Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island: Ron experience a taste of luxury on Kangaroo Island in South Australia
Late afternoon and the sets pound in to the Kangaroo Island coastline. There are not many places like this on the planet. From here until the icefields of Antarctica there's nothing but the wide blue Southern Ocean.
And perched atop ancient limestone cliffs and surrounded by untouched scrubland for as far as the eye can see - sits a luxury accommodation experience unlike any other on the planet. Southern Ocean Lodge blends in like a row of tents tucked snuggly in a secret bushland setting but this certainly ain't camping.
Located about three kilometres west of Hanson Bay on the south coast of KI Southern Ocean Lodge sets a new benchmark in South Australian tourist accommodation.
Matt Daniel: "We wanted an eco-friendly design that would let a lot of sunlight in the winter months to heat but also have also good areas of louvred windows to cool the building in summer."
The design is all about sitting lightly on the landscape and using as much as possible of what nature provides.
Matt Daniel: "The building is designed in six different blocks. We catch rainwater off six different blocks so we can sustain ourselves nine out of ten years on rainwater."
The marketing of this tourist experience may be global but the construction materials used are certainly local using a resource that is both inspirational and ever present - limestone. Wander about the lobby and it's everywhere - great slabs, locally sourced and hand chiselled, adding to the Lodge's earthy textures along with recycled timber floors of spotted gum and blackbutt from a demolished one hundred and fifty year old factory.
The lodge is a showcase of all things South Australian: the architect is Max Pritchard who is originally an islander, the stonemasonry was done by Scott Wilson - a K.I. farmer, and much of the furniture was designed by Adelaide artisan, Khai Liew.
Should you really want to push the boat out when it comes to cost, you might opt for the Osprey Pavilion. It's the last suite in the row of 21 - each named after a KI shipwreck - which extend down the coastal incline towards Hanson Bay in the distance.
Matt Daniel: "When you walk down the building you don't get to see everything until you get to a certain spot and there it is. That's the surprise factor."
The Lodge's sense of exclusivity and seclusion is typified in the Osprey's bathroom where guests cocoon themselves in a setting where nature and luxury meld into one.
Matt Daniel "It's nice to find a really nice place like this where they can sit in a bath and relax. You have a look around and you're one with nature."
The hand made stone bath is the work of Debra Boyd while the handcrafted meals are courtesy of Sydney chef, Tim Bourke. They are complemented by handcrafted wines - most from South Australia and many from the island. And complementing the ocean views plenty of handcrafted art works.
Delicate pieces by South Australian artist Janine Mackintosh, using local leaves, are a constant reminder to the Southern Ocean Lodge visitor of the drive into this south coast hideaway.
Matt Daniel: "The whole idea of the lodge is to have a sense of place. All the food we serve, all the beverages, all of the materials we have used - we've tried to get as many things as we can right from our own backyard."
At seventeen million dollars it's a significant commitment by owners James and Hayley Baillie who have successfully established and managed exclusive accommodation in other parts of Australia. But Southern Ocean Lodge also requires a significant commitment from guests with rates commencing at $900 per person per night. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Southern Ocean Lodge
Near Hanson Bay
Kangaroo Island
$900 per person per night
To book contact 02 9918 4355Published 5th October 2008
