Eyes on the horizon (it's visible from every room), you can feel the ascension.
Southern Ocean Lodge 2.0 is early in its relaunch season and the hallowing is taking place in real time. Just over four years ago, the original lodge was a perfectly bucket-listed must-do for those with the means for super-prime travel. But now, off the back of a bar-raising reconstruction, the Kangaroo Island stay is rising to Australian icon status. Adversity has a way of making or breaking that process.
This is a reinvention arc nobody asked for Baillie Lodges founders James and Hayley Baillie certainly could have gotten by without it. James remembers the aftermath of the Black Summer bushfires that took out their flagship property in 2020. "We were immediately met with an outpouring of sympathy. The event really captured the world's attention," he says without reverie.
This was the Australian fire season that, nationwide, claimed at least 34 lives and blazed through 24 million hectares, roughly the land mass of Mexico or Indonesia. The one that brought the nation to its knees, just two months before a pandemic was declared. Still, James says walking away was never an option. "We made the commitment to rebuild just a day or two after the fires, after we'd had a chance to take stock of the loss, and to imagine the task ahead."
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 2024-Ausgabe von Gourmet Traveller.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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THE SMOKING CAMEL
Each month we explore the origins behind some of Australia's signature drinks and learn how to recreate them.
MEET THE MAKER HELEN XU
As she swings open the doors to a new restaurant and hotel at her Yarra Valley vineyard, we check in with the Helen & Joey Estate winemaker to talk science, Sichuan and the wine brand she runs with husband Joey Zeng.
Fuel to the fire
From chilli to wasabi, there's an art to pairing drinks with spicy foods. SAMANTHA PAYNE breaks it down.
Sri Lankan hoppers
Chef TRAVIN DE HOEDT of Sydney's Kurumba shares his family recipe for this South Asian staple.
The art of...thoughtful feasting
It was a Moroccan tagine that taught ANNA HART to relax her ethics and eat, drink and be merry like a local.
THE NEW COCKTAIL CAPITAL
Mexico City is in its golden era of cocktail culture. Once home to a small handful of recognisable names, today the capital is heaving with globally renowned drinking destinations. And it's leading the charge for North America on awards lists such as World’s 50 Best (last year, Mexico City landed four bars on the list, compared to three in New York City).
Golden age
Time travel may not be possible but JOANNA HUNKIN discovers the next best thing when she pairs the Eastern & Oriental Express with a journey through Veuve Clicquot's private cellar.
48 HOURS IN PHUKET
Beyond beaches and resorts, Thailand's biggest island is a treasure trove of culinary gems. DANI VALENT gets the inside scoop from restaurateur Merica Charungvat.
LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE
Fireplaces, slowness and country scenes. Holidaying hits differently in winter
What is curry?
Cuisine or construct? RUSHANI EPA retraces the history of the saucy, spicy dish across the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.