Kai runs a hotel on his own island in Australia

Kai on Goat Island showed me a very different entrepreneurial life when I visited with the family in January 2012. He lived on his island on the Adelaide River near Darwin and ran a small hotel.

Kai on Goat Island had chosen his own life

We walked around the rooms, restaurant and jetty. Kai welcomed guests and also sold food and drink to anglers passing by.

I talk about barramundi fishing and crocodiles in the river. That was part of the experience back then, and the surroundings made a big impression on us.

For me, success wasn’t only about high turnover. Kai lived a life he’d chosen, and I found him happy with both the place and his guests.

Floods meant rebuilding

During the visit, Kai talked about the wet season and major floods that could periodically destroy much of what he’d built.

He showed how high the water had been. Equipment, rooms and plants needed saving, and afterwards getting the place back on its feet took enormous work.

I was impressed that he kept finding the energy for it. The frequency and damage in the video are our account from the visit.

A life choice had costs too

I explain that island life had also come at a cost to his private life. The story wasn’t only the romance of owning an island.

What I took away was his willingness to do something concrete about the life he wanted. He’d taken the chance and lived with both the joys and the work.

The video is a historical travel story from 2012. It doesn’t describe the place’s current operations, offers or safety conditions.

Also read about the later conversation about your attitude to life.

With Kai on Goat Island, far from everything

We’re by the Adelaide River, around two hours from Darwin. That’s already the back of beyond. I’m visiting Kai on Goat Island as part of the family trip where I meet interesting Danish entrepreneurs abroad.

Kai has lived in Australia for almost 40 years and says he took over the place in 2002. Now he runs his hotel on a little island far from everything. It’s basic, but there are rooms, a shower, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Considering the location, it’s actually rather luxurious.

He lives here with his two dogs. One is called Hotdog. There are chickens too, and on the jetty we encounter a sign with an Australian greeting and a message saying they’re open.

Besides the hotel, Kai sells hot dogs, beer and burgers to anglers passing by. They come to catch barramundi, among other things. I say in the video that anglers travel here from all over the world for that fish, and I’m clearly enthusiastic about the surroundings.

Fred is just outside the house

Another attraction is the crocodiles. The day before, we’ve been on a trip to see jumping crocodiles. Now I see a smaller crocodile in the water near Kai’s house. He calls it Fred after Crown Prince Frederik. I estimate it at around two and a half metres.

Then it disappears underwater. It’s always nice knowing the crocodile that was right in front of you can no longer be seen. I joke that it’s probably watching us and coming over for a look.

Kai has put up a little net by the jetty. He says one of the dogs was standing close to the water when the crocodile jumped up to grab it. The dog escaped. That makes an impression when you’re standing in the same place.

I also talk about a bigger crocodile that sometimes comes close and a female sitting on eggs. In my enthusiastic description, I mention the large animals reaching five and a half metres and weighing around a tonne and a half. Those are the sizes I describe in the recording, not a weighing or measurement of Fred.

But this isn’t really about being at one with the animals. It’s about something I notice visiting entrepreneurs: The difference between people who do something about their lives and those who stay sitting and dreaming.

What does being successful mean?

You can debate whether Kai is successful. I think he is. He has his own island, a lifestyle he likes and lots of guests he loves spending time with. He enjoys life out here. To me, that’s a great success. Also read Skab din egen succes about finding your own path and creating a life on your own terms.

What matters is that he’s taken the chance. He’s living a life many others mainly watch on television. I compare him to Crocodile Dundee as he walks around with a big machete and has stories about crocodiles and everything else out here.

Of course it isn’t without costs. I explain that his wife preferred living in a larger town and grew tired of life on an island a kilometre long. They separated. That’s part of the story of choosing the life you want too.

The wet season can destroy what he’s built

We’re heading into the wet season, and the water is rising. Kai shows how high it has stood before: Up to the underside of the building. The restaurant area can flood, and everything out front becomes a rushing river.

It affects the generator, workshop, guest rooms and plants. Much gets washed away. He talks about losing a boat engine and half his barge being destroyed, among other things. In our conversation, he says the really severe floods come around every fourth year.

Try imagining that. What you’ve built with your own hands gets more or less destroyed, and afterwards you have to rebuild. Kai is around 60 and handles much of the work alone.

I’ve made a longer interview with him of around an hour and twenty minutes. In the video, I say it’ll come to Amino TV later. At the time, I expect four to six weeks. So that’s a plan I describe during the visit.

I ask where he finds the energy. I recount his answer like this: Sometimes you bite off more than you can chew. Then you just have to chew extra hard and extra much. That’s exactly the attitude that impresses me.

Plants, rooms and lunch in the middle of it all

We continue around the place. Kai has around 200 potted plants that need moving when the wet season really gets going. Guest rooms can flood, the jacuzzi fills with muddy water, and his Bobcat needs moving to safety too.

In the dining room, we say hello to Kai. There’s lunch with rye bread and toppings, a little television and what’s needed. Emma finds it cosy. Mads is wearing my Crocodile Dundee hat, and Camilla is making food like a production line.

It makes the story concrete. We’re standing in a pleasant place with food and guests, and he knows much of it could be destroyed and washed away. When the water comes, he saves what he can, retreats to the higher area and hopes everything stays standing.

Think of Kai when everything seems difficult

I use the visit as a reminder when you think everything is hard back in Denmark. There’s VAT accounting to do. You need to get on the bike because you can’t afford the big car. There’s always something to be fed up with.

Then think of Kai, who has to rebuild the rooms, engines, barge and everything else again. He’s chosen life out here and meets it with a big smile.

I describe the island as far from civilisation. According to the story, the nearest neighbours are around 15 kilometres away through the wilderness. To go shopping, Kai has to take his little boat to where the van is parked, then drive on towards Darwin.

My message is: Stop feeling so sorry for yourself. Go for it and experience life. You only live once. And if that’s wrong, take the extra life as a bonus. Don’t let fear stop you taking a chance.

Best wishes, Martin