SA Safari Park’s Luxury Resort Comes to Market

A nearly completed five-star resort and glamping development at one of the largest safari parks in the world outside Africa is on the market.

The luxury Monarto Safari Resort sits on a 65ha freehold site overlooking the Monarto Safari Park in South Australia’s Murraylands, about 70km south-west of Adelaide.

The development is being sold by owner Jayco founder Gerry Ryan, who launched plans for the resort after buying the site from Zoos South Australia in 2019.

The development comprises a 78-room and 20 luxury glamping tents that hold panoramic views of the surrounding wildlife plains and safari park animals.

It is expected to fetch in excess of $50 million.

In January plans were filed at the park by Safari Park Investments for a guest centre with infinity pools and glamping tents for its 525 Monarto Road, Rocky Gully property.

Ryan said he was introduced to Monarto Safari Park through irs rhino conservation program and was “immediately captivated by the vision of creating accommodation that would draw more people to South Australia to experience the beauty of the land and learn about the park’s vital conservation efforts”. 

An expressions-of-interest sale process is being undertaken by JLL Hotels & Hospitality Group’s Nick MacFie and Peter Harper. Mark Wizel from Advise Transact is advising Ryan on the sale.

MacFie said incoming investors “will have an attractive entry-point with flexibility of branding and management, together with the further potential for expansion and-or complementary uses”.

Harper said the resort would offer “a quintessential African safari lodge experience 50 minutes from Adelaide”. 

 “Similar operations at Taronga and Western Plains zoos demonstrate the captured audience and demand for such an experience,” Harper said.

▲ A render of the glamping component of the asset at Monarto, about 50 minutes from Adelaide.

 The Monarto Safari Resort, designed by Intro Architecture, occupies a 18ha site and includes conference facilities, gourmet restaurant, and bar; two swimming pools including a pool bar, spa, and café; day spa  with vitality pool, sauna, and cold plunge pool, and EV charging facilities.

 Safari tours regularly depart from the resort’s main entrance.

The Wild Africa Lodge glamping site occupies about 48ah and comprises

20 luxury glamping tents on raised platforms; a conference room, resort-style gourmet restaurant, and bar facilities; a pool restaurant, plunge pool lounge, and bar facilities, and fire pit and outdoor lounge. 

 Chief executive of park owner Zoos South Australia Elaine Bensted said it had been “a vision of ours for many years” to have accommodation as part of the park’s offerings.

  The development is scheduled for completion in the coming months, the agents said,  and will open in line with new ownership.