On Monday and Tuesday of Week 4, a small group of Year 11 students travelled to Monarto Safari Park for an overnight educational experience.  The weather was perfect and we thank Mr Noack and Mrs Stevens (who came “out of retirement” to drive the bus) for joining us. The new visitor information centre was open and a highlight of the trip was seeing the three lion cubs enjoying time with the other lions.  Students and staff went to work cleaning up manure in the buffalo enclosure which help develop an understanding of the importance of volunteer work within the Safari Park. We also presented the Chimpanzee keeper with a box of over 80 mobile phones which were collected by Biz Renton as part of her 2021 Stage 1 Tourism assignment. The Safari Park get money for each phone and these become part of a recycling and conservation program to help save the habit of endangered chimpanzees. The following comments reflect how much the students enjoy their visit to Monarto.

Karyn Von-Zieden

"Being a part of a schools group going to Monarto Safari park was an unreal experience. Not only were we able to be a part of the public touring the park learning about different animals but we also got to see behind the scenes and take part in opportunities that aren’t offered to the wider community. As a student group we were able to stay at a bush camp situated off track from a normal tour of the park. At the camp students and teachers participated in a range of teamwork and trust activities as well as problem solving. We were also lucky to have a night walk to find different animals and look at star constellations followed by a small campfire where marshmallows and some Tim Tams were roasted. The next day was when the real behind the scenes happened when we were told we would be a keeper of the Bisen. This meant cleaning up their poo which many people weren’t happy about. This experience as a student to learn these skills and really what it takes is unbelievable and a once in a lifetime opportunity."  Abbey

"The Monarto experience was something that someone can experience multiple times and it still be special every time you go through. It was fun getting to talk and know people I would’ve never even considered talking to before this excursion. And I’m glad I had the opportunity to go to this beautiful park with many species of animals I’ve never seen before or heard of before. The lion cubs were cute especially when one of them decided to sit in the middle of the road blocking another bus for about 25 minutes. Seeing one of my favourite animals was awesome too, I never have seen a cheetah in person before so seeing it and being pretty close to them was an awesome experience." Codey

"Monarto was definitely once-in-a-life time experience for some of us, and I'm very happy I got to participate in such an experience. It was great to learn about the different species of animals there, and to know how many different types of antelopes. I was very happy to see the different predators, some favourites being the cheetahs and hyenas. I especially enjoyed one of the lion cubs sitting in the middle of the road and stopping a bus in the process. A lot of the activities were very interactive and tested your animal knowledge, while others tested your teamwork and ability to not walk into a tree! I would recommend the experience for other schools for the overnight stays, and I would recommend tourists to go to Monarto too. It's definitely worth the 2 hour drive."  Maddison

"My Monarto experience was very enjoyable. This Monarto trip offers more than a regular day out at Monarto, you stay overnight at Monarto and engage in fun group bonding activities. This trip gave me a good opportunity to interact with people I normally wouldn't at school. Along with the extra stuff you do on the overnight excursion, you also experience everything you would experience the average Monarto experience which is also cool."  Hayden