Dave Sparkes discusses the ‘proof’s in the pudding theory’ sparked by a recent trip.

I don’t know about you, but my visualisation of a place I’ve never seen is nearly always off the mark. Since the input is rarely based on reality, I guess that makes sense. Photos, video footage, word of mouth and imagination are a far cry from the real thing, and when it came to my recent trip to Kangaroo Island, for the Tracks Wetsuit Test (featured in the June Issue, out now) I have never been more wrong.

I’ve been to King Island, in the middle of Bass Strait between Tassie and Vicco, a few times, and I guess I loosely based my pre-conception on that lovely little oasis. But KI (as Kangaroo Island is affectionately known as to locals) is a different world. Like King Island (hmm, I wonder if the locals call that KI too?) KI has a colourful shipwreck history, more than 50 that are known. It also has wonderful local produce which matches, but is not as well known as, King Island’s famous gustatory delights. For example, the KI honey, produced by the purest strain of Ligurian bees, originally from Italy. This honey is so mind blowingly delectable I actually ate a whole small jar of the stuff. I didn’t even bother with bread. It is the nectar of the gods!

But KI ain’t KI! It is far larger than King Island, around 150 km’s long, with an immeasurably long amount of pristine coastline, some 540km’s worth. There are some of the most exquisite bays and coves and virgin, white sand beaches, including the scintillating Vivonne Bay, which according to a Sydney University survey, came in at number one of some ten thousand beaches around Australia! The criteria, which included water clarity, cleanliness and privacy, all add to the allure of Vivonne, and the island itself.

In a sense, the difficult access of a lot of the KI coastline is its charm. You can’t really expect a perfect beach to yourself without a bit of effort, and while there are loads of beaches here that are superb and still easy to get to, for mine the trickier ones evoke the most feeling, and give the most back. If you are a traditionalist when it comes to the traveller’s credo of the journey being as important as the destination, then the sense of anticipation you’ll experience on your way in to some of the more remote beaches will thrill you.

I saw stunning escarpments, incredible reefs, startling rock formations, vodka clear water, ultramarine blue ocean, copious wildlife, and untouched, misty hinterland. I drank surprisingly good local wines, ate staggeringly fresh local seafood, and let the most intense sunrises and sunsets wash over me like a cadmium scarlet fog – or should that read fugue?

And waves? Well I must admit, having been attacked by a youngish Great White a few years ago, I was less than enthusiastic about surfing, and swimming around with a camera, on a South Australian island! But the vibe was not sharky, the locals claim to have rarely seen them, and honestly, the water is so clear you just don’t stress about them! Besides, you’d probably see one coming a mile off in that beautiful ocean. There are so many set-ups you’d need months or years to sample them all, and by the sound of talk on KI, they’re nowhere near all discovered yet. But with a decent 4-wheel drive, you could do worse than spend some time just taking a random road and not stopping until you get to the ocean. I did that for just a week and found some empty gold. If you check the island out that way you’ll hit pay dirt sooner rather than later too, I reckon.

KI is worth a look for sure, and as far as going for brownie points with your significant other, there are some pimped out, intimate resorts that have views to die for, and seriously look the goods for romantic getaways. Just take your board too – and don’t forget to try the honey!

Words and photos: Dave Sparkes

Website: Sparkesphoto