Vyvonne Bay, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
27th May 2025
Dawn at Point Ellen, Vyvonne Bay. Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Despite being an Adelaide boy I have never visited Kangaroo Island just off the coast from Adelaide. After my time on the Yorke Peninsula I decided to spend 3 days on the Island basing myself at Vyvonne Bay in roughly the middle of the length of the island.
Campsite at Vyvonne bay.
My three days on the island would be the only time I would not travel alone. My older brother joined me from Victoria for the trip to the island. We soon discovered that the campsite at Vyvonne Bay was not tent friendly. The ground was so hard our tent pegs would not go in, I resorted to using rocks.
Sunrise down on the beach at Vyvonne Bay.
From our campsite we could walk into the Harriet River and down to the beach. Sunrise was amazing there on the last day of our visit.
Following sunrise I was treated to seals surfing the waves to the shore. Sadly with not the right camera gear for wildlife on this trip photos were not possible. I sat back and enjoyed the show.
The sun just about to rise over the horizon.
Before dawn on the other morning of our stay I pushed my bike out of the camping ground before starting it to make the short ride down the dirt road to Point Ellen to view sunrise.
The jetty at Point Ellen, Vyvonne bay, Kangaroo Island SA.
I would not be the only person at Point Ellen at this time of the day. The jetty seemed to always have someone fishing from it.
The Point Ellen navigation beacon at sunset, Vyvonne Bay. Kangaroo Island, South Australia
There are some really interesting rock formations and large tidal rock pool at Point Ellen. I failed to get good photos of either as I could just not get the light right. In the end I turned my interest to the beacon there which I will call the “lighthouse”.
I sat there for what seemed hours timing my shots for the flash of light and trying to match it with background colour and cloud cover. It was a lot of fun.
The Point Ellen just after sunrise, Vyvonne Bay. Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Once the sun had risen, as for most of the trip, I was treated to clear skies and harsh light. A travellers delight but not so good for someone who likes to take photos.
Forms in the sand created by the night wind on the beach at Vyvonne Bay.
My last memory of Vyvonne Bay is noticing the forms in the sand created by those windy nights. This was our base for the stay on Kangaroo Island so I will share more of our time on the island in future posts.
Vyvonne Bay was an okay place to base ourselves near the middle of the island. I think now knowing how far you have to travel between attractions that I would shift camp each night if I were to visit again.
If you are like me and prefer to free travel, in both the monetary and movement senses of the word, then perhaps Kangaroo Island may not be for you. Be prepared to have your hand in your pockets for a lot of fees and to be restricted from access to many places…..especially those where a motorbike like mine can readily go. More on that later.