A Kangaroo Island landmark is back - bigger and better than ever

As I carefully make my way along a rocky clifftop path with the sounds of crashing waves, breathing in the salty tang of the ocean, I discover why some people don't want to traverse this track; one wrong move and I'd fall 100 metres into the Southern Ocean.

In some places, the sheer cliff edge is less than a metre from the winding path, and the views of the swirling, smashing surf are so mesmerising that it would be easy to stumble over a rock.

I move slowly, having given up trying to take photos. Nothing I capture will do justice to this view. I look back across the shimmering ocean towards the limestone cliffs and the architectural marvel jutting neatly into the landscape.

It's hard to believe that just four years ago, fire tore through the heart of this place, decimating 96 per cent of Flinders Chase National Park, and with it this luxury lodge.

Life has slowly returned to the West End of South Australia's Kangaroo Island, and that includes the long-awaited reopening of the world-famous Southern Ocean Lodge in December, which I am here to discover.

Lodge co-owner James Baillie was on Lord Howe Island in early 2020 when he received the news that guests were being evacuated from the property. Two hours later, he and wife Hayley learnt their dream project was burnt to the ground.

Just a few days before Christmas in 2019, lightning strikes had ignited fires on the north of the island, and on January 3, three fire fronts converged on the lodge. The bushfires would end up burning almost half of the island, with most of the damage in the west.

Site managers John Hird and Alison Heath, and a handful of staff had grabbed the essentials (in this case, wine) and headed to a makeshift bunker at the property as the fire approached; sounding like a freight train, it roared over them three times. When they eventually clambered out, they were surrounded by white ash.

James and Hayley were on the ground the next day after chartering a flight from Lord Howe, and as they walked around the smouldering remains of their dreams, they immediately decided to rebuild.

Few things survived the blaze. Remarkably, Sunshine, a two-metre-tall kangaroo sculpture made from recycled bits of harvester by local artist Indiana James remained, as did his inspiration, a friendly roo called Sol, adopted by lodge staff after being orphaned.

Staff were overjoyed to discover he had survived the fire - albeit with singed ears.

Guests are keen to spot him but alas, the lodge's spirit animal is mysteriously absent on the first few days of my trip.

From the moment the large wooden doors are swung open by smiling staff to reveal the wild Southern Ocean through the panoramic windows of the (aptly named) Great Room, you know you're somewhere special.

The staff are delighted to meet you as they hand you a flute of champagne, with canapes served while you try to lift your jaw off the ground; this view really smacks you in the face.

The Great Room remains the centrepiece of the new lodge, with 23 suites descending along the clifftop to the left, along with a sparkling blue wet-edge pool, and up to the restaurant to the right.

Perhaps the most impressive feature is the open bar and walk-in wine cellar, featuring more than 120 bottles and any number of spirits and mixers you could possibly desire.

We are shown to our rooms, each named after a shipwreck (there have been more than 80 around the island) - mine is Master Jack, which went aground in 1984 after floating adrift in Investigator Strait - and are told how to operate our touchpad for lights, blinds and music; light our fireplaces; and how best to sleep - with the sliding door open (ocean sounds) and the blind up (sunrise).

Turns out this is the most comfortable bed I have slept in my life. Already, this Kangaroo Island trip is different to my last visit more than 25 years ago - think bunk-bed dorms, communal toilets and spam in a can for dinner. Contrast that with freshly made lamingtons on arrival, fancy chocolate with inspirational quotes left each evening, fully stocked minibar with local island beer and wines, and towels so comfortable you want to squeeze one into your bag when you leave.

While the rebuilt lodge is on the same footprint as before, the rooms have been tilted slightly to the south-east to maximise the views of the wild coast from the private decks, or, if you're so inclined, from the sink-in bathtubs.

The new and rather impressive Ocean Pavilion, which is set a short walk along the limestone cliff from the main lodge, is a private place for either two families to stay in separate wings, or large groups of up to eight to book as one hideaway residence. Also new for the rebuilt lodge is a separate Southern Spa, including sauna, hot and cold plunge pools and gym.

Executive chef Tom Saliba began work at the lodge several months before the fires roared through Kangaroo Island. He had been assembling his dream kitchen team at the time, and the decimation of the resort was a slight "spanner in the works".

His focus is on making the most of the fabulous local produce from Kangaroo Island, and more widely South Australia, and showcasing a daily rotating menu that allows for experimentation.

This includes marron, or freshwater crayfish, from local supplier Scott Wilson, who incidentally crafted the 125-metre limestone feature wall that is the backbone of the lodge. Another local, John Kersley, supplies partridge and pheasants fed with "corn soaked in champagne". A local school supplies the lodge with sustainably produced barramundi.

Dining is an eclectic experience with individual printed menus tailored to suit dietary requirements, and servers glide around the room explaining every dish and bring you a warm towel scented with lemon myrtle and eucalyptus after the main course.

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As soon as we arrive at Seal Bay, guide Asha warns us not to get too close. It's not that they'll attack, she says, but you don't want to get in between a large male sea lion and his planned destination. She says sometimes the male pups will charge (just like teenage boys), but you just have to stand your ground. In front of us on the shore are at least 50 sea lions, and we watch as big males get cranky with each other and pups playfully swim in the surf.

Asha, who has lived on Kangaroo Island for about four months after some time on the mainland, and before that as a tour guide for Heritage England, says the pups can sometimes be found trying to keep warm under buses in the car park.

We also visit the Cape du Couedic Lighthouse, where three light keepers and their families lived, and nearby Admirals Arch where we delight in watching fur seals play in the ocean.

As we arrive at the most photographed location on the island, Remarkable Rocks, it becomes clear tourists are flocking from around the world - there are tour buses. Kangaroo Island has well and truly bounced back from devastation.

As I head away from the clifftop and wind my way back along the headland towards the lodge, I can really imagine how the bushfire roared through this area. The wind whistles through the leaves and I hear the twitter of birds, and the thump and bound of a startled kangaroo as I walk back to the lodge for my last night.

The morning I fly out of Kangaroo Island, a roo hops out onto the road in front of us - driver and guide Lettie confirms it (she's an animal ecologist after all); it's Sol. He looks at us and twitches his ears in the early dawn, then bounds across into the scrub.

It's been more than two decades since I first stepped onto Kangaroo Island, but something tells me I won't leave it that long again.

Getting there: Qantas has direct flights from Adelaide to Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, once or twice daily. Southern Ocean Lodge provides airport transfers, which take about an hour.

Staying there: Southern Ocean Lodge has suites starting at $3400 per couple per night (no children under 10). Price includes all dining, open bar and signature experiences.

Explore more: southernoceanlodge.com.au; tourkangarooisland.com.au

The writer was a guest of Southern Ocean Lodge.