Review: Southern Ocean Lodge: First In

Why book?

To stay at the iconic and resurrected eco-retreat on the wildlife-rich Kangaroo Island—dubbed the Australian Galapagos.

Set the scene

It’s a sobering first impression, driving past a graveyard of eucalyptus trees—visible scars from the catastrophic ‘black summer’ bush fires of January 2020 which burnt most of South Australia’s Kangaroo Island to ashes, including this luxury lodge. But, amongst the skeletons, a green carpet of lush bush has sprouted, signaling the island’s regeneration and the comeback of Australia’s iconic Southern Ocean Lodge (SOL 2.0). A near-replica of the original, it looks like a low-flying saucer hovering above the island’s wild southwest coast, with uninterrupted last-stop-before-Antarctica views across the Southern Ocean. Inside, neutral cream-colored limestone tiles and crazy pave stone feature walls mirror the surrounding limestone cliffs and etch the lodge into the landscape. In the corner of the reception, ‘Sunshine’, the wrought iron Kangaroo sculpture which is the only survivor of the fire, watches over the room and the suspended fireplace in the middle of the sunken living room flickers as guests, many return visitors of the original, are wearing R.M. Williams boots and oxford shirts tucked into neatly pressed jeans mingle around the help-yourself bar.

The backstory

Originally opened in 2008 by affable husband and wife duo James and Hayley Baillie, Southern Ocean Lodge is part of the Baillie portfolio, a clutch of luxury lodges on some of the most pristine of natural landscapes—Capella Lodge on Lord Howe Island, Longitude 131° in Uluru, and Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree Forest. In April 2019, US private equity group KSL Capital Partners bought the entire portfolio for AUD $120 million, adding global locations—Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge in Canada, New Zealand’s Huka Lodge and most recently, the trio of Chile's experiential luxury lodges, Tierra Hotels (“Tierra”). Nine months after the deep-pocket acquisition, Southern Ocean Lodge burnt to the ground. Keeping the founders on as creative directors and consultants, SOL 2.0 started its resurrection in February 2022. Working at breakneck speed with a $55 million price tag, the lodge was re-built by original architect Max Pritchard, who grew up on the island, and has reopened as a carbon copy of its former self.

The rooms

No rooms, but 25 suites. Extending from the main building like a grey-slate train chugging down the eastern edge of the bluff, each of the glass-fronted suites—all named after shipwrecks on the island—has mid-century modern curves, a sunken living room and fireplace. Like the rest of the lodge, muted clotted-cream limestone tiles and Tasmanian timber keep things fresh and simple, with the focus on the wraparound glass walls that open to private decks and fresh Antarctic wind; and in the bigger suites, heated plunge pools. On the western edge of the lodge, the super-sized, four-bedroom Ocean Pavilion suite is a new addition, and sits like an amphitheater with two infinity pools, outdoor fireplaces, and views across the coastal cliffs and sea-front wilderness. Rates start at $2,236 per night.

Food and drink

Top notch. There’s a heavy focus on local produce, with 40 percent of the menu harvested from the island and 90 percent of the seafood caught in the surrounding waters. The lodge is all-inclusive and meals are served in the central dining room. Days begin with a traditional a la carte breakfast such as smashed avocado, shakshuka eggs, and an exceptional macadamia and wattle-seed granola, complimented by a small buffet of fruits, pastries, juices, homemade jams, and honey from the island’s prized possession—the world’s only pure-strain Ligurian bee. For lunch and dinner, the three- and four-course menus riff on international flavors using local and seasonal produce—think Tom Yum prawn flatbread, gnocchi with local pipis, and saltbush and miso glazed kingfish. The help-yourself, walk-in wine cellar has a generous selection of top-shelf and status South Australian wines, as well as hard-to-find drops only sold at cellar doors.

The spa

Unlike the rest of the lodge, which is a blueprint of its former self, the Southern Spa has been completely transformed, relocated, and upgraded. The now north-facing spa turns its back on the sea with views across the skeleton scrubland and sprouting green bush. Outside, on a secluded platform past the fully equipped gym, are the timber-clad sauna, dual hot and cold plunge pools, and sun loungers. Here, treatments include facials, massages, and full-body scrubs using the island’s bounty of lavender, eucalyptus, and Ligurian honey.

The neighborhood

Kangaroo Island is the third-largest island in Australia, measuring 100 miles from east to west, and over a third of the island is protected nature reserves and conservation parks. Known as the Australian Galapagos for good reason, there are safari-like experiences with friendly naturalist guides to help guests navigate the vast areas of shrubland, fenland, and forest, and spot the abundant wallabies, echidnas, and bandicoots. Birds of every feather like wiggy wagtails, wedge tail eagles, and glossy black cockatoos glide above. Squint and you’ll spot endangered ospreys nesting on the lodge’s western cliff-face. Close to the lodge, on Seal Bay, you’ll find Australia’s third largest colony of frisky sea lions lolling on sugary white sand. Having separated from the mainland around 10,000 years ago, some animals have evolved into local sub-species, including the sooty dunnart, a tiny, scurrying, possum-like critter, and the western gray kangaroo, a shorter and stockier version of its mainland relatives. The lodge also puts guests close to the vast Flinders Chase National Park, the Remarkable Rocks—an ancient giant geological sculptural formatio—as well as the ocean-battered giant rocks of Admirals Arch, where a colony of long-nosed fur seals live.

The service

Baillie Lodges prides itself on first-name hospitality between staff and guests, and this translates to cheery but assertive service. From the guides to the waiters and general manager, everyone has an all-round jolly attitude, but with the hawk-eyed attention to detail needed for a luxury lodge.

Eco effort

Sustainability has always been part of the Southern Ocean Lodge’s DNA, and post-bush fires it has upped its game with significant hybrid solar and battery infrastructure to help the remote lodge run off-grid and reduce its diesel consumption. The lodge captures rainwater which is harvested and supplemented by reverse osmosis to convert bore water into drinking water, with a storage capacity of more than 1.5 million gallons. Fire-retardant succulents and more than 45,000 hyper local native plants have been propagated onsite for planting around the grounds. A seasonal menu, with a focus on hyper-local produce, plus its generous mostly South Australian wine cellar, is also highly commendable.

Accessibility

There is a dedicated wheelchair/mobility-accessible suite featuring level floors and a modified bathroom fitted with aides (separate of the main bathroom) located close to the main lodge and accessible to the central guest areas. Transport to and from each excursion is via the fleet of touring vehicles which offer generous seating but are not equipped with ramps or lifts; guests need to be able to step up into the vehicles, and some locations visited on lodge tours are not easily accessible for guests with limited mobility.

Anything left to mention?

East of the property, follow the quarter-of-a-mile boardwalk and take a seat at Australia’s best table: Perched on the cliff’s edge, the only thing between you and Antarctica is the pounding Southern Ocean.