Kangaroo Island Day 2

Tuesday 1st September 2026

We enjoyed beautiful sunshine yesterday, but it’s a bit cloudy today, although no rain. The island has had a lot of rain recently though as it is so green everywhere and our aerial view on Sunday as we flew into Kingscote revealed lots of surface water.

 

We took a drive over to Penneshaw and American River. Penneshaw is the most easterly point of the island and is where the ferries connect KI to the mainland.

Penneshaw was named by combining the surnames of Dr F.W. Pennefather, private secretary to Governor Jervois and Flora Louisa Shaw, a colonial editor for The Times.

Originally the settlement was named Hog Bay by the French explorer, Nicholas Baudin who had released pigs onto the island in 1802.

 

 

We walked around the town and went exploring the Sculpture Trail. Saw lots of wallabies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to American River in the hope of finding some fresh seafood, but that wasn’t to be. I understand that there is no commercial fishing at the moment due to the algae bloom in South Australian waters. American River is an unusual name for a settlement. It was name after a group of American sealers who camped there in 1803, though it does not actually have a river.

 

After a spot of lunch overlooking the bay we made our way back to Kingscote where we were able to buy some Australian green prawns for our Marco Polo prawns with buttered leeks, pan fried sweet red capsicums and green beans tossed in butter and served with toasted flaked almonds.

Our friends from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the UK joined us for dinner. They are staying just down the road from us in Emu Bay.