The 2019–20 Kangaroo Island bushfires burned through more than half of the island's landmass, killed two people, and destroyed most of the western tourism infrastructure. Six years on, the recovery is patchy in ways that are worth understanding.
What has come back
The eastern half of the island, mostly spared, is running visitor numbers above 2019 levels. The Cape du Couedic accommodation cluster, rebuilt with insurance and a state grant, is fully operational. Sealink ferry bookings are strong.
What has not
The Flinders Chase experience has recovered as an ecosystem in ways ecologists find genuinely encouraging. As a visitor experience, it is not what it was. Rebuilt facilities, on smaller footprints, cannot deliver the pre-fire scale.
The trip is still worth making. It is a different island. Whether that is preferable is a matter of what you are looking for.
