An Island Reborn

Four years after its wildfires, Australia’s Kangaroo Island is recovering by embracing a model of conservation-minded hospitality

CHLOE SACHDEV

I’D NEVER SEEN the yakka trees on previous trips to Kangaroo Island. But now, clusters of them have shimmied up toward the sky like upside-down palms. Their spearlike trunks, designed by nature to germinate with fire, sprouted recently, a result of the catastrophic 2020 “black summer” bushfires, which engulfed Australia. Fast-moving flames reduced half the island to embers, claiming the lives of thousands of its animals, including more than 60,000 koalas. But the hardy native trees are a symbol of the regenerative power of the bush. “It’s incredible how resilient the Australian landscape is,” says Hayley Baillie, co-owner of Southern Ocean Lodge, which is part of the Luxury Lodges of Australia portfolio and was also burned down. “The fires were devastating, but there are some positives to come out of it.” Today,…

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Conde Nast Traveler (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2024

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