Southern Ocean Lodge: Kangaroo Island luxury resort’s rebuild nears, amid plans to reopen in 2023

Southern Ocean Lodge’s rebuild after the KI bushfire will start next month after lengthy negotiations with insurers. See the designs and find out when it will open.

Work on reviving the acclaimed Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island will begin next month, in a major win for the region’s mammoth rebuild.

Owner Baillie Lodges says the new Hanson Bay accommodation, replacing the complex destroyed in the region’s horrific bushfires, has been backed by US-based KSL Capital Partners.

The business said it had concluded negotiations with its insurers.

Baillie Lodges founder James Baillie had previously said securing insurance was the “single biggest potential impediment” to the rebuild, in the wake of the blaze that swept through the island from December 2019 to January 2020.

The lodge is slated to open in the first half of 2023.

Mr Baillie, who founded the company with Hayley Baillie, said he was “relieved and excited” to have the green light to build the new accommodation.

It has been dubbed SOL 2.0.

Baillie Lodges co-founders James and Hayley Baillie.

The sculpture ‘Sunshine’ at Southern Ocean Lodge, which was destroyed in the Kangaroo Island fires.

“We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has helped and encouraged us to date, including the very resilient KI community, our friends who’ve helped in our working bees and to the South Australian government, which has worked with us to approve the development,” he said.

“We’re looking forward to putting 2020 and 2021 behind us, and to wow guests once again with the wild beauty of KI.

“We hope SOL 2.0 will be a symbol of resilience and optimism for the future of Australian tourism.”

The original building’s architect, Max Pritchard of Max Pritchard Gunner Architects, has designed the new development.

“He has cleverly created plans that will capture the magic of the original Southern Ocean Lodge, while adding some new features that will make our guests’ experience of KI even more special,” Mr Baillie said.

The ruins of the Southern Ocean Lodge after the fire two years ago.

James Baillie at the site after the devastating blaze.

Southern Ocean Lodge, which opened in 2008, provided luxury accommodation in the island’s southwest, also supporting local businesses though its commitment to using produce from the region.

The company says over recent months, the owners’ friends, family and industry colleagues have volunteered in regular working bees, known as Camp SOL.

They have cleared the site and planted hundreds of native trees and bushes.

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