Monarto: The Best Place To Holiday With Kids In Australia

Eternal optimist and dad Quentin Long takes on the ultimate parenting challenge: a holiday his teenagers might like, at South Australia’s newest wildlife experience.

Teenagers. I can’t wait to take them on a holiday. Said no one ever. Caught between the twin evils of missing out on hanging with their mates and enduring the embarrassment of their parents, a holiday with the family for a teenager is tantamount to an act of torture.

And, for parents, forcing a teenager away from their dens and enduring the sullen moping that can escalate to outright verbal attacks is a battle for which most of us don’t have the strength. But it is the sense of responsibility to create moments of connection that keeps us signing up for more. It really is the hope that kills us.

And with that sense of hope, I rope the kids and wife into a trip to the recently opened Monarto Safari Resort. Located next to Monarto Safari Park, an hour’s drive from Adelaide, this new accommodation is set within the Wild Africa precinct, a 550-hectare conservation area that replicates the wild African savannah.

Arriving at Australia’s only safari resort

sunset over Monarto Wild Africa precinct — Monarto Safari Resort gives visitors the experience of an African safari in our own backyard. (Image: Oliver Long)

“Zebras!" the youngest exclaims after he barges through the doors of our interconnecting rooms, clattering bags against his brother and the skirting board to ensure he is first through. After all, every moment is a potential competition to be won.

“I think they are giraffes," the eldest states as he stands on our balcony and points to a far stand of trees. I squint into the distance and murmur that my 50-plus-year-old eyesight seems to agree. “Look, an ostrich," my wife says. “And an emu."

a zebra in Monarto Safari Park — Zebras roam the vast conservation area that replicates their African habitat. (Image: Quentin Long)

The intertwining of Australian and African fauna in the wide, open spaces of the Wild Africa precinct is surprisingly not jarring. Rather, the cognitive dissonance of kangaroos and emus strolling past zebras and giraffes adds to the enjoyment.

Experiencing Africa in South Australia

a safari truck at Monarto Safari Resort — Accessible safari trucks are equipped to explore the Wild Africa precinct. (Image: Frankie The Creative)

Winding through the expansive open fields (they are enclosures of enormous proportions), the line between South Australian wheatfield and African savannah is easily blurred.

In the morning, we watch the steamy breath of hippos plume above the water. In the evening, they waddle from the dam to more comfortable sleeping quarters. Their enormous rhythmically swinging buttocks suggest that life doesn’t get much better for a hippo. We spy barbary sheep and their ostentatious beards. Three black rhinos feeding in the golden sunset. And two blackbucks relentlessly charging and clashing horns, trying to best each other. It mirrors what happens at home.

cheetahs in Monarto Safari Park — There’s a chance to see cheetahs on a game drive. (Image: Oliver Long)

I had never seen a cheetah do anything other than meander, but here we watch two break effortlessly and silently from a slow walk into a canter, displaying their terrifyingly lethal hunting ability.

Pleasingly – relieving, to be honest – the boys are enthralled with all the wildlife. They share turns capturing the animals, in surroundings as close to natural as possible, on my old DSLR camera. Reviewing their great and not-so-great photos creates a conversation and moments of connection that any parent of teenagers craves. Perhaps even better, the drives give them an opportunity to be wowed by nature again. They take on some of the commentary from the remarkably well-qualified guides.

Parents are treated as well as teens

the Marula Soak House, Monarto Safari Park — The day spa also comprises the Marula Soak House.

You can only push teenagers so far before you need to let them return to their natural slovenly state. After the morning drive and an enormous breakfast, we literally leave them to their own devices and head for some parental pampering at the Marula Day Spa. An hour-long massage is not enough, but we steal some extra time in the recovery room, sipping the aromatic and soothing Serengé-T, a bespoke combination of vanilla, licorice, lavender and lemongrass. From here, we watch the zebras buck and bite each other, secretly hoping our kids are not doing the same.

the Marula Day Spa lounge, Monarto Safari Resort — Relax post-treatment in the Marula Day Spa lounge.

Turns out, the boys did not hate the experience or me for putting them through it. In fact, they enjoyed, maybe even loved, the majority of our two-night getaway. We got a safari experience without having to take out our passports or a second mortgage. It gave some respite to my wife, connected us with the kids and expanded their horizons. That is no mean feat. But I won’t break my arm patting myself on the back; the kids will bring me back down to Earth.

zebras in Monarto Safari Park — Zebras can sometimes be seen from the resort. (Image: Isaac Long)

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

Monarto Safari Resort is an hour’s drive south-east of Adelaide/Tarntanya.

Staying there

the Savannah King room at Monarto Safari Resort — A plush Savannah King room.

Monarto Safari Resort accommodation includes twin, king and interconnecting rooms to one- and two-bedroom suites sleeping up to four guests. Waterhole rooms and suites have views of the waterhole, Wild Africa precinct and animals, whereas Savannah rooms and suites face the front of the hotel and surrounding plains.

Breakfast can be included in your booking and is served at Kutjera Restaurant & Bar, which is also open for lunch and dinner. Rates start at $285 per night for a Savannah Twin Room.

the signature sun-kissedmango dome dessert, Monarto Safari Resort — The menu features contemporary Australian cuisine such as the signature sun-kissed mango dome dessert.

Playing there

Monarto Safari Resort in the Wild Africa precinct — The resort is located within the Wild Africa precinct. (Image: Oliver Long)

The dawn and dusk game drives are inclusive and exclusive to Monarto Safari Resort guests and the only way to access the Wild Africa precinct. Guests receive exclusive discounts for park entry to Monarto Safari Park, the largest safari experience outside of Africa. The park is home to more than 50 species of exotic and native animals. A portion of every booking at the resort is donated to the Zoos SA Conservation Fund.

