sights, walks and alerts (parks service)
- The island tour pass: prices and where to buy it (parks service)
- Visitor questions: transport, fuel, signal and biosecurity (Kangaroo Island Tourism)
Tours that spend the day in the far west
Flinders Chase Private Luxury Tour
A private day in the far west for your group alone, with a picnic lunch and drinks served in the bush.
From $884 per person (minimum 1)
Check Availability
Small Group Kangaroo Island Tour - Best of KI in 2 Days
Two days by 4WD with eight guests at most and park fees paid; you book your own bed in Kingscote between them.
From $586 per person (minimum 2)
Check AvailabilityNext: see the drive from each tour start, read about the fur seals and the other animals, or compare every fare on Kangaroo Island Tours.