Rocky Gully, South Australia, Australia
Monarto Zoo, approximately 45 minutes’ drive from Adelaide, is one of the largest open-range zoos in the world and a major wildlife conservation and tourism asset in South Australia.
The new Luxury Lodge development forms part of the broader expansion of visitor accommodation across the Monarto Safari Resort precinct, adding premium lodge accommodation in a setting that places guests in close proximity to the zoo’s open African-style habitats. The development includes 20 luxury safari tents and a central lodge with restaurant, swimming and plunge pools, gym and outdoor lounges. Each tent features premium interiors, private decks and thoughtful inclusions that connect guests directly with the surrounding environment.
To support the building’s handover, Dewick & Associates was engaged to author the Building Handover Manuals for the project, providing the operations team with a comprehensive record of the building fabric, materials, fixtures and maintenance requirements.
Our focus was on producing a handover deliverable that gave the resort operations team a single, reliable reference for the lodge building, structured so that it could be used practically from the day guests first arrived.
By Katie Cocks
Credit: Eco Structures
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Long Contracting was responsible for delivering the Luxury Lodge development and managed the construction of the premium accommodation facility in a remote, open-range zoo setting, bringing together architectural, structural and fitout trades across a site with unique logistical and environmental constraints. Hospitality accommodation projects of this type require handover documentation that reflects both the quality of the build and the operational expectations of a busy venue with a high turnover of visitors.
Long Contracting engaged Dewick & Associates to produce Building Handover Manuals that would give the Monarto Safari Resort operations team a practical, well-organised reference from the outset of operations and the tool to maintain the assets into the future.
Compiling technical documentation for a luxury tent accommodation project within a working zoo required careful coordination across a highly specialised and operationally sensitive environment. The project involved managing documentation for bespoke accommodation structures, complex building services, environmental systems, and guest facilities, all while ensuring alignment with the zoo’s ongoing operations, animal welfare requirements, and public safety obligations.
The documentation process also needed to accommodate multiple stakeholders, evolving project information, and the unique operational demands of a live tourism and wildlife environment. Delivering clear, accurate, and well-structured technical information was essential to supporting long-term asset management, maintaining compliance, and ensuring a seamless guest experience within a premium accommodation setting.
Dewick & Associates used our nucleus online portal to coordinate the collection of product literature, care and maintenance procedures, warranties and certificates from the project’s subcontractors, providing full transparency on what had been requested and what had been received.
Our in-house technical writing team then compiled the Building Handover Manual covering the project description, project team details, product schedules, supplier documentation, warranty information, and preventative maintenance log sheets, structured to give the operations team a straightforward working document from the first day of occupancy.
By consolidating all technical data into a single reference point, these manuals empower facilities teams to streamline troubleshooting and optimise preventative maintenance schedules over the building’s entire lifecycle.
The project resulted in a comprehensive Building Handover Manual that supports the long-term operation and maintenance of the new Luxury Lodge accommodation at Monarto Safari Resort. For a development of this scale and complexity, high-quality technical documentation provides the foundation for efficient facilities management, helping reduce operational uncertainty while supporting maintenance planning, warranty management, compliance obligations, and contractor coordination.
The completed handover also enabled the builder to meet the client’s close-out requirements on a high-profile Zoos SA development, while supporting a seamless guest experience within one of South Australia’s leading wildlife tourism destinations.
For a no-obligation quote on your next hospitality or tourism project, contact Dewick & Associates.
The content in this case study has been informed by project documentation and client communication provided to Dewick & Associates during and following the completion of the project. Where external sources have contributed to our understanding of relevant standards or industry practice, these are listed below.
Eco Structures is a design and manufacturing company specialising in engineered tented and prefabricated accommodation solutions for environmentally sensitive sites worldwide. Eco structure supplied a collection of 20 spacious 6.3m Eco Tents with Bathpods, designed for an unforgettable zoo resort experience. https://www.ecostructures.com.au/
Note: Some content in this case study draws on a combination of sources rather than direct quotation. Where this is the case, contributing sources are acknowledged above rather than cited inline.
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