The Adelaide100 is an epic and scenic lap of the South Australian capital.
Fourteen years in the making, an ambitious 100-plus-kilometre hiking loop around the city of Adelaide is finally on the horizon. Best of all, most of it is already open. The Adelaide100 is an epic circuit that traverses the city’s CBD, suburbs, coastline and the Adelaide Hills, showcasing the very best of South Australia’s capital. It weaves together attractions like Adelaide Hills wineries, the zoo and the summit of Mount Lofty.
The trail was dreamed up by Jim McLean of Walking SA, a not-for-profit that aims to get more people outdoors more often. He was inspired by the ‘Hundred of Adelaide’, a system of categorising land in the 1800s by sizes of ‘approximately 100 square miles’. The new trail roughly traces the former land perimeter, connecting pre-existing tracks to create one continuous walk.
How to walk the Adelaide100
Admire nature views at Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens on the trail. (Image: Tourism Australia/South Australian Tourism Commission)
The Adelaide100 is accessible and can be walked from pretty much any starting point. The trail is officially split into seven sections, and five of the seven sections are currently open and ready to be explored. Those sections are:
Monument Road Norton Summit to Newton – 21km (one day)
Morialta Conservation Park is home to beautiful waterfalls. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
The most rugged yet rewarding section of the Adelaide100 that takes in Morialta Conservation Park, numerous waterfalls and lookouts.
Newton to Adelaide City – 16.7km (half day to one day)
“The Adelaide100 follows the river to reach Adelaide’s CBD. (Image: Michael Waterhouse)
The serene and pretty track will take you along the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri into Adelaide CBD.
Adelaide City to West Beach – 14.2km (one day)
You’ll head to the coast and trace it down to West Beach.
West Beach to Kingston Park – 11km (half day)
The Adelaide100 passes through a variety of terrains, from coast and river to the hills. (Image: Ryan Formosa)
Starting at the beach, the trail follows the coast before heading inland back towards the Adelaide Hills.
Kingston Park to Majors Road – 6.8km (two to three hours)
A pleasant walk through a series of large reserves and national parks. All up, it takes about five to six days to complete the trail continuously, and there’s an abundance of accommodation options along the way. For instance, you can stay at a winery in the Adelaide Hills or a luxe hotel in the CBD.
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Elizabeth Whitehead is a writer obsessed with all things culture; doesn't matter if it's pop culture or cultures of the world. She graduated with a degree in History from the University of Sydney (after dropping out from Maths). Her bylines span AFAR, Lonely Planet, ELLE, Harper's BAZAAR and Refinery 29. Her work for Australian Traveller was shortlisted for single article of the year at the Mumbrella Publishing Awards 2024. She is very lucky in thrifting, very unlucky in UNO.
Monarto Safari Resort’s new Safari Lodge delivers so much more than a memorable stay; it’s packed full of unforgettable moments.
Just a year after the 78-room Monarto Safari Resort opened, the new Safari Lodge brings a more intimate and exclusive overnight African safari experience to Australia just outside of Adelaide. But just how similar is it to an African safari?
Consider these pinch-me moments I had during my stay and decide for yourself.
1. Cheetah sightings at check-in
Spot cheetahs before you even check in.
Safari Lodge is set within the Wild Africa precinct of the expansive, open-range Monarto Safari Park. I expected to see animals, but I didn’t expect to see two cheetahs stalking the fenceline just behind my tent at check-in.
I cross the paddock to get a closer look. Both are now perched like a sphinx on a hill overlooking the 20 premium tents that make up Safari Lodge. I stand here, locked in place, waiting to see if they make a move. After 10 minutes like this, I turn to get settled into the tent but throw a final look in their direction; they’ve slinked back down, now barely visible in the grass. I’m sure I’ll be dreaming about this encounter later tonight.
2. Sipping champagne as a giraffe sips from a waterhole
Enjoy champagne while meeting the locals. (Credit: Katie Carlin)
The all-inclusive stay includes a 2.5-hour Sunset Safari that takes guests into the Wild Africa precinct onboard a purpose-built Safari Land Cruiser for a chance to see free-roaming herds of African animals up close.
