Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail – Day 2: Maupertuis Section is a 14.1km, grade 4 one way hike located in Flinders Chase National Park South Australia. The hike should take approximately 6hrs to complete.

Summary

Spend 5 days hiking the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail along the spectacular coastline of south-west Kangaroo Island. Follow the Rocky River, walk along the wild west coast, take a side trip to Admirals Arch and the Remarkable Rocks, walk to Hanson Bay and return inland through the forests to Kelly Hill. The trail opened in 2016, and is a 5-day trail with campsites along the way, although there are day walk options available through some tour operators. The first day in the Rocky River Section, and the 5th day in the Kelly Hill Section can be hiked by anyone, but the middle 3 days are only accessible to people who have paid the $161 trail trail fee.

We’ve listed each of the 5 sections on a separate entry:

Day 2 of the hike begins from Snake Lagoon, following the Snake Lagoon Hike along Rocky River out to the Southern Ocean. The KIWT leaves the Snake Lagoon Hike before the coast, heading up the rocky headland above where Rocky River meets the ocean. Today’s walk is wild, following the coastal cliffs towards the Cape du Couedic lighthouse. The trail descends onto Maupertuis Beach to follow it for 1.5km – watch out for Hooded Plover nests. Passing the cairn to the shipwrecked Loch Sloy, the trail turns inland to Hakea Campsite. The trail is rocky and rough, but easy enough to follow. The optional sidetrip to Admirals Arch is 9.6 km return and takes about 3-4 hours, so you might have time in the afternoon of Day 2, or the morning of Day 3.

GPX file courtesy of Walking SA. File may not contain elevation data and may only represent half the length on return hikes.

Please note that you need to be registered and logged in to download GPX Files. If you aren't you will automatically be redirected to the registration/login screen before being returned to this page. Then click the download button again. By downloading any GPX files from this site you agree that its use, and reliance upon, is entirely at your own risk. These files are for non-commercial, personal use only. I will endeavour to ensure the accuracy and currency of the data, but accept no responsibility in this regard, or the results of any actions taken, when using the digital route files.

For more information on this hiking trail, please visit Walking SA