Kangaroo Island’s other luxury retreat has been transformed
On the porch, a box of sheoak saplings is ready for planting. About 45 hectares of the Sea Dragon Kangaroo Island property is set aside as a nature conservancy, and the sheoaks are the preferred habitat of the remarkably fussy Kangaroo Island glossy black-cockatoo.
Kangaroo Island … on the way back.
The Kangaroo Islanders are in a race against time to save this ultra-rare bird – there are only about 450 left in existence, and 11 of them apparently live at Sea Dragon Kangaroo Island.
They’re not the only creatures that call this lodge at the eastern end of the island home. A resident goanna regularly struts around, taking in the views towards Pink Bay, where dolphins play among the rippling bomboras.
On the deck at Sea Dragon.
On the meadow outside the villas, members of the brown-furred, unusually fluffy KI kangaroo subspecies look on bemused as guests take in the sea views from their freestanding outdoor baths.
Until the much-revered (and greatly expensive) Southern Ocean Lodge recently rose from the ashes, Sea Dragon was the plushest full-service hotel on South Australia’s largest island. It stands next to Cape Willoughby at Kangaroo Island’s eastern tip, and planting sheoaks is far from the only ingredient in the lodge’s recent makeover.
A revamped guest room.
New owners took over in August 2021, and they are busy turning what was something of a remote retreat into something more all-encompassing.
The rooms, suites and villas have undergone refurbishments that sprinkle in a little more wow factor. Electronically-operated shutters rise to reveal double doors looking out to what is, to all intents and purposes, a private beach. King beds stare straight out at the scene and feature walls come with agreeably daring coral patterns.
A ridge-top pavilion, once belonging to one of the villas, is now being repurposed for yoga sessions and sundowner drinks.
But the key change is the desire to show off Kangaroo Island, rather than be a hideaway in the corner. Sea Dragon Kangaroo Island now runs its own small group, exclusive-to-guest tours. There’s one day focused on the island’s natural wonders, and another on the burgeoning food and drink scene.
New owners took over Sea Dragon in 2021.
At KI Spirits, one of the gin specialists leads us through the gardens, pointing out the botanicals grown on-site. The subsequent tastings at Australia’s oldest gin distillery make a valiant effort to win over those who swear they despise juniper. The whisky barrel-aged gin and mulberry gin are sufficiently unusual to succeed.
But while honey, lavender and craft beer are also showcased on the produce tour, nature is always going to be Kangaroo Island’s prime focus.
Locals also enjoy the vistas.
At Seal Bay, the wind howls along the white sand beach. But the Australian fur seals seem utterly unperturbed. A huge, brutish male lugs itself along the dunes next to the boardwalk, while two inquisitive pups saunter up for a close look at their visitors.
Further west, there are clear signs of recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires. The road to Flinders Chase National Park is lined by eerie white, spindly, leafless trees. But a third of the way down the trunks, a wealth of lush green vegetation fills in the gaps. The death is slowly being swallowed by a sea of life.
Sea Dragon guests enjoy the island waters.
At the car park for Admirals Arch, a prime seal hangout, there’s the most heartening sign of rejuvenation yet. Up a tree, a little joey scampers away from mamma koala. After tens of thousands of koalas were killed in the bushfires, the return of young life brings immeasurable joy.
Ultimately, the rebirth of the island is way more important than the rebirth of a lodge. Sea Dragon has recognised and embraced this. Planting trees for endangered cockatoos to hang out in is just a tiny piece of the jigsaw.
THE DETAILS
Stay
Sea Dragon Kangaroo Island offers three-night packages including transfers, meals and touring from $2136 a person. See seadragonkangarooisland.com
Fly
Qantas runs a 40-minute hop from Adelaide to Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, with connecting flights from Sydney and Melbourne available. See qantas.com.au
More
The writer was a guest of the South Australian Tourism Commission and Sea Dragon Kangaroo Island.
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.