An unstoppable and devastating bushfire broke out on Kangaroo Island at the end of December last year, and in the weeks that followed the fire emergency only worsened.
Bushfires ripped through almost half of the island, decimating infrastructure, wildlife and terrain.
Flinders Chase National Park has been reopened for the first time this week, with some visitors and locals given a first look at the devastation.
About 96 per cent of the world-renowned park was destroyed, including the visitor facilities and boardwalk.
ABC News reporter Patrick Martin was on deck to see the damage firsthand, and how some of the park's tourist attractions were impacted.
"What were once rolling hills covered in green shrubs are now sandhills, with valleys of black sticks all that remain," he said.
"The fire has turned the usually orange hue of Remarkable Rocks to a dull grey.
"Tourist infrastructure has been reduced to mangled wrecks and despite the fire being contained weeks ago, the faint smell of smoke still hangs in the air."
Take a closer look at some of the destruction in our before and after photos below.
View from the Bunker Hill lookout
Kangaroo Island's south coast
The Chase Cafe at Flinders Chase National Park
The windy and wavy Cape du Couedic Road
The Cape du Couedic lighthouse
The famous Remarkable Rocks
As authorities continue to recover, amongst the damage there is hope.
Work to clean up and make the island safe is ongoing, as is the effort to regenerate its unique flora and fauna.
Shoots of green are already popping up from blackened trunks and native animals can still be seen roaming about the land.
Park management on Kangaroo Island is now planning to allow limited tours of the park as early as next month.
But a full reopening is still a long way off.
