Snake Lagoon Hike
Flinders Chase National Park
Directions - Located on the south-western part of Kangaroo Island in Flinders Chase National Park, from the brand new visitor centre, head west along Cape Du Couedic Road through the Rocky River Campground. Take West Bay Road out of the campground, and follow this for seven kilometres until you reach the left turn for Snake Lagoon Road. The car park for the trail head is located 500m down the road.
The Hike - After a couple of warm-up hikes on our first full day of exploring Kangaroo Island, today we would be heading out to the western part of the island, and into arguably the best area for hiking on the island, Flinders Chase National Park. Loading up our gear into Hal's vehicle, we left Vivonne Bay for the drive along the southern section of the island, with the first port of call being the brand new visitor centre that was built following the 2019/20 bushfires that destroyed the previous one at Rocky River.
Apart from checking out the new building, we also needed to purchase our entry passes for the day, which you can do at the main desk. There are plenty of displays and information boards to look at while you're there, along with a café if you need a coffee or hot chocolate. We did both, and were soon on the road heading towards Rocky River Campground and onwards towards the first hike planned for the day. As expedition leader, I had selected the Snake Lagoon Hike as the first adventure of the day, as the weather looked to be clouding over towards the latter half of the day. With relative clear skies, we navigated our way through the national park, and were soon on the unsealed roads (2WD accessible) that lead to the start of the trail. Finding a basic car park and an information board for the hike, we got our gear ready, and started off to see what was what.
Coming across a boot cleaning station, we all did our part to stop the spread of dieback, and joined the single track that led to where it joins the Kangaroo Island Wilderness Trail (KIWT). A multi-day walk around the western and southern parts of the island, it would have been nice to do, but we didn't book this holiday in time, and there are a few day hikes that take in some of the highlights of the trail. The first thing I noticed was the familiar abundance of epicormic regrowth that you see after large fires, and because of the massive 2019/20 bushfires that ripped through here, the whole national park was in recovery mode. This was not unexpected, and hopefully if you're looking at this in a few years time, it has recovered a bit more. It doesn't take long before you reach the KIWT, and turn right to head towards the point where you join the Rocky River.
Walking through the regenerating scrub, one small benefit was that you reach a certain point and at the time of hiking the trail, you get views looking over the river valley without being blocked by the vegetation, that I assume will grow to a lot higher than it was. Starting to descend into the valley, it isn't long before you reach the first highlight of the trail, the new walkways over the Rocky River. Being early autumn, the river levels were near their lowest point of the year, and the Rocky River name was certainly applicable, as you traverse the exposed rocky platforms between the new sections of boardwalk. We stopped here for a short while to appreciate the scenery, and to check out the pool of water on the northern side of the boardwalk. Crossing over to the eastern side of the river, from here you follow the path of the winding water course, as it makes its way to the ocean at Maupertius Bay. After the below average walking the previous day at Timber Creek and Bald Hill, this was a welcome change.
Following the single trail as it heads up and down the contours of the valley, sections of sandy path link up with rocky steps and platforms, that will test out the ankles. Being sure not to trip over while I both walked along, and admired the beautiful scenery, I decided that I had plenty of time to stop and take photographs, so avoided any silly falls. With the dry river bed exposed to the elements, it was fascinating to see the form of the bare rock that has been weathered down by the river over aeons. Getting out first glimpse of the ocean in the distance, this final section leading to the bay was one of the highlights of the whole trip. The combination of the stunning views, blue skies with light cloud, and the ocean in the foreground made for some excellent hiking. The real treat was just around the corner, as Snake Lagoon presents itself. A large natural bowl carved into the limestone cliffs, the jagged rock formations and shallow pool make for a lovely photo opportunity.
The final section of walking is the most technical of this short trail, with the path rising and falling over exposed rocks, but most experienced hikers will find it easy. After passing through some large pointed boulders, you reach the beach where the Rocky River flows into the ocean, and what a great scene to mark the turnaround point. We set our packs down and had a bit of a walk around, alkl commenting that this was a lovely place to be. I was enjoying photographing every angle, and the wilds of the waves breaking in the distance is always a draw for me. Given this was the start of the horrid algal bloom that was causing devastation all over the island and the southern shores of South Australia, there was no swimming today, although I would guess that there would be some powerful rips here. While we didn't find anything dead washed up, like we did at other parts of the island, the froth had a colour to it that wasn't inviting. Instead I had fun photographing the cliffs, birds flying by, and Hal pondering his mortal presence on this earth.
The empty beach was a nice place to spend some time exploring, and after about 20 minutes, we all reconvened at the rocky entry, ready to head back to the start. I don't find out and back hikes as tedious as some people, as you get to see different angles to the way out, along with the opportunity to spot wildlife going about their business. That's exactly what happened to us, with some beautiful Tawny Rock Dragons sunning themselves on the exposed rocks. We managed to see a couple of differently coloured specimens, with the bright orange and green one being a highlight. As we crossed over the Rocky River again, and began the ascent out of the valley, I was ahead of everyone else when I heard a shout that I needed to come back. Turns out I had walked past a large Heath Monitor that was chilling on the side of the trail, and was quite happy to continue like that while I took photos. Finishing off the hike by turning off the KIWT and heading back to the car park, this one had certainly lifted my mood about hiking on Kangaroo Island.
Final Thoughts - Our first hike in Flinders Chase National Park, and it didn't disappoint. I had heard good things about the KIWT, and having accessible day hikes like Snake Lagoon is a good way for people to get a taste of the multi-day trail.
While the 2019/20 bushfires were a tragic event, the landscape is slowly recovering, and as more time passes, it should look better. Luckily for this trail, the best parts aren't affected by fire, with the rugged terrain around Rocky River, and the beach providing memorable highlights.
If you're spending a day or two exploring Flinders Chase, then definitely add this one to the itinerary.
Get out there and experience it!
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