Rising from the ashes in SA
After three years of rebuilding, the Southern Ocean Lodge on South Australia's Kangaroo Island has announced an opening date.
After three years of rebuilding, the Southern Ocean Lodge on South Australia's Kangaroo Island has announced an opening date.
When the January 2020 bushfire annihilated the Southern Ocean Lodge on South Australia's Kangaroo Island, owners James and Hayley Baillie were left devastated - but not alone. "We're very fortunate to have had the support of the Kangaroo Island community, the tourism industry, media and our loyal guests over the past three years," Hayley says.
Now, after three years of rebuilding, the lodge has announced its opening date: December 6, along with three auctions of three-day "preview" stays. The winning bidders will be the lodge's first guests from December 5-8, and all funds raised through the auctions will be directed towards three charity organisations: the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the Maggie Beer Foundation and the KI Country Education Fund.
The bidders have been hard at it: at press time, the top bids were all north of the $13,000 mark - one at $15,000. Once the dust settles down on this most anticipated opening, the tariffs will be somewhat more "affordable" (but still a total lash-out, from $3400 per couple per night). Watch this space.
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Akash is the Deputy Travel Editor for Australian Community Media. He has lived and worked in four cities around the world – Sydney, London, New Delhi and New York – and, at last count, travelled to 42 countries.
My all-time favourite destination is ... New York. You can drop a pin anywhere in Manhattan and start walking in any direction, and the sights and sounds of the city that never stops will begin to stimulate all your senses in an instant.
Next on my bucket list is … Scandinavia - at the peak of summer, when the sun almost never sets.
My top travel tip is … If you’re flying to Sydney from anywhere in the world, pick a window seat far from the wing on the left-hand-side of the aeroplane. If the weather gods and flight path align, you’ll have the most incredible views of the Sydney Harbour and Opera House.
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