Beyond the winding bitumen and coastal views lies another side to Victoria’s most famous route.

There’s something hypnotic about this stretch of Victoria’s coast. Maybe it’s the way the road hugs the ocean so tightly, or how the cliffs catch the sun in colours you can’t name. Or, for local Victorians who drove this route as kids, maybe it’s the memories of winding through the impossibly tall trees as they seemingly guide you on your journey like wooden guardian angels. Most travellers know it for the 12 Apostles, but there are plenty of alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road equally as worthy of your time.

So, next time you’re in that neck of the woods, park that car, stretch those legs and try these experiences.

1. Discover living culture at Budj Bim

Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism — Walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Breakaway Creek’s Budj Bim Cultural Landscape is a masterclass in educational storytelling. Join a guided tour with Budj Bim Cultural Landscape Tourism to walk across the world’s oldest known aquaculture system, where the Gunditjmara people built sophisticated eel traps and stone channels more than 6,000 years ago.

Budj Bim’s aquaculture system predates Egypt’s pyramids by roughly 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest examples of human engineering on Earth. If that’s not enough to get your history-loving family members involved in this road trip, we’re out of ideas.

2. Unwind in the hot springs at Warnambool

woman relaxing at Deep Blue Hot Springs — Let mineral-rich water heal you.

If your legs need a break after a long drive, Deep Blue Hot Springs is your remedy. The geothermal pools sit just metres from the coastline, filled with mineral-rich water that bubbles up from deep underground. Move between open-air baths, waterfall pools and quiet zones made for meditation.

The water in Deep Blue’s geothermal pools comes from an ancient aquifer nearly 850 metres below the Earth’s surface, which, in non-scientific terms, means it’s far more likely to have healing properties than the mineral water you’d find at the supermarket.

3. Take to the air at Princetown

12 Apostles Helicopters flight alternate experiences on the Great Ocean Road — See an icon from a different view.

You may have seen the Twelve Apostles from the trusty viewing platform, but a helicopter flight with 12 Apostles Helicopters shows you just how sprawling and rugged this coastline really is.

The trip covers everything from Port Campbell to London Bridge (not to be confused with the UK’s own), giving you a rare chance to watch waves carving the limestone cliffs from above. It’s worth noting that the limestone stacks of the Twelve Apostles are said to erode by roughly two centimetres each year, so the longer you leave it, the less of the Apostles you’ll see.

4. Step into the past at Flagstaff Hill

Continue the tour through Warnambool at Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village and Museum , a recreated 19th-century port town. Hear stories from the days when shipwrecks were as common as seagulls, with an astounding 180 ships believed to have sunk along the Shipwreck Coast in less than five years.

The night show, complete with lights, sound, and sea spray, brings the coastline’s most dramatic stories to life.

If you’re staying the night, Simon’s Waterfront offers relaxed dining with fresh local seafood and oceanfront views. Order the catch of the day and toast to the sailors who never made it ashore.

5. Learn to surf in Torquay, Lorne, or Anglesea

kid having a lesson with Go Ride A Wave — Learn how to hang 10. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Whether you’ve surfed before or can barely stand on a board, Go Ride A Wave will have you upright in no time. Torquay’s calm beaches are ideal for first-timers, while Lorne and Anglesea bring a bit more energy for those unafraid to get dunked.

Bells Beach, just down the road from Torquay, has even hosted the world’s longest-running professional surfing competition since 1962. So, for those eager to have a gander at pros using surfboards like they’re an additional appendage, the competition usually runs sometime in autumn.

6. Tackle the trails in Forrest

Barwon Flow Trails Otways Flow MTB — Hire a bike and explore MTB trails through the Otways.

Forrest is a haven for mountain bikers thanks to an expansive network of trails through stunning natural scenery. The Forrest trail network has almost 100 kilometres of singletrack across 36 trails, so there’s something for every level of rider. That’s including more than 60 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails winding through the Otways’ dense forest. Cycle through ancient myrtle beech trees and towering tree ferns, with smaller ferns and soft mosses forming a carpet at your feet.

Hire a bike from Forrest MTB Hire and take your pick from easy, scenic rides to more challenging singletracks, such as Red Carpet or Rollercoaster.

7. See wildlife up close in Apollo Bay

bush rat on Wildlife Wonders tour — Get help spotting the locals. (Image: Doug Gimsey)

If spotting koalas and kangaroos in the wild feels like winning the lottery, Wildlife Wonders gives you guaranteed sightings without cages or crowds. Every visit to the sanctuary helps fund the Conservation Ecology Centre which supports endangered species across the Otways, so your business is appreciated by humans and animals alike.

The guided walk takes you through protected Otways habitat where you might spot potoroos (or joey lookalikes for those unfamiliar with a potoroo), wallabies, and sleepy koalas lounging in the trees.

8. Visit the Cape Otway Lightstation

Towering over the sea on a cliff above the Southern Ocean, Cape Otway Lightstation has been guiding ships since 1848. Before the lighthouse was built, Cape Otway was one of the most treacherous points on the Victorian coast, with dozens of shipwrecks occurring in its surrounding waters. Pick the right day, and you may bump into a local willing to tell you about the wreck of Eric the Red .

While at the Cape Otway Lightstation, explore the keeper’s quarters, walk the coastal trails, and take in views that only stop short at the horizon.

And no, contrary to popular belief, the Round the Twist lighthouse is actually located in Split Point, just shy of two hours in the direction of Melbourne. Nothing’s stopping you from embarking on a lighthouse crawl, though.

Plan your next no-stone-unturned journey along this iconic Aussie road at visitgreatoceanroad.org.au.

I finally found a holiday my teens approve of – and it’s in Australia