Kangaroo Island bushfire: Southern Ocean Lodge destroyed, staff forced to hide in bunker
Kangaroo Island’s vital tourism industry has been hard by fires left some of its greatest assets in ruins, including one of the world’s finest hotels which has been completely destroyed.
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Kangaroo Island’s multimillion-dollar tourism industry has been left reeling from the fires which have devastated half of the island.
Worst hit have been businesses on the southern side, with the luxury Southern Ocean Lodge, Hanson Bay Cabins, Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Western KI Caravan Park and Kangaroo Island Wilderness Retreat suffering extensive damage.
The Flinders Chase National Park — which was hit severely by a huge fire in 2007 — again has been ravaged, with its visitor centre and cafe reduced to ashes.
Tens of thousands of people visit the park each year, with the Remarkable Rocks and Admirals Arch among its drawcard attractions.
Domestic and overseas visitors spend around $140 million annually on Kangaroo Island, making tourism its biggest industry ahead of agriculture, forestry and aquaculture.
Farmers have lost thousands of sheep and cows while large numbers of paddocks and fences have been destroyed.
Thousands of hectares of commercial plantations of pinus radiata and Tasmanian blue gum also have been wiped out.
Kangaroo Island Tourism Food and Wine Board chairman Pierre Gregor urged people to keep visiting the island once the fire was extinguished.
“We need to get the message out that while parts of the island have been damaged, there are still beautiful parts which are open for business,” he said.
“We don’t want to exacerbate the losses we have already experienced by diverting income away from agriculture and tourism, the industries Kangaroo Island is most well known for.”
Kangaroo Island Mayor Michael Pengilly said it was going to take the island a long time to recover from the fires.
“But we are a very resilient community and we will all stick together,” he said.
“It is going to drastically affect our economy and we are aware of that.
“On every front, whether that be forestry, primary industry, fishing or tourism, we will come back, we will rebuild and we will get on with it.”
Mr Pengilly said the first step in the island’s financial recovery was ensuring tourists continued to visit.
Australia’s best hotel reduced to rubble
What was once recognised as Australia’s best hotel has been reduced to a hollow shell.
The award-winning Southern Ocean Lodge was completely decimated, covered in soot on blackened ground, perched high on the cliffs of Hanson Bay southwest of Kangaroo Island.
On Friday, six senior staff members stayed back to monitor the blaze but as flames crept closer, they were forced to seek shelter in a bunker.
Fortunately no one was injured, while guests and most staff were evacuated to Kingscote and Adelaide earlier in the day.
Baillie Lodges founders James and Hayley Baillie have vowed to rebuild the world-renowned luxury accommodation, which has long rated among the world’s best since it opened in 2008.
“We are absolutely shocked and saddened by today’s events,” Mr and Mrs Baillie said.
“A bushfire incident such as this is really our worst nightmare come true.
“In the short to medium term we would like to take the lead in rebuilding the Kangaroo Island tourism industry.
“As much as possible we would like to contribute to the economic and social recovery of the broader Kangaroo Island community, which has really been such a genuine part of the lodge’s resonance for both our Australian and international guests.”
The multimillion-dollar lodge was voted the best hotel in Australia in Travel + Leisure’s prestigious Top 100 Hotels List two years in a row as well as the best Australian resort in the Conde Nast Traveler 2019 Reader’s Choice Awards.
Heartfelt wishes poured across Kangaroo Island and South Australia towards the small staff team, including managers John Hird and Alison Heath, for their safety and wellbeing on Saturday.
The lodge is closed until further notice with guests on upcoming reservations to be contacted over coming days.
The owners said it was still too early to estimate a reopening date but initial planning to rebuild the eco-tourism lodge had begun.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese said the economic impact on Kangaroo Island would be “significant”.
“It’s important that we rebuild our regional communities, including supporting that infrastructure,” he said.
“The most important thing at the moment though is saving lives but when this is all through, we do need to commit to that investment going back in.”
– Josephine Lim
