Kangaroo Island has been rated fifth for sustainable tourism in a new survey of the world's best islands.
A panel of 522 experts ranked 111 islands by comparing their commitment to sustainable tourism and preserving the environment for future generations of tourists.
The South Australian island was the highest rated in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the survey, whose results have been published in US National Geographic Traveler.
One expert commented that the island's coastal habitats were pristine, its rookeries of little fairy penguin, seals, and sea lions were accessible and its boardwalk across environmentally fragile high sand hills to a major sea lion population was one of the best they had seen.
South Australian Premier Mike Rann said the ranking reflected the island's easy access to native wildlife and spectacular forms of nature, and demonstrated the success of sustainable tourism development on the island.
The top rating went to the Faroe Islands, off the coast of Denmark. - Travelpress travel news
Kangaroo Island on sustainable high
