Kangaroo Island is the third largest island after Tasmania and Melville Island. There is plenty to see and do on the island from swimming and surfing off of its beaches, exploring the shipwrecks as well as walking through the beautiful landscape and seeing the plentiful wildlife in the many National Parks. You will see many native animals that have been put on the island free from threat by other animals such as dingoes, foxes and rabbits. Although there are thought to have been early inhabitants on the island they disappeared about 2250 years ago. This was until 1802 when Flinders named the island after all of the kangaroos that they discovered on the island and French Nicholas Baudin explored the island.

While some things never change - friendly people, cool breezes, uncrowded beaches and geological wonders - each season brings new life and spectacular changes in landscape colours.

Captain Matthew Flinders, and his hungry crew members, discovered Kangaroo Island on 2 March 1802. They found no inhabitants but were compensated for this by the discovery of what they needed most of all - fresh food! In his journal Flinders recorded, 'the whole ship's company was employed this afternoon in the skinning and cleaning of kangaroos. After four months' privation they stewed half a hundredweight of heads, forequarters and tails down into soup for dinner, on this and the succeeding days, and as much steak given, moreover to both officers and men as they could consume by day and night. In gratitude for so seasonable a supply, I named this south land KANGAROO ISLAND'.

The human history of the island, which started many thousands of years ago, is rich and colourful. At the same time it is also full of suffering, endurance, privation, success, failure, courage and bravery. Its Aboriginal occupation ended about five thousand years ago and was not renewed until the early 1800's when escaped convicts, from New South Wales and Tasmania, whalers and sealers kidnapped Aboriginal women from the mainland and forced them to live with them on the island.

Here is an island seven times the size of Singapore, literally crawling with wildlife. The koalas aren't being cuddled - they're relaxing at home in native trees. The seals aren't performing - they're lazing beside you on the beach. There are echidnas, platypi, goannas, wallabies and kangaroos. All thriving. All mesmerising.

Half the native bushland on Kangaroo Island remains just as it was when British navigator Matthew Flinders put a name to this untamed wilderness in 1802. And more than one-third of the Island is National or Conservation Park.

But beauty comes in many forms: views from seaside cottages and cliff-top cabins; delicate handcrafted glassware; a day at the races in Kingscote. And, of course, there's the wine and food. Take a drive and collect wine, cheeses, oysters and lobsters and indulge on a secluded beach.

And another thing that's guaranteed: the greeting you'll get from the locals. Tourism Kangaroo Island and its 190 members welcome you to our beautiful home. We look forward to showing you around.

In the pasture lands, local farmers produce wine, sheep's milk cheese, and the best Liguran honey you'll get this side of Italy.

On the west coast of Kangaroo Island, where the raging Southern Ocean smashes against impassive rocks, teams of ecologists keep an eye on rare species of seals.

And in the east, people relax with a quiet drink and a great meal after a day of watersports, then duck out in time to see little penguins make their nightly pilgrimage to the shore.