The safari drive culminates in a champagne and canapé stop in a fenced and sheltered viewing area of the precinct. A chance to watch the sun set as animals gather around one of the many waterholes. And we’re in luck! Two giraffes are stripping leaves from a nearby tree as three white rhinos graze to my right. One giraffe starts galloping, in that funny head-bobbing way giraffes do, to the water’s edge. It splays its legs and bends its long neck down to start slurping up water. I find giraffes endlessly entertaining, and sipping champagne while watching the scene play out is the icing on the cake.
3. A rain shower with views of a waterhole where African animals gather
Enjoy views from the King Safari Tent.
I am staying in tent 17, one of the best positioned tents for animal encounters, due to its proximity to the waterhole. Not only does the spacious 71-square-metre King Safari Tent feature a king bed, lounge area, separate dressing room with kitchenette, coffee machine, kettle and fully stocked mini bar, and ensuite bathroom. But you can even glimpse the waterhole from the rain shower. It’s thoughtful details like this that keep you connected to the safari experience no matter where you are located.
4. Feeding lions from within a caged dome
Step into the Lion 360 experience. (Credit: Katie Carlin)
Monarto Safari Park isn’t a zoo. Set across 1500 hectares of South Australian bushland, it’s an expansive safari experience. It’s been designed to support complex social groupings, natural behaviours and long-term species management. Entry is included for guests, but I’ve decided to upgrade my experience with tickets to Lion 360.
Senior Keeper Rachel Hemming herds 15 of us into a domed cage for the unique lion feeding experience. She leads Monarto’s care and conservation breeding programs for their iconic big cats. “Make sure you don’t get too close to the edge of the cage; the lions like to mark their territory,” she warns.
She starts making cat-like calls to Kubwa, Kashka and Kito, the three male lions lazing somewhere out of sight behind the tree line in the distance. The promise of food eventually lures the lions over. I’m in awe of their size as they pace back and forth, pausing to take the meat as it’s fed to them via tongs.
In her excitement, one lady has inched too close; a lion takes aim and hits his mark before she realises her mistake. I see her leaving the gift shop with a new jacket not long after the tour ends.
5. A swim in a private plunge pool with a floating charcuterie board
Tuck into a poolside treat. (Credit: Katie Carlin)
The Safari Lodge reception is also home to a restaurant and bar, heated swimming pool and several private plunge pools available to book. After a morning spent at Monarto Safari Park, a dip in one of the private plunge pools sounds too good to skip.
I change into my swimmers and make my way to the lodge. A generous charcuterie board arrives shortly after I slip into the pool. I’m told floating trays are already on order, but picking at the selection of cheeses, meats, nuts and fruit while perched on the edge sipping champagne is just as indulgent as it is having it float in the water. I never make it to the gym or pickleball court beside the lodge, but I have no regrets.
6. A front-row seat to a male rhino rejected by two females
Watch a rhino’s unlucky day. (Credit: Lucas Alexander)
Louis Tonkin, our Wild Africa Tour host, is giddy with excitement when he spots the three white rhinos on our Sunset Safari drive. He has an inkling that we’re about to get a show.
He pulls to the side and tells us what terrible eyesight white rhinos have, struggling to spot a motionless animal or object even from a short distance. However, they make up for it with acute hearing and an incredible sense of smell. Which explains why the larger male rhino is methodically creeping towards the two disinterested females grazing metres in front of him, then suddenly freezing on the spot. He’s hoping one will be open to mating with him. He takes another wary shuffle forward and suddenly the smaller of the two turns and charges towards him, butting him hard with her head. It’s a firm no. The male, denied, sheepishly backs away.
7. Watching a dazzle of zebra from the comfort of a luxury safari tent
Wildlife encounters abound.
Rain clouds loom, and the wind is howling, but thankfully it hasn’t deterred the zebras. I’m brewing a cup of Monarto’s Serengé-T – a vanilla rooibos blended with Daintree black tea and butterfly pea flower when I spot them. Six zebras are prancing across the plains for a drink at the waterhole. I watch their antics from the deck of my King Safari Tent, wrapped in a merino blanket made by Australian-owned Grampians Good Co. and marvel at the fact I get a front-row show to these wild animals.
After they disappear from view, I sit with the sketch pad and pencils I find in the cupboard and start drawing some of my most memorable animal encounters from the weekend – starting with the two hippos I saw ravenously munching on grass at dusk as we made our way out of the Wild Africa precinct last night. This really is as close to an authentic safari experience as you can get outside of Africa.
