This tour is designed to put you into contact with some of the new and interesting enterprises and experience a range of traditional Island activities. It is a relaxing day with comparatively little driving. All locations on the tour have toilet facilities and most have picnic areas and refreshments. Enterprises mentioned are open 7 days a week except Christmas Day - booking conditions may apply through the mild winter months of June, July and August. Entrance fees apply for the tours offered and group bookings are essential.
From Kingscote take the Playford Highway west for 7 km to the American River turn-off. Turn left and after 6 km you will come to the intersection with the Hog Bay Road that leads to American River and Penneshaw. Continue straight ahead on the Hundred Line Road. Travel 5 km to the start of the gravel road and continue straight ahead for just under 2 km to the intersection of Hundred Line and Willson's Roads. This is the starting point of the tour.
To get to this point from American River or Penneshaw, travel towards Kingscote via Hog Bay Road. Set your odometer at the junction of the sealed road from American River and Hog Bay Road. Travel 9 km towards Kingscote along Hog Bay Road until you reach Willson's Road on the left. Turn left into Willson's Road. Travel for 6 km will take you to the starting point.
Clifford's Honey Farm
Opening hours 9am -5pm year round except Christmas Day. (Phone: 8553 8295).
The unusual name for this road comes from the fact that it precisely follows the boundary between the Hundreds of MacGillivray and Haines, part of the formal land division. This explains the lack of corners on this section of road!
Turn left into the Honey Farm which is a 600 hectare (1500 acre) sheep property operated by the Clifford family. The dramatic drop in wool price lead to the establishment of the Honey Farm in 1993. The Clifford's had always kept a few hives of the relatively gentle Ligurian bees but production has stepped up with the development of the honey farm to the point where over 10,000 kilograms of honey is produced annually.
Kangaroo Island is thought to be the only place in the world where a pure strain of the placid Ligurian bee exists. The Clifford's offer free honey tastings of at least 3 varieties of honey plus the opportunity to purchase honey, locally made souvenirs and Jenny's famous honey ice cream! The tour of the honey room explains bee communication and social organisation, the process of honey production by the bees, collection and extraction by bee-keepers, and development of a range of other by-products. Ask why the Post Office in Kingscote sometimes has buzzing packages!
Opening hours 9am -2pm daily except Christmas Day. (Phone: 8553 8228).
The tree from which eucalyptus oil is distilled is the Kangaroo Island Narrow-leaved Mallee Eucalyptus cneorifolia. This plant is the dense multi-stemmed tree to about 5 metres which lines the road as you travel north, and its distribution is restricted almost entirely to Kangaroo Island.
Eucalyptus distilling was once a major industry on the Island. Emu Ridge is the only commercial distillery still in operation in South Australia. The technology of this operation may surprise you – the rustic outlook hides some clever bush engineering and processes which are simple yet effective.
Why eucalyptus oil? The oil is a natural product that requires no additives, fertilisers or costly processing – just plenty of hard work. The uses of the oil include: solvent; cleaner; disinfectant; stain remover; penetrating oil; insect repellent; soothing insect bites and stings and will even rid your dog of fleas!
The Turner family, having learnt from hard experience in the wool industry, decided to keep firm control over their product development, quality standards, production, marketing and distribution. Everything takes place on site from cutting the leaves, distillation, refining through a second distillation, bottling, labelling and retailing. Their tour takes you through these stages and concludes with an outline of just what might be possible in pursuing the development of other products from the Island's natural assets. A by-product of eucalyptus oil production at Emu Ridge is 240V electricity. A range of souvenirs and eucalyptus oil products are available.
Duck Lagoon
Slow down as you pass a stone house close to the road on the left. Soon after this house is a small grey building (Cygnet River telephone exchange). Turn left onto Kookaburra Road.
In the large trees along the start of this road you may see koalas. If you wish to look for koalas, please park your car off to the left just before the small stream and walk quietly along the edge of the road. Please respect the fact that the land on either side of the road is private property and also respect the needs of the koalas. These are wild animals which require over 18 hours sleep per day. Should the koalas be constantly disturbed by people clapping and talking loudly, they will simply move away from the road and visitors will lose the opportunity to find them.
Continue along the road for just over 2 km to a driveway on the left. Drive slowly as it is easy to miss the driveway – if you come to a sharp right bend you have gone too far. This is the entrance to Duck Lagoon and a car park is visible in the distance.
Duck Lagoon is a council reserve that offers picnic areas, good bird watching, quiet walks and some good interpretation of the history of the area. For those interested in birds this is a good place to visit early morning or late afternoon.
Turning left out of Duck Lagoon, a five-way junction is just over 2 km away. Turn left onto Gum Creek Road (not hard left on Ropers Road) and travel west for 6 km.
This road travels through some of the better cereal growing country on the Island and affords views of the Cygnet River valley to the south and Wisanger Hills to the north.
Gum Creek Marron
Tours available: 12 noon – 5 pm daily (except Christmas Day). In June/July/August – open Sunday, Monday and Friday only, other times by arrangement. (Phone 8553 5255)
Marron is a freshwater crustacean, which looks a little like lobster. Since 1989 the Turner family (yes – they are related to the eucalyptus oil Turners!) have been using the Island's clean environment and rolling landscape to maximum advantage in presenting a well planned aquaculture project. The large ponds follow natural contour lines to allow water to be moved via gravity, minimising energy costs.
The 120 ponds contain marron, yabbies (a smaller species similar to marron) and rainbow trout. The purpose of the trout is to control the numbers of predatory aquatic insects that have an adverse effect on the survival of immature marron. Experimentation is also taking place on the production of Murray catfish and silver perch.
Tastings and meals featuring marron and yabbies are available as well as a picnic area in a pleasant setting amongst big sugar gum trees. Koalas are often found in the trees along the creek line – visitors are welcome to take a walk.
Island Pure Sheep Dairy
Open: 1pm-5pm daily (except Christmas day). Milking (recommended to see) 3pm - 5pm.
The modern building houses the dairy, a cheese and yoghurt-making facility, milk storage area, retail outlet and observation area.
Many people might be surprised to learn that there are more sheep milked world-wide than cows. The cheeses and yoghurt made here are world class and the cheeses include Spanish, Greek, Italian and Cypriot recipes. Since 1992 Island Pure has developed to where 300 sheep are milked at any one time from a dairy flock of 1200. Products made here can be purchased from many areas around Australia.
The experience here includes the chance to observe milking, a video on cheese production, tastings and sales of produce. The kids (big or little) can also help feed the lambs.
To return home, turn right at the gate, travelling East on Gum Creek Road for1 km. Turn left onto Playford Highway. Continue into Kingscote, or if travelling to American River or Penneshaw turn right onto Hog Bay Road, after 5 km.