At Wanderers Rest we would like to ensure that the unique island environment is conserved for our children to share the joys of nature. We are trying to minimise our use of the precious resources on Kangaroo Island.

 Our aim is to minimise our impact on the environment without compromising the comfort of our guests.  We believe that small things all add up. We undertake sustainable practices and reduce energy consumption.

We source Kangaroo Island produce where possible and have changed to a local mineral water instead of an imported one.  Guests can enjoy fresh produce grown in the Wanderers Rest’s  own aquaponic system.

Water is a precious resource in Australia; Wanderers Rest relies completely on the pure natural rain water caught from our roofs.  We need to make the most of what is captured particularly through the dry summers. One of the water saving measures at Wanderers Rest is a system that uses recycled water to keep our gardens green all year round. As well as being pleasant to see this provides a buffer against bush fires during the summer.

We have installed an aquaponic system, which circulates water through fish & yabbie ponds to a vegetable garden. This method is said to use one tenth of the water required for a normal garden, as the water does not disappear into the ground.  The nutrients produced by the fish are removed by the plants and the water is returned, in a cleaned state for the fish. Some of the herbs an lettuces produced by the garden are eaten by our guests.  We have eaten the trout as they grow, so everything from the system is used.

In March 2010 we installed solar panels to generate electricity and heat pumps to provide hot water one quarter of the cost of the old electric and gas hot water system.  Ask to see the solar powered gadget which shows we are generating about half of our average daily power for the restaurant area during the last of our summer. With the savings from power reduction we are hoping to look at double glazing our widows.

We have always been conscious of recycling and recycle where possible. 

This is but a small sample of the environmental practises we undertake at the motel; feel free to ask us about our other sustainability projects.

We have completed certificates in sustainability and climate change with Eco Tourism Australia and have been awarded a Triple A environmentally friendly practices rating..