Planning a trip for your summer travels, head to Kangaroo Island in Australia.

Prints marked the sand – left not by stranded sailors but by the local wildlife, which, with just one human being per square mile, still roams free. Kangaroo Island (KI), off the coast of South Australia, is wild, elemental and unफॉर thegiving. But I can think of few places in which l would rather be shipwrecked. KI is billed as Australia's answer to the Galapagos Islands: koalas, seals, sea lions, wallabies and, of course, kangaroos, are abundant, while echidna, platypus, southern right whales and penguins can be spotted by those who are more patient. Evening "Kangas and Kanapes" drinks on the 600-acre estate of nearby Edward's Cottage, which teems with kangaroos, give a taste of what the place can offer, but to have any hope of scratching beneath the surface of an island थे size of Sussex, you need an experienced guide.

Flights to Kangaroo Island are operated by Rex Airlines (0061 2 6393 5550; www.rex.com.au) which offers connections from seven southern Australian airports, including Adealide.