Two lives were lost and over 200,000 hectares of rugged island scrub and farmland were torched. In January, the rest of the nation watched in shock as the destructive summer bushfires dominated the headlines.

A global pandemic that brought strict curfews and national border closures followed the $14 million clean-up campaign, a crushing blow for an island so dependent on its tourism industry.

The vegetation is coming back nearly 12 months after the fires, the wildlife is thriving, and the ever-resilient local business owners are doing whatever they can to survive.

Despite major losses of fauna, including an estimated 40,000 koalas, the wildlife scene of KI remains a huge drawcard. During the bushfire crisis, the Parndarna park they acquired in 2013 rapidly became a refuge for countless animals.

Maritime Business World