This small island, just a short walk from Victor Harbor, gets its name from the huge granite boulders that dot its landscape. Granite Island (Nulcoowarra) may be of significance to geologists, but the island is perhaps most important to the indigenous Ramindjeri people, who believe it was formed by spears thrown into the water.

Today, visitors come to Granite Island to ride the horse-drawn tram and wander the hills in search of the tiny penguins that call this place home. An informative Penguin Center is open from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with twice-daily public feedings. The well-marked Kaiki Walk lets visitors loop around the island’s edge in an easy 40 minutes, and a handful of ocean lookouts prove also ideal for whale watching.