Early the next morning, we catch a flight to Kingscote on Kangaroo Island on a QantasLink prop plane, which I must admit has me a bit stressed at first. However, the flight is short – only 20 minutes – and perfectly smooth, and I am even able to catch a quick nap on board to prepare myself for the exciting day ahead. When we arrive in Kingscote, an energetic guide from Southern Ocean Lodge greets us and chats about our planned itinerary for the next few days.   

Southern Ocean Lodge

Southern Ocean Lodge, a member of both the extraordinary Baillie Lodges collection and the Luxury Lodges of Australia group, originally opened in 2008 to international acclaim. Designed by local architect Max Pritchard, the lodge was crafted to seamlessly blend into its privileged clifftop location overlooking the sparkling Indian Ocean. Following the lodge’s destruction in the devastating bushfires of 2020, owners James and Hayley Baillie immediately committed to rebuilding the lodge with the help of Max and his design partner, Andrew Gunner, recreating a masterpiece of Australian luxury accommodation that finally reopened in December 2023.

On arrival at the lodge, we are immediately impressed by the generously appointed Great Room, with its unique suspended fireplace and stunning vistas visible through floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows. This area is the heart and soul of the lodge, with plenty of seating as well as an open bar accessible to guests throughout the day for fresh juices, snacks, and an incredible selection of Australian wines and spirits. The adjacent dining room plays host to culinary magic on an unbelievable scale, with local Kangaroo Island produce, meat, and seafood featured throughout the menus. 

The Baillie Lodges luxury property portfolio is committed to environmental sustainability. On Kangaroo Island, this commitment is evident in four key areas at its flagship lodge: environment, water, energy, and community.  

• Environment: The lodge maintains a 65-foot-wide “wilderness buffer” in which naturally fire-retardant native succulents are planted alongside the island’s native juniper. Emergency sprinklers are cleverly hidden around the exterior of the property to aid in fire management. 
• Water: The lodge is completely off the island’s municipal water supply. It maintains its own reverse osmosis system to filter water from both the property’s borehole and its massive rainwater collection system. 
• Energy: Southern Ocean Lodge is also off the island’s electrical grid. The lodge produces its own electricity through a hybrid solar farm and battery system. Eco-friendly appliances and a computerized building management system allow for minimal use of electricity on site. 
• Community: The hospitality management team engages actively with the local community and favors local growers and producers as food and beverage suppliers. This ensures fresh, local produce and high-quality meats and seafood for guests, all while supporting local businesses on the island.  

The following day, we meet up with Exceptional Kangaroo Island owner Craig to explore the north side of the island. Our first stop is for morning tea at Snelling Beach, the most popular beach on the north coast. Afterward, we continue to the very secluded beach at Stokes Bay, voted Australia’s best beach in 2023 and only accessible through a maze of boulders and rocks that help keep it hidden from view. Craig keeps us fascinated throughout the day with his many stories about growing up on the island, pointing out a childhood home here and a friend’s restaurant there. He even regales us with a tale of helping to electrify a house as a teen and discovering the hard way that the attic was inhabited by black tiger snakes! Aside from storytelling, Craig is also an excellent chef and takes us to a friend’s farm, where he treats us to a lovely barbecue lunch.   

Eventually, though, it is time for us to leave this remarkable island, and we head back to Kingscote Airport for our flight back to the mainland and our continued journey into the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale of South Australia. That, however, is a story for another issue.   

*Main image courtesy South Australian Tourism Commission