Soon after sheltering in a bunker while the luxury Southern Ocean Lodge burnt to the ground above him, manager John Hird says he knew they had to rebuild.
"Now we're rebuilding it — this is the most amazing part," Mr Hird said today.
The lodge was destroyed in bushfires that swept across Kangaroo Island in January 2020.
Mr Hird returned to where the lodge once was on the island's southern shoreline today for a sod-turning to mark work starting on its replacement, worth $50 million.
Mr Hird, co-manager Alison Heath and some other staff hid in a bunker after seeing how bad the situation was around them.
"Everything was pitch black except out towards the ocean, where it was still blue sky."
Owner James Baillie arrived in Kangaroo Island to see the property the day after the fire turned it into a charred wreck.
"I picked James up at the airport and I said, 'I'm sorry it's gone, but we have to rebuild it'," Mr Hird said.
"I've still got my boots that were melted — the heels of them — from walking around the site," Mr Baillie added.
"We had the privilege of bringing Southern Ocean Lodge to the world the first time and we were determined to bring it back again."
The $2,500-a-night lodge will be rebuilt largely the same as before the fire, with some changes to cater for 34 conditions imposed by the Country Fire Service, which deemed it a high-risk location.
It is expected to reopen in mid-2023.
Mr Baillie, whose company also owns resorts in the Barossa Valley, Queensland, Lord Howe Island, Uluru, New Zealand and Canada, said international tourism would be crucial to its success.
"For so much of Australia's tourism product, it relies on internationals," he said.
"That's where the yield is and that's where those export dollars are.
"We need to reopen for international tourism as soon as we can and get those people back enjoying Australia."
