(TAN): The luxury Southern Ocean Lodge on South Australia’s Kangaroo Island has been badly hit after bushfires wreaked havoc in the area, which also claimed two lives, reports said.
The two casualties were reportedly identified as bush pilot Dick Lang and his son Clayton.
The guest suites and main facility of the million-dollar property were destroyed by the flames, as per reports. However, the staff quarters reportedly remained mostly unharmed. According to reports, as the fires continued to blaze, employees who stayed back at the lodge took shelter in a bunker built for protection against calamities.
Owned by James and Hayley Bailie, and designed by Kangaroo Island-born architect Max Pritchard, the Southern Ocean Lodge opened in 2008 to offer luxury accommodation through 19 lodges on Australia’s third largest island, Kangaroo Island.
Sprawling across a length of 155 kilometres and a width of 55 kilometres and 15 kilometres from the shores of South Australia on the mainland, Kangaroo Island is home to 21 national and conservation parks. The island, whose economy is significantly dependent on tourism, draws around 140,000 tourists per year, according to reports.
The owners of Southern Ocean Lodge reportedly said they were considering preliminary plans to rebuild the property along with the tourism industry.
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“We are absolutely shocked and saddened by today’s events. A bushfire incident such as this is really our worst nightmare come true. In the short to medium term, we would like to take the lead in rebuilding the Kangaroo Island tourism industry,” James and Hayley Bailie were quoted by 7news.com.au as saying.
“As much as possible we would like to contribute to the economic and social recovery of the broader Kangaroo Island community, which has really been such a genuine part of the lodge’s resonance for both our Australian and international guests. Our immediate priority is to the wellbeing of our guests and staff, an overarching aim which we are relieved to report has been achieved today,” the Bailies added.
The wildfires, that have been burning since December 20, have devoured over 155,000 hectares of land, including the Flinders Chase National Park on the island’s west, reports said.
