The small Kangaroo Island produces a surprisingly large percentage of Australia’s finest gourmet food and wine. What Australia’s third largest island lacks in five-star fine dining establishments, it more than makes up for in intimate restaurants and delicious locally sourced ingredients.
Several of the island’s tastiest delicacies can be sampled on the Kangaroo Island Farm Gate and Cellar Door Trail.
Each of the trail’s three itineraries takes at least a day to explore by car, but foodies will undoubtedly want to meander even longer at some of the highest ranked restaurants and wineries in Kingscote, the Dudley Peninsula, and the Central and South Coasts.
The first Kangaroo Island Farm Gate and Cellar Door Trail itinerary takes visitors across the Dudley Peninsula.
Wine lovers will enjoy sampling the local offerings from the Chapman River Cellar Door’s tin aircraft hangar, the Dudley Cellar Door’s North Coast view, and the Sunset Winery’s seaside outdoor deck.
Visitors who come to the Oyster Farm Shop at the right time of year can watch oyster fishermen bring in their catches while enjoying their lunches.
The Central and South Coast Tour itinerary begins at Clifford’s Honey Farm, whose honey and beeswax products are made from Ligurian bees. These bees first arrived from Italy in 1884 and remain the world’s only pure strain of bee.
The itinerary then stops at the award winning Rookery Wines before ending at Andermal Marron. This restaurant’s star attraction, freshwater crayfish called marron, can be observed in holding tanks before being served with a variety of wines and sauces.
The final Kangaroo Island Farm Gate and Cellar Door Trail covers Kingscote and its surrounding area.
Island Beehive’s guided factory tours include glass Ligurian bee hives and free samples, while Island Pure Sheep Dairy visitors can enjoy milking sheep and sampling the island’s unique sheep cheese.
Ferguson Australia is famous for its gourmet lobsters and king crabs.
Bay Of Shoals Wines and Islander Estate Vineyards are among the Kingscote area’s most notable wineries, while Kangaroo Island Spirits is the only boutique distillery in all of South Australia.
