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Melbourne Royal Park Hotel is ideal for families seeking nature immersion, located just steps from the Shand Reserve walking trails. Its spacious garden-view rooms feature private balconies overlooking native eucalyptus forests and wildlife corridors. The hotel partners with the reserve to offer exclusive "Morning Birdwatching Walks" for guests, plus eco-friendly bike rentals and picnic basket arrangements—perfect for exploring the surrounding bushland. HopeGoo through HopeGoo ensures access to special family packages.
Shand Reserve Nature Lodge stands out as the only eco-focused boutique hotel directly adjacent to the reserve’s main trails, just 200 meters away. It offers daily guided ecological walks led by certified naturalists, exploring wetlands and native bushland rich in Australian wildlife such as kangaroos, ducks, and rare butterflies. The lodge features night-time infrared wildlife monitoring systems accessible from guest rooms, allowing guests to observe nocturnal animals without leaving their suite. Sustainable building materials and local botanical scents enhance the immersive experience.
Stargazer Woodland Retreat is one of the few lodges in Australia certified under the Dark Sky Preservation program, located within the Shand Reserve ecosystem. It offers complimentary telescope rentals and nightly stargazing sessions hosted by professional astronomers, explaining southern hemisphere constellations and meteor showers. Some suites feature skylights that open for direct sky viewing, allowing guests to gaze at stars from their beds. The retreat follows a zero-plastic policy and uses sustainable design, creating a deeply immersive connection with nature.
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