|Places| A pod’s alfresco soaking tub affords a spectacular ocean view From the outside, the pods look like little black timber cabins, but the inside reveals a glassy lair with floor-toceiling windows, giving me access to widescreen wilderness with an onus on visitors to learn about the regenerative efforts and maybe roll up their sleeves and use their travel mileage for good. Part of this new chapter in tourism, and the main reason for my visit, is to check out the newly erected WanderPods, a cluster of four off-grid cabins – compact, stylish and deeply comfortable – located on a privileged position on a 150m grassy northern bluff overlooking blockbuster Snelling Beach and the Great Australian Bight. Known for their low-impact escapes in nature-soaked locations, after launching in Queensland’s Scenic Rim last year, this is the company’s second instalment with more planned for other regional destinations. Built as a premium eco-escape, WanderPods has admirable sustainable credentials – solar and water harvesting and storage, water-saving toilets, and water recycling – without sacrificing on style or comfort. “We started Wander so that we could connect to some of the most spectacular parts of Australia with people who share a mindset of wanting to make a positive change when they travel”, says founder and CEO Cassandra Sasso. From the outside, the pods look like unpretentious little black timber cabins, but the inside reveals a glassy lair with spectacular floor-to-ceiling ocean-facing windows, giving me access to wide-screen wilderness. Strategically positioned, two of the pods provide the best vantage for sunrise, and the other two for sunset. As the soft-focus light drips into the Southern Ocean, mobs of kangaroos peacefully congregate outside my sunset pod, undisturbed by my gaze. The next few days are spent close to nature, in my pod and beyond. I watch the first pinkish streaks of daybreak from my bed. From the outdoor tub, using a pair of binoculars, I trace the honey-coloured hills that tumble into the angry ocean, hoping to spot some action on the empty beach, maybe a whale or a frisky seal. Later, as the night air howls, I cocoon myself deeper into my bed. The island’s remote and fertile landscape has brought to boil its booming food and drink scene. A mix of cattle, sheep and grain farms, plus a bountiful sea, has always meant island residents eat well. But now there’s a culinary renaissance rippling through the island. Gastronomo, one of Kangaroo Island’s more interesting producers, mixes hyper-local cuisine with eccentric “wilderness” dining experiences, where the restaurant settings are as interesting as the menu. Partnering with WanderPods, my modern kitchen is stuffed with seasonal food and treats – everything from vegetables to muesli, yogurt, croissants, honey, cheese, eggs and meats – enough for breakfast, lunch and dinner and everything in between, and it’s an excellent taster of things to come. Our first night, we dine in an intimate shed dubbed the Sensorium. The eight-course degustation dinner by Gastronomo is plucked from local land and sea, with each course cooked over the flames, coals or the smoke of an open fire pit. The next day, lunch feels like a fairy tale as we dine inside a giant hollowed-out 120-year-old fig tree at the aptly named Enchanted Fig Tree. Part of the pull of staying in a WanderPod is its hyper-local outlook, partnering with local guides and companies to give guests sustainably slanted holidays that explore and educate. Here, on Kangaroo Island, PHOTO REMY BRAND 28 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
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