OUR MISSION
To facilitate tourism on Kangaroo Island in a eco-friendly way, maximising each persons experience with as little impact on the environment as possible.
Sincerely, Gary and Kerry
Discovery Lagoon campground is privately owned and set in 4 acres of bushland on a private100 Acre plot, set beside a lagoon, named by the French when they arrived on the island as Discovery Lagoon, giving both the property and therefore the campsite its name.
Being a seasonal lagoon, in summer months the lagoon dries out, but rainfall permitting fills in the winter. When full, many migratory birds flock here as they search for prime nesting sites.
The property is home to lots of native wildlife such as wallabies, kangaroos, echidna, koalas, possums and goannas to name a few.
Being totally off grid the campsite is run using solar power & gas. However, grid powered sites are now available (see sites #10 to #15 & #29 – #36).
Please note we do NOT have facilities to charge electric vehicles and therefore do NOT accept EV’s on site, the nearest charging points are in Kingscote.
Open during check in 2pm – 5:30pm, our reception is located at the entrance to the campground and houses a small shop to assist campers and locals alike, selling a range of items including milk, tea, coffee, tinned items, cereals, ice creams etc.
Our amenities block has timed showers (approx. 5 mins), toilets, baby change & toddler toilet seat facilities along with power boxes for charging your mobiles & other devices etc – hair dryers and other electrical devices cannot be used, however there are plans to install a coin operated hairdryer in the shower block in the very near future – so watch this space!
Attached to the amenities block is a small laundry with a washing machine (cold water washes & small loads only 4kg dry load) coin operated, $1 & $2 coins accepted. There is an area beside it set aside for campers to hang their clothes to dry.
Please note there is no dump point at the campsite however, the nearest one is not far away at Brownlow just outside Kingscote and information on the 4 dump points on the island is located in the amenities block.
The campsite has a large camp kitchen which boasts 2 gas BBQ’s, 2 gas rings, a small gas oven with pots, pans & kettles provided for the campers use, there is also a large fridge with freezer compartment and ample seating & tables.
There is an undercover sink situated beside the camp kitchen which has hot water provided for the campers to wash their pots & pans etc. A herb garden wall extends around the entrance of the camp kitchen, stocked with in season herbs, for campers to use when cooking! There’s also aloe vera for the days when you may have had just a little too much sun!
Picnic tables are scattered around the campsite for campers to use.
All caravan sites are grassed, have mains drinking water supplied, are spacious and flat with a range of shaded or unshaded sites to choose from. We also have available sites #10 to #15 & #29 to #36 which are grid powered sites with mains drinking water.
Please note we do NOT have facilities to charge electric vehicles and therefore do NOT accept EV’s on site, the nearest EV charging points are in Kingscote.
The standard tent sites are also spacious, flat and grassed with a range of shaded or unshaded sites to choose from.
We currently have 2 Eco Cabins, both are off-grid and built & designed to accommodate couples only. The Eco cabins bring a little luxury to camping with queen beds, heaters, water coolers and their own personal verandas to sit out and enjoy your surroundings.
The cabins do not have their own bathrooms but share the campsite facilities which are positioned nearby.
However, they do share a fully equipped camp kitchen with shared cooking facilities, separate fridges, cutlery & crockery.
A 2-bedroomed 6-person family accommodation is currently being constructed and will be ready for occupation in the coming months. The family accommodation is fully contained, with its own open plan living, dining and kitchen area, 2 bedrooms, bathroom and utility.
More information and booking details on the family accommodation to follow shortly …
Discovery Lagoon at night becomes a magical place with the milky way illuminating the sky and stretching out above you as the wildlife serenades signals the end of the day, sit back relax.
Come and experience the magic, here on Kangaroo Island.
A short history of Discovery Lagoon
Discovery Lagoon was one of the places on Kangaroo Island that was named by the French when they landed here in the early 1800’s. Other places named by the French on the island can be easily identified by their typically French sounding names such as Vivonne Bay and D’Estress which all date back to the same period.
At this time, with fresh water in short supply on the island the lagoon was a very important watering hole for the local people, who brought their farm animals here to drink.
If you look carefully, you can still see some of the old posts where they tied their animals and the manmade dips and swells around the lagoon made to assist in their watering. The lagoon was said to be thriving and the area teaming with life.
However, in the early 1900’s there was a particularly bad drought, locals were desperate for water, they dug down in the centre of the lagoon hoping to reach fresh water stored they thought, beneath it.
This was to prove to be the lagoons downfall as the water they eventually came across was brine from the surrounding salt lakes, of which there are many in this area. All the trees and vegetation in and around the lagoon were killed. The water which filled the lagoon each winter originated in the hills and there was no hidden water source store beneath its surface.
Since then, the hole they dug has been resealed and the lagoon has been slowly recovering. Small trees have taken root and are growing within the confines of the lagoon, frogs can be heard when the water fills it and there is hope that in time nature will eventually return the lagoon to its former glory.
The dead tree stumps scattered throughout the lagoon bear testament to the beautiful gum trees that once filled this area and perished.
Walk around the campsite and you will notice gums that have been slowly dying but which have spread their last remaining branches away from the lagoon and down to the earth, where they have dug deep and rooted.
Mother nature’s healing and survival on full display.
